We always talk about a “slow season” with event planning but if we are being honest, we are never that slow. We’re always working on the future or setting up meetings to scope out new venues. That’s where this post about Caravan Outpost comes in! We linked up with Sarah Ellefson Photography to galavant around town to check out this unique wedding venue for you.
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Style & Decor
We love that as soon as you step foot on the property you immediately forget where you are in the world. You’re quickly transported to what feels like a tropical getaway. This translates to LESS IS MORE! You wouldn’t need to bring in a ton of decor to make this space feel complete as Caravan Outpost did the job for you. This space also feels extremely intimate and personal. It’s as though you’re in someone’s lush backyard celebrating! All in all, if you’re into van camping and eclectic vibes then this would be the perfect Ojai wedding destination for you. Our recommendation: add pops of color with some floral arrangements but keep it tropical & green.
Accommodations
We get a ton of clients wanting their guests to be able to stay onsite for their wedding day. Caravan Outpost has accommodations onsite, you can see them HERE. The total breakdown being 10 Airstreams and 1 tiny house. All of the Airstreams have a well crafted esthetic that feels less like camping and more like glamping. The tiny house would be perfect for the “getting ready” space! This also makes for a fun opportunity for select friends and family to stay onsite with you, making it a fun & long weekend with those special people in your life.
Why wedding planners like it
Outside of the backyard glamping & van camping vibe this place has, we love how accommodating the staff was! It was so easy to setup a site tour and when we were there, Kat had a ton a great ideas on how to best use the space but also encourages you to come up with your own ideas! We also love that Caravan Outpost offers some fun and unique rentals onsite. Take a look at the built in bar below! This venue would be the perfect for a guest count of 100 and easily feel like a very intimate celebration! Ojai has a ton to offer as well so if your guests come up for the entire weekend they have lots they can check out such as Tipple & Ramble, shopping at Novella Fox and a ton of hiking options.
Why photographers like it
The first thing I check out when entering a wedding venue is how the environment affects the light. Caravan Outpost is a photographer’s dream in this regard! Tall palm trees provide plenty of open shade for photos throughout the day and the gravel ground reflects lots of clean light. No complaints here! The second aspect I consider is the diversity of backgrounds for photos. At Caravan Outpost, there’s so many beautiful spots. Within steps of one another, there’s luscious palm fronds, vintage airstreams, and the Topa Topa Mountains in the distance. This will equip couples with amazing options for photos, all within an arm’s reach of their guests, minimizing time spent separated from the party (as well as the bar). With options for ambient lighting as the sun goes down, there’s not a bad spot for photos in the entire place! The relaxed, jungle vibes make for a great wedding location in Ojai.
VENUE: Caravan Outpost
PHOTOS: Sarah Ellefson Photography
Venue Touring Tip!
You might be wondering how to take an effective wedding venue tour like we did for this amazing location. Good news! I know when getting ready to start looking for your wedding venue is so exciting but can also be hard to navigate. What’s included? Can we bring in our own vendors? What does a venue coordinator vs a wedding coordinator do? Help!
We want to make this as easy as possible for you so we are sharing our very own Venue Walkthrough Checklist! This checklist is a tool that we use personally anytime we do a venue walkthrough for a client.
What’s included in the Venue Walkthrough Checklist?
- 7 pages of MUST-ASK questions for every venue
- Questions to help you budget properly
- Pro tips from experienced wedding planners (us!)
- Questions to help with your timeline
- And more!
This is a one-stop-shop doc that will get you excited and feeling confident when doing your wedding venue walkthroughs. Ready to get organized? Grab this 7-page Venue Walkthrough Questionnaire for only $19!
