As a luxury wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of capturing the magic of countless weddings in some of the most stunning gardens around the world. But, like any wedding location, a garden wedding has its pros and cons. In this post, I’ll dive into the advantages and disadvantages of a garden wedding, and offer tips on how to overcome the challenges that come with it.
Pros:
Breathtaking Backdrops: Gardens offer some of the most breathtaking backdrops for your wedding photos. Think lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and serene water features. The natural beauty of a garden provides a stunning canvas for your photographer to capture your special day.
Intimate Ambiance: Gardens often have a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere, which can make your wedding feel more like an exclusive celebration with your closest friends and family.
Unique Space: Gardens can be a blank canvas, allowing you to create a truly unique and personalised celebration.
Good weather makes for unforgettable event. If the weather is the perfect temperature your outdoor wedding will be one to remember by your guests for many years to come.
Celebrations underneath the stars. If you are hoping for a truly magical and European inspired like event. A wedding beneath the stars is the best way to go. String up hundreds of festoon lights (they make for incredible shutter drag photos if thats your vibe), have outdoor fire pits, outdoor heaters, and a large dance floor – truly sets the scene for an incredible night! Bonus points if you have beautiful long candles on your tables and florals on/around your tables *chefs kiss*
You are not restricted by a venue. Venues often have noise limits, guest count limits, sometimes even limits to when vendors can be onsite, or multiple weddings in one day! Garden weddings are most commonly found on private properties for this reason. Just make sure you have organised all the facilities the site might need: music, toilets, lights, dance floor, mobile catering options, DJ/Live Band, and make sure depending upon your guest count you leave room to potentially invest in a second shooter if needed. Especially for weddings over 120+ and if you want shots from above to really showcase the elegance of the space.
If you still have noise limits consider having your music through headphones..
The option to bring in a Festival Like atmosphere. Now I know what you’re thinking here “Festival” doesn’t necessarily mean beer and the grounds being trashed. No. Think Glamping, think an outdoor reception, think creative ways to have your ceremony options like circular ceremony seating, think chandeliers, think Marquees, think festoon lighting, think parasols, jumping in the pool at the end of the evening.. The options are limitless. Fairy lights are quite small and don’t show up on camera well, so i don’t recommend investing in those. Festoon lights are bigger as pictured below and show up really nicely. Hang them overhead your reception tables or dance floor for a gorgeous effect.
Cons:
Weather Worries: Gardens are at the mercy of the weather, which can be a major concern for couples planning an outdoor wedding. Rain, wind, or extreme heat can put a damper on your big day.
Logistical Challenges: Gardens often have A DIY infrastructure, which brings in additional costs to set everything up.
Unpredictable Lighting: Gardens can be prone to harsh lighting with limited shade, which can make it challenging for some photographers to capture the perfect shots. Not me though, don’t worry boo. I got you. See some examples below on how I handled harsh lighting.
How to Overcome the Cons:
Weather Insurance: Consider investing in weather insurance to protect your wedding day against unexpected weather changes.
Plan for Contingency: Have a backup plan in place in case of bad weather, such as a tent, marquee, or indoor space. This will ensure that your celebration remains enjoyable and stress-free.
Work with Your Photographer: Collaborate with your photographer to create a customised shot list that takes into account the unique lighting conditions of your garden wedding and coordinate with your photographer on a suitable time in the most flattering light depending upon the time of year to get your ceremony out of the harsh light of the day.
Prioritise Your Guests’ Comfort: Ensure that your guests are comfortable and well-cared for by providing adequate seating, shade, and refreshments.
Invest in a Wedding Day Coordinator: A on the day coordinator to manage all the vendors going in and out so all you two have to do is enjoy the day!
Invest in someone else to do the heavy lifting: If you can I recommend investing in a set up and pack down service, so you don’t have to be worrying about that
Invest in high quality vendors: that will bring your day to life. As you are starting from a blank canvas, having the best of the best will ensure a breathtaking result.
Tips for Making Your Garden Wedding a Reality:
Choose a Garden with Infrastructure: Opt for a garden with existing infrastructure, such as a tent or pavilion, to make setup and logistics easier.
Choose a Garden or private property with beautiful architecture. Think lots of rustic buildings with chandeliers, lots of blooming flowers, and beautiful green lawns/hedges to bring floral costs down a little.
Work with a Planner: Hire a professional wedding planner who has experience with garden weddings to help you navigate any logistical challenges.
Communicate with Your Vendors: Ensure that all your vendors are aware of the unique challenges and opportunities of a garden wedding, and work together to create a seamless celebration.
Consider having festoon lights set up outside: Rain or shine these will look beautiful. Best case, you can have your first dance under the stars, worst case you have beautiful backlit photos with the rain falling down and the romantic lighting of fairy lights above you both.
Know your what look you want for your photos: I, as your wedding photographer will work with you both to create a timeline that works so you can get all the most incredible shots and more you’re after. This will mean I’ll scout the space and work with you both – I find often my couples trust my judgement and will go with the flow but if you have any suggestions or ideas on spots I’m keen to hear them so I can incorporate them into the day! The clearer vision I have of what you two want, the better I can serve you both!
Factor in the time of day and time of year: Winter weddings in colours will look very different to summer weddings. With deeper greens in winter, and lighter greens/bolder colours in summer. Additionally the time of day plays a huge part, eg a garden wedding with no shade in the middle of the day can be done but it will result in squinting eyes, and an uncomfortable experience, whereas by shifting the angle you are, spot you are in, and having a building in the background to block sun, or be under a big tree with shade can result in a much more comfortable experience. Comfortable experience = better photos. The great news is while sunset colours change depending upon the time of year, or can be a beautiful moody sunset. Direct flash in the evening no matter the time of year, always looks incredible!
In conclusion, while a garden wedding may present some challenges, it’s also an opportunity to create a truly unique and unforgettable celebration. By understanding the pros and cons and taking steps to overcome the challenges, you can enjoy a beautiful and stress-free wedding day in one of the most stunning locations – your garden, and if you’re looking for a wedding photographer who loves a beautiful garden wedding. Then reach out today, and let’s turn your dream into a reality.
