According to The Knot, one of the first things you do when planning a wedding is book your wedding venue. It makes total sense. This is where everything happens. Choosing a wedding venue can be overwhelming. There’s so many options and you may feel like you’re on a bit of a time crunch. First, take a minute and breath. I promise you have more time than you think. Maybe you’ve already narrowed it down to your top 3 favorite wedding venues. Perfect! Now, let me (a wedding photographer) give you my advice on choosing the right one!

1. Look for plan B options

I know you don’t want to hear this, but it COULD rain on your wedding day. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of an outdoor wedding and you found the perfect venue to accommodate your outside ceremony and indoor reception. But, what happens if that outdoor ceremony can’t happen? Make sure you ask about backup plans in case of inclement weather. Also, keep photographer in mind. What happens if it rains all day? Are there adequate spaces for all your portraits to be done free of rain? I would recommend looking for a venue that has covered porches, large awnings to fit your bridal party, a lot of natural light and big windows in case you have to stay inside completely.

2. Pay attention to how much natural light comes in

Piggybacking off of my last point, make sure the inside of the venue has a ton of natural light. Not just for the “just in case” scenario. Not all of your photos will be taken outside, so make sure the venue has large windows or big doors to allow for natural light to come in.

3. Notice the color of the walls

A photographers worst nightmare is the raw wood barns. I’m sorry.. it’s true. When we step inside a venue and see exposed wood the first thing we think of is the editing nightmare. Light colored raw wood can take on orange tones when editing. It makes it difficult to edit skin tones. Instead, choose a venue that’s painted that raw wood white. White is going to allow for a true to color edit on your images.

4. How’s the getting ready room?

You may be sick of me talking about natural light and this point, but there’s a reason: it’s important! Check out the bridal suite and notice if it’s tucked away in a dark basement or on the main level with lots of windows. I can assure you, your hair and makeup artist will appreciate this too!

Morally of the story, look for natural light inside and exterior covered options in case of bad weather. If you already have your venue picked out and you’re looking to hire your photographer, shoot me a message! I’d love to work with you!