An experienced wedding photographer doesn’t need you to go atop a mountain og swim in the ocean to take beautiful photographs. Sometimes it’s just about figuring out what you’d like your photos to look and feel like. Which is the criteria for choosing your photographer in the first place. But there are some benefits to giving your photoshoot location some thought before the big day, after you book your photographer.
- You won’t waste time on your wedding day trying to look for places to go.
- You can get more variety out of your wedding photographs.
- You can get some extra epic or unique photos from your wedding day.
In this blogpost, I’m trying to identify some types of wedding photoshoot locations for you to get ideas flowing.
Greenery for the nature lovers
Parks and forests are go-to locations for weddings, as they are easy to locate nearly everywhere, and they make scene for beautiful, neutral photographs where we’re able to focus on the bride and groom.
Epic scenery for the adventurous
Few things can beat an epic scenerey for photos. Obviously if you’d want mountains or lakes, you’ll need to travel to them! This will often take long on your day, unless you’re getting married right in the middle of it. So I suggest to reserve these kinds of photos for your pre-wedding shoot, unless you absolutely want to spend time on your day for adventure! In which case, I’m down.
A clean and crisp backdrop for the ocean lovers
Your venue might be close to the beach, cliffs or a port. And if you like the clean, fresh look of ocean and sky, this may be for you? Remember that locations like this often have surfaces that can be slippery or difficult to walk on with high heels or a big gown, so dress accordingly!
Urban landscapes and industrial vibes
Cities are so full of life and variety! If you don’t mind other people watching you while being photographed, a city might be an ideal location for you if you want photos that are a bit unique. Cities have so much to offer, like streets, landmarks, coffee shops, alleyways, architecture, stairways, not to mention doors and windows of all colours and shapes. Be brave and go out in the streets if you’d like photos like the ones you can see below.
Finding the best urban or industrial locations can take some effort, though. They’re not always very accessible (or safe) and it’s not a given that you’ll know where to look for them. Think factories, hilltops, train stations, alley-ways and your favourite spot in your town.
Countryside and farmlands for the romantics
Roads that go nowhere, barn doors and lush landscapes. Maybe that’s just outside your venue because you already booked a gorgeous barn, or maybe it’s not. If you love the look of these kinds of photos, scenes like this may be closer than you think! Just remember that depending on the time of day, you can get either harsh or soft ligt due do the open landscape, and as a photographer I work with either one of them in different ways. Here are a few examples.
Trust your photographer
You don’t have to go to great lengths to pick you location if you don’t want to. A skilled photographer can always make it work wherever you are. The photos below were all taken feet away from the wedding venue with no impressive or amazing scenery at hand, only messy streets or busy roadsides. Some of them were literally taken in front of a bush on a parking lot. It’s all about seeing the opportunity and chasing the light!
Choosing to trust your photographer and just stay in one location can be a stress reliever. However, you can’t expect your photos to have amazing scenery if there’s nothing around – but I have to state the obvious. So if you know what look you’re after, some careful planning may be a good idea.
I hope this post inspired you to think about where you’d want your wedding photos taken.
But if you just want spend as little time as possible away from your guests, that’s cool too! If you can’t decide, or can’t be bothered, I will use whatever location is available to get beautiful photographs. Remember though, if you stay in a limited area or have limited time, there may be less variety. To compensate, you can either make time for two different locations, or a 15 minute session twice on your wedding day – once before or after your ceremony, and once before sunset. Whatever floats your boat!
