Photos on thumbnail courtesy of San Angel Photo.

When it comes to finding your dream wedding venue, what characteristics are most important? Particularly for those tying the knot in a larger market (like Houston), you’ll notice there are a wide variety of venue styles out there and as such, having specific qualities or attributes to emphasize in the venue selection process can actually be quite helpful. Aside from the obvious ones (like availability on your wedding date and aligning with your budget for the big day), what else might be a deciding factor?

For some couples, it could be the overall aesthetic you had in mind. After all, I’m sure you have a general vision for your “Best Day Ever!” For some, it may be the team in-place at the venue and their ability to create a stress-free wedding process. You want to be able to enjoy this special day, right? For some, it could even be something simple, like having an indoor and outdoor space available to create a separate setting for both the ceremony and reception. And truth be told, in the majority of cases, it’s going to be a combination of each of these and several other factors!

As a venue that’s hosted hundreds of weddings over the years, you’ll find that we utilize our wedding blog as a resource for couples currently planning their own big day. Whether it be those early planning stages that include creating your budget and touring venues, the months leading up to the big day where you’ll build out your vendor team and check items off your checklist, or anything else along the way, we have plenty of topics to talk about! With that being said, this week’s blog will be focused on Houston couples that are searching for an outdoor wedding venue. Outdoor weddings have so much potential and from personal experience, can create some truly magical wedding celebrations.

Looking for an Outdoor Wedding Venue, Houston Couples? Read This!

Stunning scenery is a MUST

One of the biggest advantages of an outdoor wedding venue is its inherent ability to incorporate stunning backdrops into different aspects of your wedding celebration. Whether that be the ceremony where you’ll say your “I Do’s,” formal photos, an al fresco reception or even the final send-off, you’ll want to make sure there are plenty of beautiful natural elements, as well as ensure that your photographer is well-educated on the settings available so you’re able to capitalize on these for your wedding album.

You’ll be able to witness this first-hand on your venue tour, but keep in mind that even before this, you can get a good idea of the possibilities at a particular venue by checking out their social media pages. You should be able to find more than a few photos there to get an idea of whether or not it aligns with your vision.

Back-up plan (just to be safe!)

The one wildcard that you want to be mindful of (with an outdoor wedding venue) is the chance of any weather-related curveballs that may force you to pivot at the last minute. Considering it’s impossible to predict what the weather may look like on a day months in-advance, it’s worth acknowledging the possibility of a weather issue and how you can still bring your big day to life. So…with that in mind, you’ll want to make sure the outdoor wedding venue has a contingency plan in the event that the forecast doesn’t cooperate. In the case of our wedding venue, we’re able to utilize the indoor space as well (for both the ceremony and reception). If anything unexpected arises in terms of the weather, the indoor space (known as the Hacienda) can save the day. All in all, while outdoor wedding ceremonies and/or receptions can be amazing for so many reasons, it’s worth making sure you’re covered if there are any weather issues!

Save money on decor and flowers

In the opening section, we mentioned how one of the tasks couples find themselves completing in the early stages of wedding planning is creating a budget for the big day. Why is this so important? Well, for one, it gives you a ballpark number on how much you can spend for the wedding. However, to take it one step further, you can also determine how much of that budget is allocated to the different vendors and items needed. If you can save money in one area, that might allow you to get your favorite vendor in another.

Having said all of that, one advantage of an outdoor wedding venue is the ability to save on decor. Why is this the case? Take a wedding ceremony at Madera Estates, for example. You’ll notice that all of the natural scenery surrounding the space will do some of your work for you (primarily in terms of decor). Yes, you’ll still want some floral arrangements throughout (and possibly candlelight for evening weddings), but there’s no denying that the natural elements provide a major boost!

Combine indoors and outdoors

As highlighted above, our venue, Madera Estates, has both an indoor and outdoor space available for couples. A popular layout involves our couples tying the knot at their ceremony outside in front of the Grand Fireplace before heading inside to the Hacienda for the reception. Along with this ensuring you’re covered (even if rain pops up on the forecast), this also makes sense for a few other reasons.

Let’s start with the fact that weddings take place all year-round. In some geographic locations, cold weather prevents outdoor weddings altogether in the winter months. Nonetheless, for those tying the knot in the Houston or Conroe area (and really anywhere in Texas), you know the summers can get warm. And while outdoor weddings in the summer months are always stunning, it’s worth noting that you may want to head indoors and cool off for the reception that follows. No surprises there, right?

Another quick advantage we wanted to mention with this section is the ability for a seamless transition from ceremony to reception when everything is at one location. No need to worry about logistics, transportation and so on!

Plenty of space to utilize

As we close out this week’s blog post, there was one final thing we wanted to feature for those couples searching for an outdoor wedding venue in the Houston or Conroe area. We’ve already talked about how outdoor wedding venues can provide couples with flexibility in terms of decor and floral arrangements needed. However, the flexibility advantage extends farther than that. For those couples that have guests with little ones, this ability to offer added space can be quite useful. We all know that kiddos like to run around and play, so having a spacious outdoor wedding venue can be the perfect set-up. All in all, this is just another advantage offered by outdoor wedding venues!

What are you Looking for in an Outdoor Wedding Venue, Houston Couples?

Long story short, there’s a reason why so many engaged couples are interested in outdoor wedding venues for their big day. From picturesque settings to the countless photo opportunities and so much more, an outdoor wedding can be everything you’ve dreamed of and more! Throughout this blog post, we’ve highlighted just a few of the things you need to be mindful of when browsing through possible outdoor wedding venues in the Houston area.

For those of you who are tying the knot near Houston and need a wedding venue with an outdoor space, we would love to show you around our venue, Madera Estates. With both an outdoor and indoor space, we have the flexibility needed to bring any wedding vision to life. Every step of the way, from the getting ready moments all the way through the final send-off, our number one goal is make every envisioned detail a reality. To learn more and schedule a tour, click the link HERE and fill out the form to request a copy of our Pricing Guide.

About the Author
Paul Pettie is the Director of Business Development at Madera Estates, a Spanish-style wedding venue that has been recognized as one of the top venues in Conroe, TX. Over the years, hundreds of couples have selected Madera Estates to serve as the backdrop for their special day. From the Grand Fireplace and Hacienda to the getting ready suites and countless photo opportunities around the property, there truly are an endless number of possibilities when tying the knot at Madera Estates! Given that so many Madera weddings include outdoor components, he was excited to write this blog post!

Utilizing his background in hospitality and a “Ducktoriate” from the Disney University, Paul is passionate about his clients’ experience when planning their special day. Working in the family business, Paul is usually one of the first faces engaged couples see when they tour the venue. When not at work, Paul loves Halloween and seeing live theatre, in addition to traveling to new and exotic destinations.

Paul is also the Co-Founder of Venue Help Desk, which strives to help wedding and event venues with a plethora of business and sales resources.