Outdoor Wedding Venues in Tyler, TX: Every Outdoor Space at Sunset Oaks
Photo by Lacey Nicole Photography
You've probably got a whole Pinterest board of outdoor ceremonies saved. Cafe lights, the sun going down, everybody standing out in the grass while you say your vows.
Then you start actually looking at outdoor wedding venues in Tyler, TX and it gets complicated fast. Because what happens if it rains? What about August, when it's still 98 degrees at four in the afternoon? Is your grandmother going to be able to get across a lawn in her walker?
We get those questions on almost every tour, usually about ten minutes in, and usually a little apologetically. They're good questions. We'd much rather you ask them now than find out the answer in May.
Sunset Oaks is 25 acres about ten minutes outside Tyler and Lindale. There are four separate outdoor and open air spaces on the property, and most of our couples end up using three or four of them over the course of one day. Here's what each one is, how many people it holds, and what it's actually like to stand in it.
The Outdoor Ceremony Arbor and Lawn
Photo by Candid Studio
This is the one people have in their head when they say outdoor wedding. There's an arbor at the end of an open lawn, willow trees around it, cafe lights strung overhead, and rolling East Texas hills behind you with nothing blocking the view.
The willow trees do something to photos that's hard to describe until you see it. They move in the wind and they soften the edges of everything, and your photographer is going to take you under them at some point in the day. You won't have to drive off property to some random field to get that shot.
The cafe lights matter more than people expect them to. If you're doing a later ceremony, or you want to come back out for pictures after dinner, that lawn doesn't go pitch dark on you at eight o'clock.
It seats up to 175 guests.
One of our brides, Payson, wrote in her review that "the name really speaks for itself, the sunset was truly incredible there, such breathtaking scenery." Taylor and Reagan said something similar, that "as a bonus, the sunset photos were absolutely beautiful." We can't take much credit for that one. The property faces west, so that's just what the light does at the end of the day.
Photo by Baleigh Marie Photography
The Open Air Chapel
The chapel is the reason our couples stop obsessively checking their weather app around week 40 of planning.
It seats up to 175 in white garden chairs. There's more on the Open Air Chapel page if you want the full rundown. Photo by Lacey Nicole Photography
It's a partially enclosed pavilion, all white, with chandeliers and bench seating. The sides are open to the hills and the sunset, so you still get the light and the breeze and the view. In photos it reads as an outdoor ceremony because it mostly is one.
The difference is that the sides roll down. Rain, wind, a brutal August sun, a cold front that shows up the week of your January wedding. The chapel handles all of it, and your ceremony starts at the time printed on your invitation either way.
Most couples come in thinking they have to pick one or the other. Outdoors and take your chances, or indoors and play it safe. You're not really picking here. If you book the chapel you're still having an open air ceremony. If you book the lawn, the chapel is sitting right there as your backup, already set, and there's no tent to rent and no phone call to make at six in the morning.
The Wraparound Porch
Cocktail hour happens out here. The porch wraps around the building and faces west into the sunset, so while your photographer has you off taking portraits, your guests are outside with a drink in their hand during the prettiest 45 minutes of the day.
It also solves a problem most people don't see coming. Cocktail hour is usually when guests get bored and start hunting for somewhere to sit. Out on the porch they've got something to look at, so they stay standing and talking and taking their own pictures of it.
photo by The Magnolia Studio
The Covered Patio
It's over 1,000 square feet, it's covered, it has cafe lights, and it connects straight to the reception hall through roll-up doors.
When we open those doors, your reception stops being an indoor party with an outdoor area attached to it. People drift back and forth all night long. The ones who want to dance stay in near the music, the ones who actually want to hear each other talk end up on the patio, and nobody's leaving early because they're miserable in the wrong room.
Because it's covered, it works whether it's raining or the sun is blazing. If you want part of your reception outdoors without betting the whole night on clear skies, this is the space to do it in.
What Happens If It Rains
Not much, honestly.
Every outdoor space out here has a real backup that's already built and about thirty seconds away on foot. The ceremony moves into the Open Air Chapel. Cocktail hour goes under the covered patio. The reception was always going to be inside in the climate controlled hall anyway.
Your coordinator makes the call with you, and we need to know at least two hours before your start time. There's no tent company to call, no scrambling for rentals on a Thursday afternoon, and no group text going out to 40 guests.
When you're touring other venues, ask them this exact question. Then notice whether they walk you over to the backup space or just describe it to you.
Five Things Worth Asking Any Outdoor Wedding Venue in East Texas
Ask these wherever you tour, including here.
1. Where's the rain backup, and is it already built?
"We have a tent option" means you're paying for a tent and hoping the rental company still has one available that Saturday in May. The rain plan for most East Texas wedding venues is to move the ceremony into your reception space, which adds a room flip component. If they have a chapel or backup space, ask whether it costs extra. Sunset Oaks includes both outdoor and chapel options at no extra charge.
2. How late can I decide?
Some venues need the call 24 hours out, Talk about stressful. We ask for the call the morning of the wedding so we can set the ceremony chairs up with ample time for the DJ to set up in the designated area. Get a real number from whoever you're touring.
Photo by Baleigh Marie Photography
3. What time is the sun going to be in my guests' eyes?
Almost nobody thinks about this one. A four o'clock ceremony facing west in November means 175 people squinting through your vows and every photo of the crowd looks miserable. Ask which way the ceremony space faces and when the light is good. We wrote a whole post about picking a start time if you want to go deeper: what time should my wedding ceremony start.
4. Can everybody actually walk it?
Is there a dedicated walkway so you’re not dragging your dress through the dirt and grass? Heels, walkers, strollers, your uncle's bad knee. Ask what the path looks like from the parking lot to the ceremony space and whether it's mowed grass, gravel, or something else.
5. Is there a bathroom and air conditioning close by?
July in Texas is July in Texas. Your guests need somewhere cool to land between the ceremony and dinner. If the answer involves a porta potty and a golf cart ride, factor that in before you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions About Outdoor Weddings in Tyler, TX
Can you have an outdoor wedding in Tyler, TX in the summer?
Yes, and people do it here every year. The trick is timing and shade, not skipping the season. A later ceremony start, a covered or open air ceremony space, and somewhere air conditioned for guests to go afterward makes a July wedding completely comfortable. We host weddings here in every month of the year.
How many guests fit in the outdoor spaces at Sunset Oaks?
Up to 175 on the outdoor ceremony lawn and up to 175 in the Open Air Chapel. The reception hall seats 175 with a dance floor.
Do I have to choose between an indoor and an outdoor wedding?
No, and most of our couples don't. A typical day here is a ceremony outside or in the chapel, cocktail hour on the porch, then the reception inside with the option to open roll-up doors open to the patio.
What's the rain plan?
The Open Air Chapel is safe from a normal rain. If there’s high wind, it has mechanical sides that roll down and give you full protection from rain, wind, or sun. Cocktail hour moves to the covered patio. The reception is indoors and climate controlled.
Is the outdoor ceremony space included or does it cost extra?
Your ceremony space comes with your rental. You pick either the Open Air Chapel or the outdoor ceremony lawn. You can see what's included here.
Come See It
Photos only get you so far with outdoor space. You need to see how big the lawn really is and where the sun is going to be sitting at four o'clock.
On a tour we'll walk you through all four outdoor spaces, show you where the light lands at your ceremony time, and go through the rain plan so you can quit thinking about it. You'll also see the reception hall, both dressing suites, and the "Something Borrowed" decor closet that comes with your rental.
Tours are private, they run about an hour, and spots open two weeks in advance. If we're not the right fit for what you're planning, we'll tell you.
Sunset Oaks Venue is an all inclusive East Texas Wedding venue with outdoor + chapel ceremony options and a fully indoor reception space.
