How The Pepin Mansion Handles Outdoor Tent Weddings in New Albany

 

Built in 1851, beautifully restored, and still standing on New Albany’s Historic Mansion Row, The Pepin Mansion has welcomed couples who want a wedding day with history, character, and room to celebrate outdoors. But an outdoor wedding only feels effortless when someone has thought through the details ahead of time. That's where we come in. We began hosting weddings here in 2015, and over the years, we’ve learned how to make the lawn, tent, and mansion work together from morning preparations through the final dance.

 

The Pepin Mansion in New Albany, Indiana hosts outdoor tent weddings for up to 300 guests on the event lawn, with full draping and lighting included, alongside indoor ceremony and reception spaces accommodating 100 and 120 guests respectively in the historic 1851 ballroom. A day-of coordinator manages setup, vendor arrivals, and timing throughout the event; an open vendor policy allows outside catering; and a BYO bar option can reduce bar costs by 50 to 60 percent compared to traditional bar packages.

 

Bringing an Outdoor Tent Wedding to Life at The Pepin Mansion

 

An outdoor tent wedding takes more than just good weather. It takes the right space, the right support on the day, and a plan for how your ceremony flows into your reception. Here is how each piece comes together when you book your tented wedding with us. 

 

Setting the Scene on Our Tented Event Lawn

 

Our wedding tent sits out back on the event lawn, and it's built to hold real celebrations, not just a backup plan for bad weather. The tent seats 300 guests and includes full drape and lighting, so the space feels finished when your guests arrive. That last part matters. Draping and lighting can add a lot to the look of an outdoor reception, and having those details already part of the tent setup helps the space feel more complete. Here, they're already part of the package, so the space looks finished the moment your guests walk in.

 

 

For ceremony and reception planning, our indoor spaces hold up to 100 guests for a ceremony and 120 for a reception, while our outdoor areas can accommodate up to 300 for either. That range gives you room to plan a wedding that actually fits your guest list instead of forcing your guest list to fit the venue.

 

Moving From Ceremony to Reception With Less Stress

 

One thing we hear often from brides is that they don't want a wedding that feels like two separate events stitched together. With an outdoor tent wedding, your ceremony and reception can happen in the same general footprint, so there's no long gap while everyone relocates. Guests can move from the ceremony into the next part of the celebration without a long relocation, and the space can be reset as the day continues. It's a small logistical choice that makes a big difference in how the day feels.

 

Vendor Freedom for Your Outdoor Reception

 

We keep an open vendor policy, which means outside catering is allowed, and you're free to choose the caterer you actually want, rather than choosing from a required vendor list. For bar service, you can bring in a full bar through a licensed caterer, or you can go with a BYO bar option. Couples who go the BYO route often save fifty to sixty percent compared to a traditional bar package, which can free up budget for other parts of the wedding, including decor, music, photography, or other details that matter most to you.

 

 

Support On the Ground the Day Of

 

An outdoor wedding has more moving pieces than an indoor one: weather, vendor arrivals, timing between the ceremony and reception, and that's exactly why our staff and event coordinator handle setup, cleanup, and vendor coordination throughout your day. A day-of coordinator is also part of the package, so someone is watching the schedule while you're focused on your guests and your ceremony. You’re not trying to manage setup details while also being present for your own wedding.

 

An Indoor Option When You Want One

 

Not every couple wants a fully outdoor ceremony, and we built our packages with that in mind. Our Ballroom, with painted ceilings, original woodwork, and architectural details, gives you an indoor ceremony option that still keeps the same historic character as the outdoor lawn. Some couples choose to have their ceremony indoors and move outside for the reception under the tent, using both spaces instead of just one.

 

Conclusion

 

An outdoor tent wedding takes more coordination than most couples realize, from lighting and seating to catering and bar logistics. We've built our packages so that coordination happens on our end, not yours, using a tent, a lawn, and a mansion that have hosted this exact kind of celebration for years.

 

If you're picturing your wedding under our tent on the event lawn, reach out, and we'll walk you through how it comes together for your guest count and your vision. Call us at 812-725-9186, request our pricing guide, or visit thepepinmansion.com to start planning your tented wedding in New Albany, just minutes from Louisville.

 

FAQs

 

How many guests can the outdoor tent hold?

 

Our outdoor spaces overall can accommodate ceremonies and receptions of up to 300.

 

Can we choose our own caterer for an outdoor reception?

 

Yes. We have an open vendor policy, and outside catering is allowed, so you can select the caterer you prefer.

 

What is included with the tent itself?

 

The tent comes with full drape and lighting included in your wedding price, along with staff support for setup and cleanup.

 

Do we have to have our ceremony outdoors?

 

No. We offer indoor ceremony space in our ballroom as well, and some couples combine an indoor ceremony with an outdoor tented reception.