There's a ton of advice swirling around the wedding world about how to pinch a penny, what you "should or shouldn't care about" on your wedding day, and it can be an endless cycle of confusion.
Preface: Now, I know I said your venue choice is what ultimately matters, but don't want to mislead you, either. This precious day is not about where you are, or what you're wearing, or how many tiers your cake is. Most people will forget to take their favors home, and you may be one of the only people that noticed what font you used to embed your new initials into the napkins. As your wedding photographer, I want to capture all of those little, and meaningful details! I LOVE THEM, and I do notice them... But at the end of the long and beautifully designed day, it's really ultimately about you and your person. You could get married in your pj's with two paper rings, and it would be just as special!
Okay, now that that's out of the way... and since it sounds like you want to create a specific vision for your wedding day, let's talk about it.
Your wedding venue and photo choices are more related than you know!
The venue colors become your photo colors. The venue textures become your photo textures. The venue lighting becomes the lighting in your entire gallery.
The venue is the backdrop for everything else.
As your trusted wedding photographer, I've developed that "eye" so, yes, I can harness 'magic' anywhere! That said, your venue will greatly impact the aesthetic of your images. You want your venue to match the aesthetic and vision [decor, dress, florals, lighting, etc.] you have in your head.
We can really only make magic with what's available.
If you love your venue, so will your wedding photographer! I love coming up with creative ways to showcase different corners of a space, whether it be a backyard, concert hall, or historic building. The image below of Dawson and Olivia was taken on the sidewalk between two storefronts as we were walking back into their reception!
If you're looking for vintage, flash photos of you two running around downtown, and get married in a barn, you may be disappointed with how different the "vibe" changes from your vision, even with the same editing and styling choices as that downtown look.
Photos last forever.
When comparing venue prices, take into consideration that you'll be looking at the venue for the rest of your life...in photo and video form! This is not a place I would personally decide to compromise too much on only for this reason. The colors, lighting, and vibe will absolutely come through in your gallery.
