5 Photo-Conscious Aspects About Choosing Your Wedding Venue

What is the Venue’s Primary Light Source?

If you’re getting married in an indoor venue, ask yourself some of these questions: are there plenty of windows to let in as much beautiful natural light as possible, or is it dimly lit? Most photographers (and venues) prefer to use natural light as flashes can distract your guests from focusing on you during your ceremony. If the venue is dimly lit – is your photographer allowed to use specialty equipment like off-camera flashes to capture the moment? A lot of churches forbid the use of flash as it can damage antique decor like stained-glass windows, but again – they probably don’t want your guests distracted from exchanging your vows either, so even though you might be considering your childhood church as a place to get married at – don’t be afraid to ask them about their photography policy.

If you’re getting married in an outdoor venue, here are some more questions to keep in mind: Which way will our ceremony face? Usually, you want your ceremony to point towards the sun to have even colors and tones in the edited photos. If not towards the sun, then what time of day makes the most sense? Sometimes you can get by with a ceremony late in the evening that’s cool for your guests, but if it’s not facing towards the sun your photographer might have to deal with some difficult shadows or highlights.

Speaking of time of day – most photographer’s and venues will recommend that your ceremony start about 90 minutes before sunset to allow for the best lighting during your formal photo session after your ceremony. But if you’re getting married on the lawn at 2:00 pm in the middle of the summer – not only should you talk with your photographer about the impact that will have on your wedding photos, but you should also consider the comfort of your guests as well! You don’t want them to melt in the dead-heat of the summer sun!

These are just a few questions to ask both yourself and your photographer or videographer when deciding on a venue. All of these aspects can give your photos different looks, so make sure that the venue can give you the images that you actually want!

Is there enough Space to Get Ready?

Any photographer will work with the getting ready space that is at your venue, but if there isn’t enough space for you and your bridal crew to get ready, your final photos might not look as great as you’d hoped. Sometimes there are easy tricks to make a room feel larger like having your photographer photography from outside the room, using a wider-lens, or even taking you a separate but nearby area completely – but having real space is not only more comfortable for everyone (and I mean everyone – hair and makeup team, photographers, videographers, moms, bridesmaids, children… you get the point) but it allows for more creative photos in general. Getting those beautiful flowing shots of your wedding dress might be impossible if your space isn’t large enough to work with, so make sure you check out the bridal suite!

Keeping your space clean also affects the quality of your wedding photos. We love that you have 8 of your best friends to celebrate with you on your wedding day, but when you see 8 sets of makeup, clothing, bags, purses, food, cups, glasses, socks, shoes… your space can quickly be cluttered. Make sure you tell your crew to keep their getting-ready-necessities neat and tidy so your photos can look as stylized as possible (we all want that vogue-ready feel, right?)

What about the boys?! So often we see the Groom and his Groomsman getting ready off-site at another location, but that doesn’t always allow us to get photos of them getting ready. In that case, we can always have them “get ready” at the venue space (usually just having the final details of your groom getting ready actually being photographed), or if you have a 2nd photographer – they can head to the men as they prepare to celebrate with the Groom! Keep in mind – you still need space to do so. Consider renting an Air B&B with a lot of space or finding a nearby hotel suite to have your men comfortably get ready for a wedding!

Oh yeah – remember the lighting in your getting ready space as well. If there are no windows to allow for natural light, your photos might be dim and grainy as a result. Lighting is everything to those of us with a camera so just remember – space + lots of windows = photo magic!

Should you bring in any other lighting to “spruce” up the place?

If your wedding venue is dark, will candles brighten it up enough to give you the look that you want? Or should you invest in event lighting that can add a lot of color to the wall? Always chat with your venue to see what kind of lighting they can support and if they have any recommended vendors to bring in that really dramatic or romantic lighting that you’re going for. Again – lighting will truly make your photos great and working with both the venue and lighting specialist will make all the difference in your final wedding gallery.

Is the Immediate area Scenic enough to have your Formal Photos taken?

Timelines on wedding days can be pretty tight, so if there is a space other than at the venue that you’d like to have photos taken at, can it fit into the schedule? Usually, venues have some recommended areas near their location that couples can get some really amazing photos taken at, as long as the time is built into the schedule. Some venues even have golf carts that brides, grooms, and photographers can use to run out to a spot to quickly snap a few shots! If its something you want, make sure the venue can support it!

What if it rains?

While it’s not fun to think about it raining on your wedding day, it is important to make sure that if it does, all your plans aren’t ruined. Especially in North Carolina, where weather appears and disappears in the blink of an eye, having a venue that can adapt is important. Some venues have multiple areas where ceremonies and receptions can take place, so if it was to rain, they can still give you a beautiful wedding.