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Samantha
Savvy January 2021

Photo advice

Samantha, on May 31, 2019 at 2:01 AM Posted in Planning 0 18
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Hi Friends!

So we are about 98% sure we know what venue we are going to go with. The price is within budget, it’s beautiful, and the event coordinators are the kindest we’ve met so far. With that being said... the one drawback to this venue is that the ceremony and reception are entirely indoors with zero natural lighting. It’s mood lighting throughout and they can change it to match our color scheme, but I’m worried about photos with the wedding party. There is ZERO outdoor space for photos. The entrance is literally just a door along a strip mall, and it doesn’t become magical until you walk past that entrance.

We are thinking of two options.

The first option is to find a different place for ceremony that has natural lighting and pretty places to take photos. The problem with that is the ceremony at the venue is free with the reception package, and of course if we find another place for the ceremony it’s going to cost $700-$1,000 more. And more planning. Ugh.

The second option is where I need advice. So even though the ceremony and reception are in the same building, there is an optional cocktail hour in the lobby before transitioning to the reception venue. This can include appetizers and drinks. We’re having another meeting with the coordinator to discuss the pricing on this tomorrow and if that costs less than booking an entirely different venue for the ceremony then it might be worth it.

The plan would be that while the guests enjoy that cocktail hour, the wedding party would quickly load up into a limo and drive to a nearby park with pretty scenery and a lake. It’s literally a 4 minute drive. In my optimistic mind we could quickly take photos and be back at the reception venue after everyone has settled in and just in time for them to introduce as the wedding party.

Is this time frame/plan unrealistic? I have no idea how long those photos should take. I just know I would love to have photos of our party outdoors. I know there are magical photographers who can work their fabulous skills in the enclosed venue, so if it comes down to it I might even ixnay these two options and just roll with Indoor photos, but I wanted to give myself options.

Thoughts ? Is it okay to leave the guests while the party goes off-site for 45 minutes? Has anybody else had an entirely indoor wedding with nowhere else to take photos ? Did you make it work? Do you regret not having photos outside?

18 Comments

Latest activity by Sara, on May 31, 2019 at 12:56 PM
  • Formerbride
    VIP June 2019
    Formerbride ·
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    Yes, it's okay to leave your guests during cocktail hour! Many weddings have bridal party taking photos during cocktail hour. In fact, every wedding I have been in follows that schedule.
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  • Gabriela
    Dedicated November 2020
    Gabriela ·
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    I think it would be okay to leave durning cocktail hour. Usually most weddings that have two locations for ceremony and receptions take pictures during that time to allow for guests to arrive at the next location as well. Seeing yours at the same location it makes sense to leave. It would give the photographer a good amount of time to take good photos. As for photos indoors, as long as you hire a great photographer, I’m sure he/she can use great editing to make them pop and look amazing for you.
    • Reply
  • C
    Super January 2020
    Cassie ·
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    You could do a first look and take those photos and photos with your bridal party outside at the near by park before making your way to the ceremony/reception site. Then you can take more photos at the venue after your ceremony.
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  • Caytlyn
    Legend November 2019
    Caytlyn ·
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    I've been to lots of weddings where photos are taken off site during cocktail hour. You could also do some photos before the ceremony if you're concerned about not having enough time during cocktail hour.

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  • Leigh
    Dedicated January 2020
    Leigh ·
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    We’re doing off-site photos before the ceremony.
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  • Victoria
    VIP October 2018
    Victoria ·
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    The point of cocktail hour is to let the newlyweds take their photos, so you're fine leaving them for 45 minutes! That sounds like a lot of time but it's really not, so maybe you could get photos of you with your bridal party and family and your FH with his party and family beforehand. We did this, separately of course because we did NOT want a first look, and it saved lots of time.
    • Reply
  • H
    Master July 2019
    Hannah ·
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    Forty-five minutes may be cutting it close to get all the shots you need. If you are opposed to doing a first look, maybe your photographer can take some pictures of the bride and her bridal party/groom and his groomsmen at that park separately before the ceremony. That way you cut some of the shots out. I think most photographers say pictures take about an hour and a half. If you can cut out half of them before the ceremony, you should be golden.
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  • latasha
    VIP September 2019
    latasha ·
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    I also think it would be fine to leave during cocktail hour to do your pictures. Most wedding I’ve been to this is how it’s done. Actually all the weddings I’ve been to this is how it’s done haha. I’m greedy so I want to be at a portion of my cocktail hour so as some other pps have stated FH and I will be talking some pictures with our bridal party and family before the ceremony...separately since we don’t want a first look. After the ceremony we will only need to get a couple more shots so I’m hoping I can make it to the last part of cocktail hour.
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  • Kelly
    VIP October 2020
    Kelly ·
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    Cocktail hour can be a full hour! That's what it's for.
    You could get ready and do photos before the wedding at the park then do the ceremony too.
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  • Danielle
    Master June 2019
    Danielle ·
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    I think you'd be okay to go off site for photos. Just be aware of how long you are taking, because guests can get annoyed if they are left to wait too long. Don't take more than an hour between end of ceremony and reception entrance. Have you considered doing a first look? That way you could get all of your pictures done at the park before the ceremony, and then you'd be free to join your guests sooner.

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  • V
    Champion July 2019
    Veronica ·
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    Our venue sounds similar to yours. Ours is at a hotel and view outside is of a parking lot which isn't a good view for photos. Our venue said that the train tracks behind the venue is a popular place people take photos. There is also a park less than half a mile away that my fiance and I would like to take photos at. Most weddi
    • Reply
  • V
    Champion July 2019
    Veronica ·
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    Oops I didn't mean to submit my comment already. As I was saying, most weddings the bride and groom go off during cocktail hour to take photos. For one of our friend's weddings they took about 2 hours at lest to take photos. They went to about 2-3 locations for photos. They had their ceremony at a church then reception at a restaurant and they stopped at those locations on the way. My fiance was in the wedding so I hung out with his other friend's wife because her husband was also in the wedding. I definitely see no problem with you taking the 4 minute drive to a location for photos, but I would make sure you don't spend hours there.
    • Reply
  • Mandi
    Master October 2020
    Mandi ·
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    Our venue will have our ceremony and reception.
    Ceremony first, then we're doing the row by row greet and dismissal, family photos, and begin flipping the room and a grand exit. Then we're leaving the venue to take photos and won't be back for 3 hours. (We're budgeting 1.5-2 hours for photos, and another hour to relax a little with our friends.)
    • Reply
  • Dayna
    Expert September 2021
    Dayna ·
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    You could try to do wedding party and parent photos before the ceremony to give yourself extra time, and then couples and group photos during cocktail hour. Maybe look into booking a nice hotel nearby where you can get ready and take some photos in a nice lobby or something with an outdoor space. It might still come out cheaper than a separate venue. Also, with a separate venue, consider the cost of extra limo/transport time you might need.

    We also plan on doing a first look and getting most of our couple pictures done before the ceremony, so that's always an option.

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  • C
    Dedicated August 2019
    Christina ·
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    Lots of people go off-site for pictures and that isn’t too far at all! Sounds like a good idea to me.
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  • Cristy
    Master May 2021
    Cristy ·
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    Yes I think that is ok. My sister had a similar issue when she got married. There was outside space, but it was ugly. Not park-like at all. And the inside was just too generic for her taste. She wanted pictures outside.

    What they did was to do all the pictures at a nearby park before the ceremony. That way, back at the venue, we did the ceremony, and after a short break for the wedding party (the guests had started cocktail hour), the reception began.

    I know a lot of people don't want to do anything before the ceremony, because they want to have that "moment" of surprise when the bride starts down the aisle. But honestly, it didn't affect that moment at all for my sister and her husband. He was just as enchanted and "surprised" at her entrance, even though he'd just spent the last hour taking pictures with her! It was a wonderful day, and everyone got what they wanted.

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  • Samantha
    Savvy January 2021
    Samantha ·
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    So many awesome ideas, tips, and suggestions. I was worried about first look photos ruining the surprise, but after reading your comments I feel more at ease with making that an option. Especially since every single aspect of our relationship has been non-traditional thus far. We can just toss that tradition too! Haha. That way we’re just doing wedding party and families during cocktail hour and ours will already be done. Thanks so much!! 😊
    • Reply
  • S
    Expert October 2019
    Sara ·
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    What about doing bridal party/couple photos outdoors before the ceremony and reception?
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