Pennsylvania rain plan guide
Updated
A rain plan is what happens to an outdoor ceremony if the weather turns: a room indoors, a covered space, or a tent. Plenty of venues with a lovely lawn never say which. In Pennsylvania, 43 venues with an outdoor ceremony say what happens if it rains. Most move indoors (39); 4 put up a tent. Plans are most often stated in Lancaster & Hershey and the Poconos & Lehigh Valley.
We've gathered details on 84 Pennsylvania venues. Pick a starting point and Sage will rank them for your day, with cost estimates wherever the venue publishes its prices.
We count a venue only when its own details describe a plan. Most of the rest never mention weather, which means you'll need to ask, not that there's no plan.
What kind of venue
The share of each kind of Pennsylvania outdoor-ceremony venue that says what happens if it rains. Start your search with the kinds at the top: event centers (6 of 6) and barns and farms (11 of 13).
Read the rain plan carefully
39 Pennsylvania venues
The simplest plan: the ceremony moves into a room the venue already has. Ask whether it holds everyone, and whether it's also the dinner room, since resetting it takes time.
In Pennsylvania: Oak Lodge, Spring Hollow Golf Club and Stella of New Hope, among others.
6 Pennsylvania venues
A pavilion or covered terrace keeps the outdoor feel, but not the warmth. Ask whether it has sides that close, and whether there are heaters.
In Pennsylvania: The Harper, The Manor House At Commonwealth and PineCrest Country Club, among others.
4 Pennsylvania venues
A tent can go where you planned the ceremony, but it is usually ordered days ahead and paid for separately. Ask who orders it, who pays, and how late you can decide.
In Pennsylvania: Cairnwood Estate, Philander Chase Knox Estate and Portico, among others.
Some venues offer more than one, so the counts overlap.
Venue by venue
Every outdoor-ceremony venue here that describes its plan, in a sentence: where the ceremony goes, and, where the venue says, when the call is made and what it costs. The most detailed first.
Malvern
If it rains: A ceremony in the Meadow moves Under the Tent. The decision to proceed with the plan B option must be made no later than two hours prior to the start time; if the couple stays in the garden and it begins to rain after that, staff implement the plan B option immediately.
Up to 200 guests
Philadelphia
If it rains: In The Bok Special, the Auditorium is the rain plan for a 7 West Terrace ceremony and the West Gym is the rain plan for cocktail hour; the reception is indoors in the West Gym regardless of weather. $1,000 is refunded if the entire event moves inside due to weather.
Up to 300 guests
Stahlstown
If it rains: Every portion of the Wedding Weekend can be hosted within the Village buildings, all of which have A/C and heating, and any planned outdoor portion can be moved indoors. An outdoor ceremony moves into the Chapel in inclement weather.
Up to 150 guests
Gwynedd
If it rains: An indoor ceremony in the ballroom, with draping and chandelier, is the backup for a garden ceremony. The weather call is made 24 hours prior and an outdoor ceremony requires a minimum temperature of 60 degrees.
Elizabethtown
If it rains: The pavilion is a covered structure with fabric sides and clear windows that can be closed, so ceremonies and receptions can move there in inclement weather, and the interior of the mansion is also accessible.
Up to 250 guests
If it rains: Casa di Fiori serves as both an indoor ceremony and reception space, so a ceremony planned for the Italian Wedding Garden can move indoors; the guest tables are set and in the room during the ceremony.
Up to 170 guests
Philadelphia
If it rains: Numerous indoor spaces serve as alternatives when weather makes the outdoor Rooftop Deck unavailable, including the Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Pepper Hall, Fels Planetarium, and the gallery spaces.
Up to 550 guests
Elizabethtown
If it rains: The Pavilion can be used for an indoor ceremony as an upgrade; our team then flips the room from ceremony to reception while guests enjoy cocktail hour in the Barn or on the Center Patio.
Up to 260 guests
Meadville
If it rains: The 7,000 sq ft indoor venue serves as the ceremony backup, and the covered veranda connected by five overhead doors offers additional sheltered space for a ceremony or cocktail hour.
Up to 320 guests
Lansdale
If it rains: A ceremony can be held outside on the covered deck or inside. The weather decision is made 24 hours prior, and an outdoor ceremony requires a minimum temperature of 60 degrees.
Up to 150 guests
Glen Mills
If it rains: The Premier Package locates the ceremony inside the event space. The Estate Package ceremony takes place in the wooded amphitheater, and no indoor contingency is stated for it.
Up to 140 guests
Schwenksville
If it rains: We offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony and cocktail reception spaces, so the barn ballroom and sister barn stand as indoor alternatives if the weather is not favourable.
Up to 200 guests
Hershey
If it rains: Indoor ceremony and reception spaces are available in the hotel’s ballrooms, and both indoor and outdoor ceremony options are offered with chairs and setup included.
Up to 250 guests
Glenville
If it rains: The Old Mill building is available for indoor use, and the permanent event tent covers the reception. Micro-weddings and elopements can be held indoors or outdoors.
Up to 175 guests
Newtown Square
If it rains: Indoor ceremony spaces are available as an alternative to the outdoor ceremony locations, and the outdoor patios on both floors are covered and usable year-round.
Up to 320 guests
Bensalem
If it rains: The ceremony package offers either the garden riverfront pergola or the indoor Grand Ballroom trellis, so an outdoor ceremony has a built-in indoor alternative.
Up to 350 guests
If it rains: In case of rain, ceremonies take place inside the Tropical Forest, with limited seating. The rain decision is required two hours prior to the rental start time.
Up to 200 guests
Philadelphia
If it rains: The Perelman Building is available as an add-on for larger guest counts or in the event of inclement weather, seating up to 120 guests for a sit-down dinner.
Up to 120 guests
Milford
If it rains: The two-storey event barn offers an indoor ceremony space with an arch and seating for under 170 guests, serving as the rain plan for an outdoor ceremony.
Up to 170 guests
If it rains: One of the three on-site ceremony locations is enclosed in the custom 50x80 luxury pole tent, which has clear sidewalls and thermostat controlled heat.
York
If it rains: Indoor ceremony locations are available in case of inclement weather; the climate-controlled barn accommodates both ceremony and reception indoors.
Up to 300 guests
York
If it rains: Ceremonies can move indoors to The Ballroom instead of The Royal Square Gardens, and cocktail hour can be held indoors in The Atrium & Gallery.
Up to 200 guests
Glen Mills
If it rains: The reception is always held indoors in the barn, and the ceremony moves inside the barn for the winter months, December through February.
Up to 140 guests
Blue Bell
If it rains: An indoor ceremony option is available as the alternative to the outdoor ceremony setting, and a generator is on site for severe weather.
Beach Lake
If it rains: The Event Barn provides an indoor option for intimate weddings of up to fifty guests, and Bar Delphine offers an additional indoor space.
Up to 50 guests
If it rains: The spacious indoor ballroom is available as an alternative ceremony setting to the outdoor Private Gardens, and the Veranda is covered.
Macungie
If it rains: An outdoor ceremony moves into the ballroom's indoor ceremony location; the decision is made up to 2 hours prior to the ceremony.
Up to 250 guests
Phoenixville
If it rains: Ceremonies may be held indoors or outdoors, so an indoor ceremony space is available as the alternative to an outdoor ceremony.
Up to 400 guests
Lenhartsville
If it rains: An indoor ceremony option is available in The Barn, and The Lounge serves as the backup for cocktail hour in bad weather.
Up to 180 guests
New Hope
If it rains: An indoor ceremony in the Stella Ballroom is available as an alternative to the outdoor Riverview Plaza ceremony.
Reading
If it rains: The ceremony set-up fee applies indoors as well as outdoors, so a ceremony can be moved into the Royal Ballroom.
St Davids
If it rains: The renovated ballrooms provide the indoor option when weather does not permit use of the Triple Crown Gardens.
Up to 300 guests
Spring City
If it rains: The on-site ceremony fee covers ceremony setup inside or outside, so an indoor setup serves as the rain plan.
Lancaster
If it rains: A courtyard ceremony can move indoors to the Hay Barn, with the final call made the morning of the wedding.
Up to 200 guests
Palmerton
If it rains: The Vista Ballroom and Alpine Room serve as the indoor option for a ceremony planned outdoors.
Up to 250 guests
Villanova
If it rains: An outdoor ceremony can move indoors into the mansion, where walnut Chiavari chairs are used.
Springfield
If it rains: The club's versatile interior banquet rooms are available as an indoor ceremony setting.
Bryn Athyn
If it rains: Our tented areas include Navi-trac sidewalls, so they are fully usable rain or shine.
Stroudsburg
If it rains: Every ceremony site fee includes an indoor alternative in case of inclement weather.
Up to 350 guests
Philadelphia
If it rains: The ceremony moves under the dinner tent in the event of inclement weather.
Up to 160 guests
Villanova
If it rains: An indoor back-up ceremony set with pipe and drape is available for $2,200.
Skytop
If it rains: The ceremony site fee includes indoor weather backup if needed.
Up to 300 guests
New Tripoli
If it rains: Both ceremony sites include indoor Plan B ceremony options.
Up to 230 guests
Each sentence is from the venue's own published details. Plans and fees change, so confirm with the venue.
How these venues differ
The 43 Pennsylvania outdoor-ceremony venues with a rain plan against the 15 outdoor-ceremony venues that don’t mention one, biggest difference first.
| Share that | These venues | Outdoor-ceremony venues that don’t mention one |
|---|---|---|
| Have four or more separate event spaces | 51% | 27% |
| Can host 200 guests or more | 66% | 6 of 7 |
| Offer their own catering | 77% | 93% |
| Price the space alone, before food | 23% | 7% |
| Have on-site lodging | 35% | 20% |
| Provide a coordinator | 79% | 87% |
Each row counts only the venues that say; a venue that doesn't is left out of that row rather than counted as a no.
Where to look
The tick on each bar marks Pennsylvania as a whole: 44 of 84 venues say what happens if it rains (52%). Regions with fewer than five venues that say are left out.
What it costs
$24k
Typical venue and food, 100 guests
Across the 24 of these Pennsylvania venues that publish a full price.
$18k–$35k
Typical range
Most of them fall in this range.
$24k
Every Pennsylvania venue
The typical figure across all 50 Pennsylvania venues with a full price, for comparison.
In Pennsylvania, outdoor-ceremony venues with a rain plan typically cost $24k for the venue and food for 100 guests, about the same as the $24k typical across the state.
Places worth a closer look
Each has an outdoor ceremony space and says what happens if it rains, in a different way. Open a venue to see its spaces, pricing, and other planning details.
Phoenixville · Up to 400 guests
Outdoor ceremony. If it rains, you move indoors
$35–50k · Venue Fee + Catering
See pricing and policies
Lansdale · Up to 150 guests
Outdoor ceremony. If it rains, you can move indoors or move under a covered space
$15–25k · Venue Fee + Catering
See pricing and policies
Malvern · Up to 200 guests
Outdoor ceremony. If it rains, you put up a tent
$25–35k · Venue Fee + Catering
See pricing and policies
Philadelphia · Up to 120 guests
Outdoor ceremony. If it rains, you move indoors
$35–50k · Venue Fee + Catering
See pricing and policies
Newtown Square · Up to 320 guests
Outdoor ceremony. If it rains, you can move indoors or move under a covered space
$35–50k · Venue Fee + Catering
See pricing and policies
Glenmoore
Outdoor ceremony. If it rains, you put up a tent
$25–35k · Venue Fee + Catering
See pricing and policies
Describe your guest count, your budget, and anything you can’t compromise on. See a ranked list of venues, with why each one fits, trade-offs, and what to double-check.
Sage the Date reads each venue's own published details, including pricing, catering and alcohol rules, music curfews, rain plans, whether you get the whole property, and how many guests each space holds. Every estimate uses your guest count. When a venue doesn't say, we tell you instead of guessing.
Before you book
Sage reads each venue's own published pricing and policies, puts different kinds of quotes on the same footing, and estimates the cost for 100 guests. A venue counts as having a rain plan only when its own published details describe one; the comparisons are among venues that offer an outdoor ceremony. If a venue doesn't say something, we treat it as a question to ask, not a no.
