Indoor vs Outdoor Ceremony

 

At The Pearl at Sabine creek we are proud to offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony options for our couples. We have a gorgeous outdoor space that features a pond backdrop lined with beautiful trees. The space features a brick paved aisle, a built in arbor for easy floral decor set up, string lights, and forever green turf. It will always be a special place because it is the original ceremony space from the first wedding ever held at our venue. A few years after opening, we built our beloved chapel. The chapel is the perfect indoor ceremony space. It is full of natural light from the many windows and has elegant white pews. It features a simple sound system, a built in platform stage, and of course, air conditioning. It even has a chapel bell that you and your wedding party get to use to ring in the matrimony! Both options for your ceremony are incredible spaces, so how do you choose? Here are some things to consider:

 

 

Seasons and weather

The very first thing to consider, especially for a venue in Texas, is the season and likely weather. If you are getting married in the middle of summer, when the highs are in the 100s, an outdoor ceremony is going to be pretty brutal on you and your guests. Look into the predicted weather for your wedding date and decide if it is realistic to have an outdoor ceremony. Our winters in Texas are generally mild so you can get away with an outdoor ceremony, although keep in mind that the trees may be bare. A spring or fall wedding can be a beautiful time for an outdoor ceremony.

Natural beauty

Of course, you can’t beat the natural beauty of the outdoors. If that is your dream and the weather is right, we say go for it! But the chapel does provide the best alternative to the outdoors. It has so much natural light! There is artificial light too, but on a good day you really don’t even need it because the large windows flood the chapel with soft, glowing sunlight. And while it is indoor, the windows behind the ceremony look out to a waterfall, pond, and trees. In the spring and summer the windows are full of luscious greenery and bring some of that outdoor natural beauty into the indoor space.

Space and openness

Our outdoor space does offer a little more wiggle room. If you are on the fuller end of our guest limit, and you want your guests to have plenty of space the outdoor ceremony area does feel much more open. The chapel has plenty of seating, but can feel a little cozier.

 

Decor

Think about your budget and vision for the decor of your ceremony. That can play a big part in the overall look when deciding between the two. Both spaces require very little decorating to be an exquisite space for your ceremony. The outdoor space can pretty much be used as is, but we love to see our arbor covered in florals. The chapel has a lot more flexibility with how you can decorate. We have different options for the stage backdrop in the chapel. You can use a cross, an arch, a table, or the existing beams. We have seen so many creative displays in that space because it is almost a blank slate to dream up whatever decor you would like.

 

Using both spaces

Keep in mind that wherever you choose to have your ceremony, the other space can still be utilized. When couples choose to have an outdoor ceremony, we recommend using the chapel for first looks or family portraits. When the chapel hosts the ceremony, the outdoor ceremony space is a great place for cocktail hour or yard games during the reception. Both can be featured in your photos forever and it is very helpful to have both spaces to spread out the wedding festivities.

 

We have witnessed beautiful weddings in both spaces, and we know it can be hard to choose. Weigh all the factors and keep in mind that you can pivot your decision if needed. Maybe your dream is to have an outdoor ceremony, but you are worried it may rain. You can always choose to move your ceremony indoors if you have to. That is what we love about our chapel. Couples never have to flip a room or compromise if the weather doesn’t coordinate. Both spaces have held such precious memories, and we can’t wait for the many more memories to come in each in the future. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any specific questions about either space. Happy wedding planning!