Which cities are best for throwing al fresco nuptials?

With the outdoor wedding season finally here, Lawn Love compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on eight categories. They looked at the quality of outdoor wedding venues, access to wedding planners, and sunshine, among 36 total metrics.

Here are their 10 best cities for outdoor weddings below, followed by key stats.

Best Cities for Outdoor Weddings

1. Charleston, SC
2. Fort Lauderdale, FL
3. Orlando, FL
4. Savannah, GA
5. Hollywood, FL
6. Pasadena, CA
7. Miami, FL
8. Escondido, CA
9. Glendale, CA
10. New Orleans, LA

Key insights:

• Darling destinations: Vow your love in charming Charleston (No. 1), which has the best Venue Access for outdoor weddings, followed by Savannah (No. 4), Honolulu (No. 15), New Orleans (No. 10), St. Louis (No. 14), and Las Vegas (No. 13).


• Sunny ceremonies: Unsurprisingly, California cities have the best climate for saying “I do” outdoors. While Pasadena (No. 6), Escondido (No. 8), and Glendale (No. 9) fare well overall, some Golden State cities like Modesto (No. 191) and Fremont (No. 185) land near the bottom due to lack of venues, yard space, parks, and accommodations.


• Urban processions: While Salt Lake City (No. 18) toasts at the top with the fourth-highest number of outdoor wedding venues per 100,000 residents, its suburb West Valley City finishes at No. 200 overall due to a lack of venues, wedding planners, bridal shops, and accommodations, among other resources.


• Admirable, affordable altars: Grand Prairie, Texas (No. 35), takes first place in Venue Quality, followed by Denton, Texas (No. 16) and Thornton, Colorado (No. 21). Along with high rankings in Affordability, each of these cities offers award-winning outdoor venues, too.


• Peaceful planning: Fort Lauderdale, Florida (No. 2), boasts the best access to Professional Services, with the most wedding planners per 100,000 residents. Pasadena, California, stands out with plenty of both planners and officiants, as well as the most photographers, videographers, and wedding bands per 100,000 residents.


• Backyard bridal: With plenty of yard space, Southeastern cities are the best for throwing a backyard bash. Macon, Georgia (No. 80), has the highest average yard square footage, followed by Tennessee cities Clarksville (No. 131) and Knoxville (No. 33).