Our FIVE TIPS to consider when choosing a WEDDING VENUE…

hey friends!!!

The options for choosing a venue can be OVERWHELMING! Barns, plantations, churches, industrial buildings – the lists of venues in the Raleigh area alone are endless!!!

After working at almost 100 venues over the years, we have insight on what are the things that make a venue GREAT for the day of, AND for creating the best atmosphere for PHOTOGRAPHY!

 

In our personal opinion, here are FIVE TIPS to remember when considering booking a venue:

 

 

1: Choose a venue with a lot of NATURAL LIGHT!!!

[Hiiiiiii windows and white walls, we love you!] Your photos will look so much happier & brighter if you find a venue with lots of windows for the getting ready areas & the ceremony (reception doesn’t matter as much, since it’s DARK outside!) We promise your photographer will be in heaven, and you’ll love your photos even more!!!

 

 

 

 

 

2: Your venue NEEDS to have a rainy day backup location!

Yes, definitely having a building or tent if your outdoor ceremony or reception would need to be moved inside is important… but ALSO a backup if the day is CONSTANT RAIN and your photographer has to shoot all your PORTRAITS indoors too. Basically, choose a venue that if you HAD to shoot EVERY SINGLE photo on your wedding day INDOORS, you’d still love the photos.

 

 

 

3: The property AROUND your venue MATTERS!!!

Okay so you found an AWESOME downtown venue and it’s really your style on the inside. That’s great – but THINK about the outside. If you were hoping for soft, grassy portraits outside – maybe the cars are lining the streets, people in the background of your photos, and city trash cans /street signs would NOT be your ideal background for your portraits.

The opposite problem is bare FARMLAND. Thank grandpa for offering his gorgeous land, but THINK about the problem of having NO SHADE AT ALL outside. To take amazing photos, we’ll want some shade in the form of trees, bushes, buildings, SOMETHING to take away the harshness of the sun in the middle of the day.

 

 

4: Consider the PARKING and DRIVING situation!

For your guests sake, think about making their experience EASY!!! If your venue is downtown, all your guests will have to find (and pay for!) street parking/parking deck spaces and walk quite a distance to your venue. Providing transportation for your guests (uber vouchers, bus pickup, etc.) means a LOT to them.

Also, keeping the distance between the ceremony and reception venues less than 30 minutes apart is always nice. Always try to think of your GUESTS happiness and try to make their experience fun, and easy.

 

 

 

 

5: A few extra tips if you want your wedding photos to be BEYOND AMAZING…

Consider the getting ready rooms – do they have lots of window light, and neutral walls? Are the rooms BIG enough for the size of your entire bridal party to get ready without feeling cramped? Does that venue have any RESTRICTIONS that would make any vendor’s job HARDER? (Some churches only allow us to photograph the ceremony from the BALCONY ONLY, for example!)

 

 

 

Of course, please choose a reputable venue by reading client reviews!!! Also, a venue manager & staff that keeps polite, fast communication with you throughout the planning process is really important!

We hope these tips help you choose the BEST VENUE for your style and needs!!

Love, Tiffany & Phillip 🙂