It’s been a little while since my first Bridal Bliss post, but I knew once wedding season was in full swing, I’d come up with more ideas. So to continue with my effort to share what I see and experience on wedding days to hopefully help current and future brides/couples create their own bridal bliss, here’s a little post on the ceremony location!

If I receive an inquiry from a couple who is having an outdoor ceremony, I’m immediately excited! Churches and indoor locations are fine if that’s what you really want for your wedding ceremony, but consider the pictures and choose an outdoor ceremony spot if you’re able. Here are my reasons:

*Disclosure: Just because I LOVE outdoor ceremonies, doesn’t mean I can’t love indoor ceremonies. I’ll shoot wherever you decide to have your ceremony and won’t let restrictions or low light stand in the way of getting awesome pictures!

1. FREEDOM

When I’m shooting in a church, I’m typically restricted on where and how I take pictures because of the photography policy. Sometimes I’m not allowed to use the side aisles and sometimes I’m not even allowed past the last pew of the church, and if you’ve got a big church, that means I’m WAY far away from the action. Just about every church in America these days does not allow a flash and even though I wouldn’t use it that much anyways, it’s still nice to have the option. The ability to have freedom of shooting when, where and how we want is just AWESOME! And that typically happens at an outdoor ceremony. There’s no photography restrictions of the church, no need for a flash (I’m a natural-light shooter!) and the officiants are usually a lot more lenient on their own photography rules. At outdoor ceremonies, I’m pretty much guaranteed to get close-up shots like this because I can use the side “aisles” and I don’t have to stay behind the last pew:

2. LIGHT

If I’m shooting indoors during the ceremony, I may not only be restricted by a photography policy, but also the light, and photography is all about light! When outdoors, I don’t have to shoot (only) super wide open to accommodate (even though I absolutely will to get the pretty bokeh!) low light situations. I can comfortably shoot with multiple lenses at multiple settings and know that all my pictures will be nicely exposed with beautiful colors and natural light!

3. CREATIVITY

One of the main parts of my job is to be creative. Photography is an art and I’m an artist, and in order to accomplish such artistry, I need to be creative! When I’m restricted indoors by the photography policy of a church or the minimal window light of a banquet hall, my creativity is restricted. If I’m not allowed to use the side aisles, I can’t capture as many angles and perspectives. If it’s a naturally darker room and I’m not comfortable using or able to use a flash, I have to shoot specifically for low-light and may not be able to introduce a lot of variety. If I have no restrictions and beautiful natural light at an outdoor ceremony, I can be creative:

4. OUTDOOR CEREMONIES ARE JUST DARN PRETTY!

The final reason for me is that outdoor ceremonies are just pretty! There’s no dark wood paneling on the walls and ceiling, there’s no ugly evergreen carpet, and you’re surrounded by nature! I just love when white chairs are placed evenly on green grass with a beautiful flower archway or big powerful tree at the end of the aisle. Heck, I’ve even seen bales of hay placed beside a pond with a wooden dock as the aisle! Bottom line – outdoor ceremonies can be super unique and are pretty much guaranteed to be beautiful!

So if you’re looking for a venue and aren’t totally hooked on having an indoor ceremony, get creative and go for outdoors! Maybe your reception venue has an outdoor space that you could use? Maybe a family friend has a bunch of farmland that could accommodate both a ceremony spot and parking for guests? Make your wedding special, unique and beautiful and use nature!

Here’s a little peek from the outdoor ceremony that Taylor and Alec had last week! Check the blog tomorrow for their full post!