According to a National survey in 2018 which was carried out by Bridebook.co.uk just 27% of couples get married in a religious building. This suggests that 73% of couples are getting married in a registry office or a venue that has been authorised to carry out marriage ceremonies. So what are the advantages and disadvantages?
Church Wedding, Registry Office Wedding or Venue Wedding?
Every wedding is different. There are no rights or wrongs it is a just a matter of personal choice. So when it comes to planning your wedding here are a few points to consider:
I have photographed weddings in all types of locations. From Classical Church weddings, Registry Office weddings, and Hotel Venues, however, the format is all very similar.
My approach to the venue is always the same. I look for the best possible locations to take the photographs, preferably outdoors. However, if the weather is against me, then I always have a plan B. I find a room where I can take the photographs using portable flash. This is where experience is invaluable to ensure whatever the conditions, the photographs will always look great.
Planning is key to success
It doesn’t really matter where the wedding is held or where the wedding breakfast and evening celebrations are held. Yes it is much easier if everything is in one place at a wedding venue which is accredited to do wedding ceremonies. However, when the wedding is held at two different locations planning is the key to success to make best use of time. On average as a photographer I have a two hour window after the ceremony, sometimes shorter. So it is important to maximise the time and get everyone to work with me in a relaxed but efficient way to get as much time as I can to take great pictures.
Conclusion
- Take time to think about the overall day
- Can guests find the locations easily?
- Are they able to get there easily?
- Does the venue have an indoor location for photographs if it rains?
- Is parking provided?
- Time of day and potential traffic jams.
- When the wedding is being held at one location then everything is undoubtedly much simpler
- When there are two locations you need to consider the timings
- Wedding ceremonies on average take between 45 minutes to one hour, but can be considerably longer
- Registry Office weddings tend to be around 20 minutes.
- Depending on the number of guests you need to allow a reasonable amount of time to take the photographs.
- Time to get to the second location
- Are the photographs being taken at the ceremony venue or the resumption venue?
- The amount of time allowed for the photographs before the wedding breakfast is due to start
This list isn’t exhaustive. There are many other considerations, but hopefully this article will help when you choose a venue.