The locations of portraits can make a huge difference in how they ultimately turn out. It’s also important to be organized ahead of time with our locations so that we’re not wasting time on the day of your wedding trying to decide where the heck to go. Here are a few things to take into consideration when thinking about locations from a wedding photographer herself. 

*Note— if we’re working together for your wedding, we will talk about this together before the wedding day. It doesn’t all fall on you. I’m here to help. 

TIME OF DAY THE PHOTOS WILL TAKE PLACE 

If we’re shooting mid-day on a sunny day, the light is going to be pretty harsh. I am not afraid of a little harsh light (it can actually make for some pretty sweet, artistic images), but you’re not going to want all of your photos in that type of lighting (especially not your “formal” group portraits). Consider at least one location that has sufficient shade. Two things we don’t want are super spotty shade and super squinty faces. 😉 

VARIETY WITHIN THE LOCATION

It’s an ideal situation if we can get a few different looks out of one location without having to walk too far. Sometimes this isn’t possible, but take it into consideration as you’re choosing locations. Maybe you found a spot that has a nice tree-covered area AND an open grassy area. Or maybe you’re wanting a more urban vibe & there’s a ton of variety within a couple city blocks. Those are both ideal situations & will get you more variety within your images in the end.

SIZE OF GROUP 

Finding locations for just the two of you is much easier than finding a location for a full wedding party or family (depending on size). When hunting for wedding party & family photo locations, consider areas that have full shade or are in a wide open space that is back-lit (meaning the group would be facing away from the sun & the location still looks good). 

DON’T FORGET ABOUT WHAT YOUR VENUE HAS TO OFFER

Sometimes, we are so excited to go out exploring for a unique location that we forget about what’s right in front of us— your venue! Some venues provide amazing backdrops for photos. Scope out the entire venue— the nooks & crannies, the outdoor space, the indoor space, etc. There might be some spots within the venue that will inspire you! Pinewood, Paikka, Ivory North— among many other venues— all have nice, unique indoor & outdoor locations.

LOCATION OF THE LOCATION(S) 

What I mean by that is the distance between photo locations & the ceremony or reception locations. Keep this in mind & try to find places that aren’t forever away (& if they are— buffer that timeline, friend!). If we’re going to multiple locations— think about what order makes the most sense geographically. 

VIBE OF THE LOCATION 

Make sure the vibe & feeling of the location goes along with the vibe of your wedding day. For example, if your wedding is super earthy & romantic- it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to go find super bright- colored, graphic walls around the city to use for photos. It’s great to have a good variety within your gallery, but the goal is that everything feels relatively cohesive from start to finish. 

BACKUP LOCATIONS

Last, but certainly not least— be sure to consider backup locations if the weather is looking less than ideal. Some venues have really great indoor options with great natural light, but if they don’t— let’s put our brains together to come up with some ideas on where we could go if it’s raining or freezing. 😉 

And that’s it. 🙂 No need to feel overwhelmed, as we’ll go over a lot of this stuff together. But it’s always good to have these considerations in mind when you start thinking about locations. Checking these things off the list will make your wedding day so much less stressful & will set us allllll up for success!

P.s. if you’re looking for more tips— check out this page. 🙂