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When looking for ideas and options for wedding reception venues the most obvious consideration (for most brides) is going to be the menu and the seating. This article is primarily concerned with the exploration of simple but often overlooked ideas related to wedding venue aesthetics and how they relate to the wedding photo coverage.
For a couple of decades or so, many wedding couples here in Australia have been happy to settle for the concrete wedding reception situated within an industrial estate, In part, this is understandable as these types of wedding venues often offer vast amounts of car parking space and relatively inexpensive menus, large dance floor, faux decor. etc. Without attempting to denigrate other peoples' choices in wedding reception venues, I would like to put forward an alternative point of view for choosing a wedding reception venue which would be considered by most professional photographers as vital to the contribution of better wedding photography. By extension. I think that this alternative would result in a more interesting and exciting wedding coverage by not only providing added visual interest, but also ambience, that would otherwise not be achieved in more sterile environments. The type of reception venues I refer to are housed in historic buildings with intact features, venues in interesting beautiful locations which not only allow the surrounds to be captured, but additionally allow the wedding photographer to make use of surrounding open spaces combined with interesting or dramatic lighting conditions when they occur. Of course it must be pointed out with that said, that there is always subjectivity involved when it comes to the subject of aesthetics and although what is written here might be considered by some professionals as optimal in terms of location, backgrounds and back drops, it is certainly not going to be everyones cup of tea.
When basing your search for a wedding reception venue for it's photogenic backdrop qualities you need to consider two things; Firstly, is your wedding photo package going to include that many wedding reception photos other than the cake cutting? If the answer to his one is 'no', then basing your choice of wedding venue based on photo opportunity aesthetics may have somewhat limited value factor. On the other hand. if your wedding album is to be filled with 'night shots' and candid reception shots, then you might want to base your choice of wedding reception venue on environmental aesthetics. If you are planning a wedding in accordance to a particular theme, careful consideration given to the choice of wedding reception venue can compliment that theme and result in stunning pictures as well as well coordinated function. For example, a wedding function during the day at a restaurant on the beach front could well complement a beach wedding theme, or summer wedding theme. Likewise, a reception building in a well treed area which is full of deciduous trees could complement a fall/autumn or winter wedding theme.
Now for the part which gets really interesting: A well chosen wedding venue could well serve as a primary photo location, it could additionaly serve as the primary function location for that matter. Basing the wedding reception as the main location is particularly useful if your wedding day is time restricted and traveling from one location to another presents an issue. A photogenic wedding reception venue with great indoor ambient light is also useful in times where the weather may be unpredictable as many of the wedding photos including half busts, full lengths and group shots can be captured indoors depending on the amount of space available. With this said, I would strongly suggest that any decision regarding using a wedding reception as a backdrop be taken up with the photographer before a decision is made.
Of course what you decide to choose could well be dependent on the theme of your wedding. A good choice of modern classy building such as a restaurant with rural setting, beach setting or city views usually makes for a good choice depending on your taste. An older building, again, preferably with nice views or at least some surrounding gardens makes for another great choice. Be sure if choosing an older style building as a reception that there is enough ambient lighting, if required by your photographer. Older buildings often feature high ceilings, doorways and large windows and staircases which make for great backgrounds. In the right settings converted barns and warehouses in interesting or exotic locations also provide great backgrounds. What resides inside these buildings usually provides good props.
In summation, if the finished wedding album is to include a fair share of reception photos, then the wedding reception venue in terms of it's aesthetic value should given careful thought. After all, in most cases, the reception is one location where much of the wedding day is spent and any images captured there will almost certainly exhibit greater visual interest if those elements of ambience, design and character are present.
