Outdoor vs. Indoor wedding?

Are you unsure if you want to get married outside or inside? Maybe do a little of both? 

It’s not an easy decision, especially with COVID protocols changing regularly. However, over the past year, it has been exciting to see more couples are experimenting with outdoor winter weddings or different decor that incorporates nature indoors. Whichever you choose for your big day, we did the work for you and dove into the benefits of each option, here are things to think about when deciding between an outdoor wedding versus an indoor wedding…

Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor weddings are a little risky because of the unpredictability of the environment, but the risk does have a payoff when being surrounded by nature’s beauty and splendour! When getting married outdoors you can enjoy the following benefits:

• A beautiful view as outdoor weddings are usually in a large field or they are set-up with a great backdrop looking out over a hill, cliff, forest/trees, or similar. 

• Lots of space keeps your COVID worries away. Guests can spread out and feel comfortable knowing they can keep a safe distance from other guests.

• Breathe in that fresh air. Being outside can be refreshing, especially in suits and/or dresses. Let the breeze cool you and enjoy the fresh scents that nature has to offer.

• You’re out in nature – so use it to your advantage! Enjoy the scenery, take all your photos outside, it’s easy to find the simple beauty in the flowers, trees, or colours surrounding you. 

Some disadvantages to think about when planning an outdoor wedding, are that you most likely will need to rent chairs or decor and this could increase your budget. Also, keep in mind that if you’re outside, it may not be private (for instance near a road or a public park). Not having a lot of privacy means that strangers could be in the background of your photos.

Indoor Weddings

Maybe you want to get married in the offseason or prefer an air-conditioned space? Here are the pros of getting married indoors:

• The weather is not a risk! Rain or shine you are having the exact wedding as planned.

• You and your guests don’t have to contend with being too hot or too cold. In the hot humid Ontario summers, air conditioning is everyone’s best friend.

• A fresher meal. Sometimes serving a lot of people outside means a caterer/chef will be required to warm the food up on-site. This makes room for potential temperature fluctuations in the food that is served.

• No bugs! In the summer, mosquitoes are irritating and in September, wasps can be rampant, so if you want a summer or fall wedding and don’t want to be bitten by mosquitoes or stung by wasps, having an indoor wedding is ideal!

• Your wedding will be more private, all your favourite people will be in one space, no strangers around.

Overall, getting married indoors may end up being more costly because you’re paying for a fully furnished space along with a chef’s meal. However, it can also reduce the amount of uncertainty for you and your guests, not to mention you don’t have to worry about the weather or bugs bothering you on your big day.

At The GrandWay, we have large indoor and outdoor spaces available for your wedding. We’d love to give you the perfect day, contact our wedding coordinators by visiting  https://thegrandway.com/host-an-event/weddings/