Nashville has no shortage of wedding venues, but “outdoor” narrows things fast once you rule out anywhere that’s really an indoor ballroom with a patio.
Here are seven worth touring, from garden estates around Nashville to a private lake two hours west.
Every venue below includes capacity numbers, how far it actually is from downtown Nashville, and the one thing that sets it apart.
If you’re short on time: Cheekwood and Drakewood Farm sit closest to downtown, Ravenswood Mansion and Cedarmont Farm are the classic 20-minutes-out estate options, The Estate at Cherokee Dock is the only true lakefront pick near the city, Barn in the Bend has the best built-in rain plan, and Sandy Creek Farms is the one worth planning a whole weekend around.
Jump to a venue: Cheekwood Estate & Gardens · Ravenswood Mansion · Cedarmont Farm · Drakewood Farm · The Estate at Cherokee Dock · Barn in the Bend · Sandy Creek Farms
1. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens sits inside Nashville’s West Meade neighborhood, so there’s no drive at all if you want a true in-town outdoor wedding.
The 55-acre botanical garden has seven distinct outdoor ceremony sites, from the Wills Perennial Garden (up to 300 guests) down to the intimate Blevins Japanese Garden (50 guests).
Because the grounds are already manicured, professionally maintained gardens, a lot of couples skip heavy floral decor entirely and just let the setting do the work.
Capacity ranges from 35 guests up to roughly 400 depending on which garden you book, one of the few venues here that can flex from an elopement to a large reception without changing addresses.
2. Ravenswood Mansion
Ravenswood Mansion is a restored 1825 estate on 400 wooded acres in Brentwood, about 20 minutes south of downtown Nashville.
Only one wedding is booked per day, and the outdoor stone patio — a 40-by-90-foot space — seats up to 250 guests, with room for more under a tent.
The mansion itself doubles as a rain-plan backup and a portrait backdrop, since the entire 400 acres come with the rental, not just the patio.
3. Cedarmont Farm
Cedarmont Farm is a 40-acre private estate in Franklin, roughly 20 minutes south of Nashville, built around an 1815 farmhouse.
The property has a pool, a spring-fed pond, and a creek running through it, plus three separate barns for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.
Every package here is genuinely all-inclusive — catering, bar, florals, rentals, and day-of coordination are built in, so you’re not stitching together six separate vendor contracts.
According to The Knot’s 2026 wedding venue trend report, garden and nature-forward venues like this one are seeing a real uptick in demand — couples like that the setting itself cuts down on how much decor they need to add.
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4. Drakewood Farm
Drakewood Farm is the closest venue here to downtown Nashville — about 15 minutes north in Goodlettsville.
The centerpiece is an 1850 mansion on 40 acres of working farmland, with both indoor rooms and open lawn space for the ceremony itself.
That proximity makes it a practical pick for out-of-town guests flying into Nashville who don’t want a long drive right after landing.
5. The Estate at Cherokee Dock
The Estate at Cherokee Dock sits on a private lake just outside Nashville, pairing a rustic-luxe barn with genuine waterfront views.
Manicured gardens and sweeping lawns lead down to the water, so couples get lake views without leaving Middle Tennessee.
It’s the strongest pick here if “outdoor” specifically means water for you — most Nashville-area venues lean garden or barn, not lakefront.
6. Barn in the Bend
Barn in the Bend is built around a covered outdoor ceremony chapel, so you get an open-air feel with a roof over your head if the weather turns.
The 40-acre grounds include a waterfall, a fish pond, a pergola, and landscaped gardens surrounding the chapel itself.
That covered chapel is worth calling out specifically — it’s one of the few Nashville-area options that plans for rain without moving the ceremony indoors entirely.
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7. Sandy Creek Farms — Worth the Drive from Nashville
Sandy Creek Farms sits about two hours west of Nashville in Springville, Tennessee, near Kentucky Lake — genuinely outside day-trip range, so it’s the pick for couples who want to turn their wedding into a weekend instead of a single day.
The 430-acre property’s signature ceremony site is The Island, a private 22-acre lake with a natural stone pavilion and fountain, just a short walk from the reception spaces.
Couples who want trees instead of water can book The Pines, a wooded outdoor ceremony clearing, while The Stables — a converted barn with multi-level decking — covers the reception side.
On-site lodging, including two pet-friendly units and several cabins, means the whole wedding party can stay through the weekend instead of everyone driving home the same night.
If you’re weighing whether the extra distance is worth it, our Sandy Creek Farms weddings page has the full walkthrough of all five venue spaces, and couples flying in can pair the trip with our guide to Nashville before heading west for the ceremony.
What to Ask Before You Book an Outdoor Venue Near Nashville
Every venue here has some kind of weather backup plan, but the details differ enough that it’s worth asking about directly before you sign anything.
Bring these five questions to your tour.
- What’s the rain plan, and is it included in the price or billed as an extra?
- How many hours of access do you get, including setup and teardown time?
- Is catering, bar service, and rentals included, or do you need to bring your own vendors?
- Is the ceremony site level ground, or will guests need to navigate hills, gravel, or stairs?
- How far is parking from the ceremony site, and is a shuttle available?
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best time of year for an outdoor wedding near Nashville?
Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) are the most-booked outdoor wedding seasons near Nashville, when daytime temperatures typically sit in the 60s and 70s.
Summer ceremonies are doable but plan for humidity and an earlier start time; winter outdoor ceremonies are rare here outside a covered space like Barn in the Bend’s chapel.
Is it worth driving outside Nashville for an outdoor wedding venue?
It can be, especially if you want a lake or more acreage than most in-town venues offer.
Sandy Creek Farms, about two hours west near Kentucky Lake, works well for couples treating the wedding as a weekend rather than a single day with everyone driving home that night.
How far in advance should you book an outdoor venue near Nashville?
Popular Nashville-area venues, especially ones that book only one wedding per day like Ravenswood Mansion, often fill 12 to 18 months ahead for peak spring and fall dates.
Booking 9 to 12 months out is usually workable for weekday dates or less in-demand months.
Do outdoor wedding venues near Nashville cost more than indoor ones?
Not necessarily, pricing depends more on what’s included, like catering, rentals, and coordination, than on whether the ceremony happens outside.
An all-inclusive outdoor venue like Cedarmont Farm can end up costing less overall than booking an indoor venue plus separate outside vendors.
What happens if it rains on an outdoor wedding day?
Every venue here has some form of rain plan, whether that’s an indoor room, a tent option, or — in Barn in the Bend’s case, a covered ceremony chapel built for exactly this.
Always ask to see the specific rain-plan space in person on your tour, not just hear that one exists on paper.
Touring in person tells you more than any list can, so book walkthroughs at two or three of these before you decide.
If a two-hour drive and a private lake sound like the wedding weekend you’re picturing, Sandy Creek Farms is worth a look.
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