Here are the top six outdoor wedding venues you can consider for your ceremony or reception. These location ideas are also budget-friendly and have enough space to accommodate different numbers of guests.
We’ll also tackle everything you need to know about marrying in an outdoor venue and what makes it legal. And for comparison, you’ll see if you’ll save more if you have the celebration outdoors versus in indoor spaces.
6 Best Scenic And Affordable Outdoor Wedding Venues For All Sizes Of Weddings
Backyard
For couples with a limited budget, getting an outdoor wedding venue for free is possible. You can do the ceremony and/or reception in your backyard; your only expenses will be the rentals and decorations to dress up the place.
Even a simple backyard can turn into a beautiful event space with lighting, fabric draping, flowers, and neat arrangements of chairs and tables. This is also the perfect outdoor venue for a few guests or couples who want a quick ceremony.
Alternatively, you can have a civil wedding ceremony and invite your closest friends and family to your backyard. This way, you won’t spend on the ceremony and reception locations.
Garden
If you have a garden or know a restaurant with a garden space, it will also make a beautiful wedding venue. The restaurant might have this dedicated area for the event, so the setting is intimate for the couple and their guests.
The flowers in season make the perfect backdrop for the wedding ceremony, so a garden wedding should top your list if you’re marrying in spring. And if it’s a restaurant’s garden space, it’ll be less hassle since you won’t need to source out wedding vendors.
The garden wedding venue should be inexpensive as it typically only accommodates a few guests. You might even find a rooftop garden in some cities for a unique experience and the gorgeous city skyline as the backdrop.
National Park
Whether you’re having a rustic, country, or boho wedding, the best location for the bride and groom is a park. But, of course, this is also the usual location choice for couples eloping because of the serene but intimate area.
Imagine exchanging your vows as lush greenery, wildflowers, and trees surround you. Your only expense for this outdoor place would be the permit for weddings.
Furthermore, some parks restrict what spaces can be used for events. Familiarize yourself with the setting beforehand to know if the park venue is perfect for how you imagine your ceremony will look.
Beach
One of the most beloved outdoor wedding venues, especially for destination weddings, is the beach. However, you don’t need to spend on a luxury hotel or resort to exchange your vows or party by the shore.
You can also check your area’s local beaches to see if they allow weddings. Like in parks, public beaches will likely require a permit if you want them to be your event’s venue.
You should always follow the space’s guidelines, especially with what decorations and number of guests you can have at the beach area. You might also be limited with the number of hours you can use the beach for the wedding.
Lakeside
A lakeside venue makes a beautiful setting for fall or sundown weddings. Like parks for weddings, the overall style of this location is perfect for rustic themes.
You can arrange the area, so the lake is the focal point, like a floral arch. The space can also work for big weddings with many guests, depending on how you arrange the chairs.
But like any outdoor space, remember the best times for a lakeside wedding. You don’t want the guests to struggle with mosquitos or experience slippery grounds.
Farm
Farms make charming wedding venues for country and Western weddings, and the large space is perfect for many guests. You can even do the ceremony outside and the reception in the barn.
However, because the farm is not an event venue, you’ll need to prepare different things and might need to contact various vendors. For example, you might need to rent portable toilets or flooring to make the farm space more conducive for the celebration.
You might also need to prepare a shuttle to pick up the guests from the front of the property to the wedding within the farm. Again, it could be expensive compared to other outdoor weddings.
What Is The Average Cost Of An Outdoor Wedding Venue?
Outdoor wedding venues range from free to over $10,000. However, some locations like public parks and beaches might only cost under $500 as couples are only required to pay the permit fee.
But if it’s a commercial outdoor event space, expect that the venue’s size, setting, and style will dictate how much it’ll cost. Like indoor venues, factors like the season and location of the event place will dictate how pricey outdoor venues can get.
How to save money on your outdoor wedding venue:
- If the budget is short, there’s nothing wrong about having a micro or intimate wedding with few and select guests since larger venues will be pricier than smaller locations
- Some couples might do a civil wedding without guests and then only have the reception at the outdoor location
- Compare the costs of renting an event space versus decorating a place you own, like your backyard, farm, or garden
- Set your outdoor wedding outside of peak season, which is late spring to early fall
- It’s more expensive to get married in some states in the US
- Consider outdoor venues that include vendors, as they might offer discounts if you also book them
- Make sure to read the entire venue contract to avoid hidden costs
What Is The Capacity Of An Outdoor Wedding Venue?
The capacity of every outdoor wedding venue will depend on the space of the place. For example, some venues are meant for intimate weddings, so they can only accommodate under 50 guests, while some outdoor event spaces are designed for more than 100 people.
Besides the natural backdrop offered by outdoor wedding venues, they excel over indoor event spaces because of their size. Some outdoor places can even accommodate up to 400 wedding guests comfortably.
But of course, you can only maximize the space of the area with proper planning. Some seating arrangements are more efficient with space without sacrificing the comfort of everyone at the wedding.
You can also read what couples want in a wedding venue to help you know what to ask the venue coordinator when comparing different outdoor places.
Can I Get Married In A Public Park?
A national park is one of the best outdoor wedding venues for couples. The plants and greenery provide the perfect backdrop, and most parks would only require a small permit fee.
Depending on the allowed space of the location, you should comfortably accommodate your guests, regardless of your wedding size. But of course, familiarize and follow yourself with the park regulations when having your celebration in one.
What do you need for a park wedding
To avoid any issues with the location, the National Park Service recommends that couples acquire a wedding permit beforehand. Furthermore, always check if your desired park is among the approved grounds for a wedding.
Some parks and specific areas are only allowed for photography, while others will also require filming and photography permits. But for the wedding permit, you can submit it via mail, fax, or in person with a non-refundable fee of $90.
To secure this outdoor venue, you can apply for a wedding permit a year before the wedding. But if it’s a last-minute decision, you need at least four days ahead of the wedding when you apply.
What to know before having a park wedding
Here are some other things you can expect when having an outdoor wedding at a park:
- The parking in some parks will cost you $2 per hour
- Decorations must be approved in the permit
- Decorations can’t be attached to any vegetation or park structures
- Candles, confetti, and flower petals are not allowed
- Alcoholic beverages are prohibited
But more than this list, you should check the rules set by the park where you’ll have your outdoor wedding. The following information applies to National Mall and Memorial Parks, and each park has permit requirements.
For example, your special event permit for a wedding at a national park can be denied if your event is contrary to the park’s purposes, cause damage to the park, interfere with the park activities, cause harm to visitors and employees, or conflict with other park users.
What Is The Best Month To Have An Outdoor Wedding?
Consider a fall wedding
The best month for an outdoor wedding is September or October because during this time, it’s early fall, and the natural locations are expected to be beautiful around the US. These months are the perfect balance between hot and cold weather in some areas, with visually appealing fall foliage as a bonus.
What about the first three months of the year? January to March is not recommended for outdoor weddings because of the inclement winter weather.
Before you plan an outdoor wedding in June…
And after March, the following months will experience gray skies and showers, which are not practical for an outdoor wedding location. June, which offers temperate weather, is popular among outdoor weddings because of the low risk of rain, extreme heat, or snow, but because it’s popular, you’ll be competing with other June brides to book your outdoor venue.
Venues during peak season are also expected to be pricier than off-months. If you wait and have the outdoor wedding in July or August, you’re at risk of thunderstorms or uncomfortable heat.
Are Outdoor Weddings Cheaper?
Cheap outdoor venues
Outdoor weddings can both be cheaper and more expensive than indoor weddings. This is because there are cheap outdoor venues like public parks and beaches where you’ll only be paying around $100 for wedding permits versus indoor venues that can cost thousands of dollars.
Expensive preparations
However, outdoor weddings can also be more expensive as you need to prepare the outdoor setting for an event. You might need to book several vendors and rentals for weather protection, accessible washrooms, and ensure that you have an energy source for the music and electricity.
Additional location expenses
The accommodations and travel expenses will increase your total budget if you’re also traveling to another location for the outdoor destination wedding. However, you can compare the costs to a hometown wedding where you don’t need to book hotels and plane tickets.
Since the wedding venue takes most of the budget, you can learn how to find cheap wedding venues to cut on expenses.
Are Outdoor Weddings Legal?
Outdoor weddings are legal as long as the couple acquires all the necessary documents and legalities for the marriage. However, every state has its own marriage laws that you should familiarize yourself with, especially when having an outdoor destination wedding.
You also want to know the officiant laws in your chosen outdoor wedding location so whoever officiates your wedding has met the requirements accordingly. Of course, you can always visit the country clerk’s office for information regarding the officiant and marriage certificate in the state.
The officiant should also be legally recognized for the outdoor wedding to be legal. Otherwise, the marriage can be challenged in some jurisdictions.
Who Can Officiate An Outdoor Wedding?
Most religious officiants won’t marry couples outside of their place of worship. For example, the Code of Canon Law for Catholics says marriages should be celebrated in a parish.
Sometimes, it’s possible to be granted a religious outdoor wedding for cultural or safety reasons. However, if your wedding is outdoors, you’ll likely find a willing non-religious officiant.
Another option is to get a civil wedding so it won’t be as challenging to find someone who can legally perform the wedding outdoors. Then, after you acquire the wedding legalities through your civil union, you can have anyone officiate the outdoor wedding ceremony for symbolism.
Conclusion
And that’s it! The best outdoor wedding venues include your backyard, garden, park, beach, lakeside, or farm.
Choosing among them depends on your budget, the type of wedding, and the number of guests. It’s also possible for outdoor weddings to be cheaper than indoor weddings as public locations like parks and beaches will only require a small fee for the event permit than indoor event spaces, which can cost thousands of dollars.