4 Ways Venues Effect Your Wedding Photos
Everyone always puts thought into their photographer when they decide what they want their wedding photos to look like— what style, the tones of photos, personality of the photographer, and so on. But what can really be overlooked by brides & grooms to be is the VENUE! Your wedding venue is a huge factor in what your photos will look like. To make wedding planning just a little bit easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of 4 ways that venues effect your wedding photos!
THE BACKDROP
Find a venue that reflects your personality! Love the country? Maybe a barn surrounded by rolling hills is right for you. More of city people? Snag a swanky downtown hotel! Now that we’ve narrowed down the type of venue, let’s talk more things to consider when choosing your perfect wedding venue!
Ask yourself questions like: Does the venue have multiple pretty spots where you can take photos at? If you’re doing a first look, is there an intimate & beautiful location for that? Does the color palette of the venue clash with your wedding colors?
As your wedding photographer, I’ll always scope out the venue and choose the best places for us to take photos— so you don’t need to worry about that! But keep in mind what the property looks like when you’re researching and touring potential venues!
Whatever you choose, just remember the location you pick will serve as the backdrop for all of your memories— so it should be a reflection of YOU and your vision for your big day! 🥂
PRO TIP: Create a Pinterest board of what you want your wedding to look like! This will help you identify the types of venues your drawn to.
2. LIGHTING
Lighting. Lighting. Lighting. Everything always comes down to lighting in photography! One of the most important considerations for choosing your venue: Do the getting ready spaces have ample natural light? What will the sun look like during your ceremony? If indoors, do the ceremony & reception space have natural light?
Look for venues with big windows to let in natural light. Having white or light colored walls can also help bounce light around (plus, white walls make a nice clean backdrop in your photos!). I loooove a good photo op moment indoors near a window with rich natural light! Don’t write off a venue that you’re in love with just because it’s a little dark inside the getting ready rooms, though! Professional wedding photographers can work with tons of different lighting situations.
Imagine this: you’re at the front of the aisle and you look up to see your lover walking towards you… but you can’t see ANYTHING because the sun is blinding you! It’s suuuuuper important to check out potential venues around the time your ceremony would be (keeping in mind that the sun sets at different times during different parts of the year). Some venues have the most magical, dreamy, even lighting EVER during ceremony time, others are half-lit and full of shadows, and some are fully shaded!
PRO TIP: Look up potential venues on Instagram and check their tagged photos! This can help you get an idea of what the venue lighting looks like in photos.
3. SPACE
Are you all crammed into a tiny space getting ready? Is your ceremony space feeling a little cramped? Choosing a wedding venue with ample space for the amount of guests and decor is so important! Think of it this way, if you’re all squished into a room, it doesn’t give your photographer any room to move around and capture the magic! The same goes for the ceremony. If I don’t have room to walk around, I won’t be able to catch as many emotions and reactions. Having more room will contribute to a better guest experience, too! This absolutely doesn’t mean you need to rent out a giant mansion!! Just keep in mind that we all need some room the breathe.
PRO TIP: When you’re visiting your venue, pretend you’re a photographer! Walk around the space. Is there enough room to walk around if other people were in the room? Is there space around where the ceremony chairs will be?
4. VENUE POLICIES
Just to be safe, always check with the venue coordinator on their photography policies! Some venues may have restrictions on flash photography or specific areas where photos are not allowed. Getting all these deets beforehand helps you plan your day!
PRO TIP: This should go without saying, but check BEFORE you book your venue— that way there are no surprises.
ALL THAT IS TO SAY…
Finding a venue can be a intimidating, especially if you’re doing it last minute! The Knot recommends securing your venue 12-18 months in advance to get your top choice.
Plan early. Know what you’re looking for. Ask questions. And remember, you venue is a reflection of you as a couple and will live on in your photos forever! Taking these four tips into consideration can make the process of choosing a perfect wedding venue soooo much easier. You got this— your dream day is right around the corner.
Vendors
Venue: The Tiger Lily Inn
Rentals: Motif Event Rentals
Officiant: Poppy & Veil
Gown: Avery Austin
Hair & Makeup: Brittany Atchley
Catering: Hawaiian Hut
Shaved Ice: Mahalo Shaved Ice
You have your venue. Ready to book your wedding photographer? I’M YOUR GAL! ;) Learn more about me and check out my wedding packages! I can’t wait to hear from you and help you plan your big day!
