Wanderlust Okto in Lake Nona, FL – Central FL Wedding Venue Spotlight
Wanderlust Okto in Lake Nona, FL | Modern Glam Unique Wedding Venue Review | Best Central Florida Wedding Venues
We recently had the pleasure to capture our first wedding at the unique and unforgettable Wanderlust Okto in Lake Nona, FL, and we already can’t wait to go back! This charming wedding venue boasts that it’s a “one of a kind experience”, and we would absolutely agree. If you’re considering getting married at Wanderlust Okto, read on for our full, unbiased review!
Located just minutes from the Orlando International Airport in the up-and-coming Lake Nona region of metro Orlando, Wanderlust Okto is part wedding venue, part staycation property. Highlights of Wanderlust Okto’s property include its Airbnb accommodations, treehouse, Airstream, and (coming soon) container house, all of which form a “you have to see it to believe it” kind of space. These multiple features allow for a truly customizable wedding day experience that’s sure to be a hit with your guests.
What It’s Like to Get Married at Wanderlust Okto in Lake Nona, FL — Wedding Venue Review
Outdoor garden weddings at Wanderlust Okto
Wanderlust Okto blends the outdoors and indoors beautifully in a way quite unlike any other wedding venue. All wedding ceremony sites are outdoors, while your wedding reception can blend indoors and outdoors (more on that below). Choose from one of three picturesque wedding ceremony locations—the enclosed garden just outside the reception barn; the Agape outdoor event space; or the lily pond pergola—all of which are surrounded by luscious Florida scenery and foliage. Should weather threaten your wedding day plans, the indoor reception barn serves as a back-up ceremony space.
The wedding ceremony pictured in this review was held in the reception barn-adjacent ceremony space, with bridal portraits taken at the other ceremony sites on property.
Outdoor cocktail hour at Wanderlust Okto
If you choose to get married at Wanderlust Okto, you simply cannot skip hosting an outdoor cocktail hour. This is really where this one-of-a-kind wedding venue shines: guests clinking glasses and mingling underneath string lights, grabbing their favorite drinks from one of two outdoor bar carts. Your guests will love wandering (see what we did there?) around the property, whether posing by the outdoor tub underneath the treehouse villa or serving up appetizers alongside the vintage Airstream. There’s so much to see and explore and countless photo ops that are sure to keep your guests enthralled the whole time!
Indoor modern barn & outdoor botanical wedding receptions at Wanderlust Okto
When it’s time to get this party STARTED!, you and your guests can live it up either in the modern indoor barn or outdoors underneath the stars. Outdoor wedding receptions take place on the Agape outdoor event patio, providing a magical atmosphere underneath the sunset and stars for an unforgettable evening.
The modern barn at Wanderlust Okto serves a wonderful indoor wedding reception space. It seats approximately 80 guests (based on our estimation) comfortably with room for dancing in the center. The barn is climate controlled (though we did find it struggling to keep the room cool when guests frequently opened the door to go in and out in the summer heat) and includes two restrooms for the convenience of your guests. We love the all-white painted wood look, making this space a perfect blank canvas for any wedding theme—and the perfect backdrop for a colorfully-lit dance floor. On that note: simply speaking as professional videographers, we found the lighting challenging for our purposes, though it did look epic in real life!, so be sure to let your photographer and/or videographer know they may need to bring additional lighting for their use.
Stay at Wanderlust Okto
One of the most unique features of this property is that it also serves as onsite Airbnb accommodations! You can use the Airbnb home on property for getting ready or for guest accommodations; or rent the scenic treehouse or retro Airstream. Whether you and your soon-to-be spouse choose to book a stay, get ready for your big day, or host a few guests in the on-site accommodations; we love the added convenience that these facilities offer.
What we most love about getting married at Wanderlust Okto in Lake Nona, FL
Modern, unique vibe: If you want your wedding to look like a modern, sleek Instagram photoshoot instead of a traditional, classic wedding, then Wanderlust Okto is a must-visit wedding venue. With numerous nooks, crannies, and photo ops throughout the property, you’ll never run out of amazing shots and fun photos to remember your special day. Guests will love the easy, flowing, indoor-outdoor vibe of the venue and the playful atmosphere for their own camera-snapping during cocktail hour.
Onsite accommodations: It’s definitely a perk to have the option for staying onsite at the property, whether you book the night before, the day of, or the night after your wedding. (How cute would it be to sleep over with your bridal party here the night before the wedding?!) Getting ready to walk down the aisle is a breeze when you have comfortable and convenient accommodations to prepare—and relax a bit. Plus, you could consider booking a night’s stay at Wanderlust Okto’s Airbnb as an anniversary getaway in the years to come!
Thoughtful details: Some of the other thoughtful details we didn’t mention earlier, but definitely wanted to give a shout-out, show the dedication and commitment to excellence shown by the owners and staff of Wanderlust Okto. First, the venue includes hired security on-site: an uncommon inclusion for many wedding venues. We also appreciate that the property appeared to be treated for bugs, making the evening reception and nighttime send-off a pleasant experience for our couple and their guests (and hey, we don’t mind not having to dodge mosquitoes while trying to do our jobs, too!). This necessity in Florida is often not included in many outdoor wedding venues, so it’s definitely a green flag to find a venue that does.
Potential setbacks to consider for a wedding at Wanderlust Okto
Landscaping upkeep: Wanderlust Okto is set on quite a sizable property, and with that comes a lot of upkeep. While the main areas around the reception site were well-groomed, we noticed some stagnant pondwater (which breeds mosquitoes and odorous algae) and unkempt lawns in some of the more open spaces. However, this is to be expected with any outdoor wedding space that’s truly out in the natural world, so if you love to embrace a bit of rustic natural beauty, this will just enhance the atmosphere of your wedding.
Reception center AC: While the modern indoor reception barn is climate-controlled, as noted above we did experience some struggles with keeping the room cool, notably while guests flowed in and out of the building. This might only be a concern if you’re considering booking a summer or early autumn wedding at Wanderlust Okto, when heat and humidity are at their peak. That may have just been a one-time experience for the day of our couple’s wedding, however.
Direct sun for outdoor ceremonies: If you’ve lived in Florida for any of the summer months, you know how brutal the direct sun can be—especially in the middle of the day or afternoon. All of the ceremony sites at Wanderlust Okto are out of doors, and at least your guests (if not you & your new spouse as well, depending on the ceremony site) will be sitting in the open air without shade. Consider the time of year you’re planning to get married and plan your wedding ceremony time around peak sun exposure—winter and early spring weddings should be fine for any time of day, but summer and autumn weddings should consider an early or late ceremony.
Final thoughts – Wanderlust Okto Modern Glam Boho Wedding Venue
Wanderlust Okto brings a refreshing take on unique wedding venues in Central Florida. With its combination of modern glam, boho escape, and versatile spaces (indoors and outdoors), it offers couples a highly personalizable and memorable venue in Lake Nona just minutes from metro Orlando. Yes, there are a few rustic quirks—spotty grass, sun exposure, weaker AC—but for the right couple or the right time of year, these either become non-issues or just part of the charm.
If you’re drawn to venues where your personality can shine through, where you sleep on-site, and where you’ll have an Instagram-worthy ceremony under a treehouse or by a lily pond, Wanderlust Okto is absolutely a contender. We thoroughly enjoyed shooting our couple’s wedding here and can’t wait to be back!
