Inside wedding vs. Outside wedding

First and foremost you have to decide what type of wedding you want; two choices are outside or inside wedding. Both are great but as every important choice, at least for me, it comes down to pros and cons, so lets start there. Here are i few i would consider:

INSIDE WEDDING

1. Weather

The most winning pro of inside weddings is not having to worry about the weather. It's hard to plan a Spring wedding when you have the constant fear of cloudy or rainy weather, even Summer time can bring on an unexpected shower - if you are planning a year upfront, there is a 50/50 chance. This is also where the choice of destination plays an important role.

2. Electricity

An inside wedding, without a doubt can reassure you that your music, food and any other component of the wedding that needs to be plugged in the wall, will not fail mid wedding. Lighting or light installments require electricity or a huge amount of batteries ;).

3. Organization

From a preparation stand point, having one location where you can bring everything a few days to the day before the wedding, keep drinks cold, put the flowers in water, catering chairs, tables, plates, the decorations - everything that can rise a problem of last minute solving is on the minimum because you can use the space in advance to test out all possibilities - definitely a huge pro.

4. Bathroom

An inside wedding is always inside a restaurant, a hotel, a rented space which all by default have installed bathrooms for both sexes. This is only something you should keep in mind if you have a number of guests who are older, or need assistance (using a walker, wheelchair...). Outside weddings in nature or open spaces lack the plumbing services an inside wedding can provide.

5. Location

Aside from having to reserve a facility a year in advance, usually establishments are close to town which aside from transport can also be useful in solving last minute issues such as needing to run to the store to buy something, jumping back to the house to get something you forgot (the undergarment or your mother in law) and all together it is always easier for outside catering or florists to get to the location which is not off road or deep in the forest.

OUTSIDE WEDDING

1. Weather

Since there is a chance that it could rain on your wedding day, when planning up to a year in advance this is where the destination part of the wedding planning has an important role. Aim for a destination that is mostly dry during Spring or has hot summers where the likelihood of rain is at its minimum. The only option is renting a tent for security which could take a good chunk out of your budget. Or deciding to rent out a villa or property which can shelter your guests in case of rain.

2. Electricity

If your location is secluded, on the beach ex. far from any buildings, unfortunately this would be a problem. There are a few options like renting out an electrical generating unit or having large batteries. This is why when thinking of outside weddings its good to have in mind that you need to be close to a source of electricity.

3. Organization

No time for screw-ups! This is where you planning expertise will come to light. Even the smallest detail should be checked of the board on the wedding day. If your location is secluded you need to have a back-up plan for the back-up plan. Unlike an inside wedding where you have everything in one location you are now on the location and have to bring everything there - water, toiletries, plates, decorations, lighting, arch, food, alcohol, garbage bags..... so many little things we usually expect to be on a location are now your responsibility. Aside from that, you will need to give all your guests (and band, photographer, florist, catering...) a marked location which is usually with no address, and you must expect at least one guest to get lost.

4. Bathroom

When you're young, it doesn't matter ;) But your elderly guests will need to at some point use the bathroom. If your location is not a part of a house, villa or restaurant you will need to have portable bathrooms for the location - they're not pretty to look at but you can always find imaginative ways to hide them.

5. Location

Deciding on the location depends on what you want. Do you want a sea view, do you want olive trees, do you want a boat wedding.... So many options when you are not bound by a building. Once you decide on what HAS to be in your wedding, all the rest is built around it. The pro of location is that any place can be the location of your wedding.

---

When it comes to outside weddings, you can choose a forest, a beach, a plain stretch of land, the seaside, a vineyard or an olive garden - any outside location can be transformed into a wedding venue with good imagination and organization. Even when you take into consideration all the above, its still possible - it just needs more work put into it. If you ask me, despite the cons, i would always choose an outside wedding!

Maybe the best option is to combine the two - a remote villa in an olive garden, or a mansion on the sea side with a private beach. Although an inside wedding is easier and more manageable than an outside wedding i think all the extra work just makes it all worth it in the end when you see the photographs in the end: the sunset, the arch, the flowers and decorations in open space.... just imagine....

And that's a wrap!

xoxo

Denise

Coming up next on our blog ''Invitations''

Subscribe