Tips for Choosing Your Outdoor Ceremony Site

Not all light is equal! I know you are probably thinking “Duh!” right? But it might surprise you on what is actually the best light as far as the wedding ceremony goes! That is why I am giving you some tips for choosing your outdoor ceremony site! As a side note, these are all my personal opinions in direct line with my shooting and editing style and how I prefer to achieve a consistent look! Other photographers might prefer different lighting scenarios to achieve their style. Also it is important to note that often you will not have a choice for the ceremony site in which case I will rock your ceremony location regardless and edit the images as consistent to my style as I can with the light that I am given!

The most important think I can say is that it is best to try and ensure that your ceremony location will be all ONE type of light. Either full sun, full shade or back lit. Having mixed lighting is not ideal. So what is mixed lighting? One example of mixed lighting is if half of the ceremony is in full sun and the other half is in full shade. Why is this not ideal? Because either groom or bride will be squinting with hard shadows and harsh light on them, while the other will be in soft shaded light. This scenario makes editing a bit difficult as cameras do not do so well with really bright bright highlights and really deep dark shadows.

If you are concerned about your ceremony having mixed lighting I would suggest at least trying to insure that you, your bride or groom and the officiant are in the same type of light (full shade or full sun). If the guests are in mixed lighting it is not as big of a deal and the close up photos of the two of you will be more even light with an overall better look aesthetically.

This image below is the same mixed light as the one above but switching my direction I was able to back light the bride and get some pretty soft light.

Other types of light:

Back lit: This type of light is one of my favorites. I shoot back lit often when I am taking portraits so when a ceremony is back lit I am definitely not mad! This light is softer and even and can add lots of dimension to the scene. Below is an example of a back lit ceremony in the later part of the day.

Full Sun: Not my favorite because I can’t get quite as soft of a look in the resulting images but I would definitely prefer this light to mixed or dappled.

Dappled light: Is then the sun is filtered through the trees and shining directly on your subjects creating little hot spots of light on them. This is not ideal and definitely a type of light to try and avoid!

And lastly one of my favorite types of light to shoot the wedding ceremony in is open shade! Open shade yields soft even light and really lends itself to my style of editing. Below are a few examples! Skin tones are soft and creamy, highlights and shadows are not too bright or too dark.

So what can you do to insure the best lighting?

1. Look at examples of ceremonies at your venue at similar times and dates to see what type of lighting you will likely be working with. If the light is not ideal, brainstorm on how you can get you, your bride or groom and the officiant in even light during the ceremony. Sometimes this is as simple as making sure you all stand underneath the shade of the pergola rather than in front of it or move so a tree is blocking the light from shining directly on you.
2. You can also visit your venue in a similar light and scope out where the light is best. Bring along your photographer for some extra insight and expertise!
3. If your venue allows it think outside the box and move the ceremony to better lighting. An added bonus to doing this is finding an area that might not be used as often and is unique!

If you liked these tips on choosing your outdoor ceremony site head over to this blog post for 8 Tips for a Groom on His Wedding Day!