Guest Blogger Katherine Elena of Katherine Elena Photography
Our area has no shortage of beautiful Charlotte Wedding Venues. From barns to historic buildings to hotels, it can be nearly impossible to make a wedding venue decision! When considering a wedding venue for your big day, there’s a lot to think about and some may be more obvious than others. Here are a few things from a photographer’s perspective that may help in the process:
1. The getting ready space: If you plan to have your hair and makeup done at your wedding venue, a great getting ready space with a bridal suite can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to photos. Though your photographer should be able to work with any number of lighting situations, a room with great natural light adds so much to your photos. It also helps if the room is clean and decorated specifically for the bride and her girls. Separk Mansion has one of my FAVORITE getting ready spaces, with two separate rooms and the most beautiful mirror for the bride to see herself on her wedding day for the first time.
2. A separate space for the cocktail hour: Typically, the best time to photograph the wedding reception space is during cocktail hour. We want to be able to capture all the special details that you spent so much time putting together, and it’s best to do that when no one is in the room. These are the things that you will probably remember the least on your wedding day, so it is wonderful to be able to look back on the pictures! It also doesn’t hurt to give the coordinators a little extra time to make the space look as perfect as you always wanted it to.
3. Great area for wedding photos: Weather permitting, it’s wonderful to be able to get some photos outdoors, especially when the sun is setting. Charlotte Wedding Venues with Gardens are ideal, but even if we have a small area of green space, it can make for beautiful photos. If going outside is not an option, it’s important to have areas indoors to get some newlywed photos. A venue with architectural details and lots of cool nooks and crannies allows a photographer to be super creative, and you’ll be extremely happy with the result!
4. The dance floor: It’s important to talk with the venue coordinator about the number of people that might attend your wedding and the size of the dance floor. Sometimes, the dance floor can be so small that it’s hard for everyone to celebrate with you. It’s also important to take the DJ booth into consideration when mapping out the amount of space for dancing. It’s difficult to get good photos when everyone is packed into a small space, so if you know you have a dancing crowd, leave some extra room!
5. The wedding reception exit: Last but not least, ask about the wedding reception exit. Ask where it is normally done and what types of exits are allowed. Some Charlotte wedding venues don’t allow certain things, so if you have your heart set on a sparkler exit, for example, make sure that you are allowed to have one!
Hopefully these tips help you to think about some things you might not have before! Even if your Charlotte wedding venue doesn’t check off all the boxes, you can still get fantastic photos, especially with the right photographer.
