Top Venue Types For The Best Wedding Photos

You can ask hundreds of brides what the best venue types are for great wedding photographs and you will get scores of different answers. However, if you ask professional wedding photographers, you will get the same answer every time.

The venue of the wedding is chosen to make a dream wedding come true. Getting the best wedding photographs takes a professional who is experienced with working with the light and the right equipment to bring out the shot and capture the moment. With that said, let’s look at some of the options that are chosen as prime venues for weddings. 

Church, Synagogues, and other places of worship

Traditional weddings often take place in our places of worship. This is because they are beautiful and easily decorated. Some couples feel a church wedding signifies the strong spiritual union they have with each other. 

Outdoor Weddings

Beach Wedding [photo: Jonathan Borba]

Outdoor weddings are very popular. They can be formal or casual. The natural landscape creates the background for your wedding photographs. Here are a few options:

• Vineyard wedding

The vineyard is always a beautiful location for a wedding. They usually have facilities for guests. The reception can be set up outside and the fields make picture-perfect settings. You can go with long flowing gowns for your bridesmaids or go for cute, short dresses with boots or sandals. You can even request a dress to try on before you make a decision.

• Beach weddings

Whether you are doing a destination wedding or you live close to the beach, you will get some great wedding photos with the sea at your back. There is nothing more beautiful than an ocean sunset.

• Barn weddings

If you want to express your fun and casual personality, go for a barn wedding. The shabby chic look makes the photographs impressive and fun. There are many lighting and decorating ideas for a barn wedding.

• Parks, gazebos, gardens, and backyard weddings

Look around your city for botanical gardens, parks with streams, gazebos, walking trails, and wildlife. These types of venues are easy to incorporate into your wedding and give you a natural but professionally designed venue.

• Hills or mountains

If you live in an area where there are mountains, look for a state park country club where your wedding can be outside with the mountains as your background. Take advantage of the area in which you live and let nature guide you.

• Country clubs, golf courses, and cemeteries

Facilities like these are designed for beauty. The green grass, waterfalls, ponds, and decorations for members make unusual but beautiful wedding photographs, There are beautiful gardens and statues in some cemeteries that are so impressive that wedding photos are taken there routinely.

Indoor Options

Bride and Groom [photo: Alex Perelmuter]

There are breathtakingly beautiful hotels with the finest chandeliers, furniture, and accessories at your disposal. Places like the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York or The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida give you a ballroom option for a glamorous wedding.

Mansions, castles, and vintage homes give you an atmosphere that creates a unique wedding experience. Examples would include the Oheka Castle in Huntington New York, Annesdale Historic Mansion in Memphis, TN, or The Victorian House in Kaufman, Texas.

Be Your Own Photographer

Don’t forget that you can make extraordinary photographs with your phone. Selfies are very popular today, but even though it looks pretty easy to take one, you want to make them special on your special day. 

Try setting up a selfie station at your wedding. It will be much easier for guests to take photos with newlyweds and for newlyweds as well, as you can set up a selfie station in a variety of places. It will make it more interesting as your wedding photos can be shared on social media with the funniest selfie captions on the web that will make it memorable. 

Any place you like can become a wedding venue. Choose the venue that fits your vision of a dream wedding and then set out to find a great photographer to preserve those memories. Allow your wedding planner and photographer to work together so the photographer can take advantage of the lighting without breaking the flow of the celebration. Look through popular wedding magazines and websites for ideas and don’t forget to visit the location before your plans are made.