OUTSIDE THE BOX

IF YOU'RE LUCKY then your reception venue itself will make a gorgeous location for your wedding photos. Maybe it's a castle boasting a dramatic floodlit backdrop for a photo shoot by night, or perhaps you're having a summer wedding in a stately home with beautiful gardens which will be in full bloom when you get married. But even if your venue sounds nothing like any of these, with a little research before the big day you are sure to find somewhere close by that will do the job just as well.

Preparation
Your contact at the venue may be able to help you out with ideas for places of interest within easy reach. And it's certainly worth asking your photographer if they know of anywhere that you could travel to on the day, especially if he/she frequently works in the area. If you have suggestions of your own, ask your photographer in good time about how he/she thinks they would work out. If they're unfamiliar with the location they will want to go on a recce to see how lighting and other technical issues would affect a shoot there.

Scouting the area
The internet is the perfect tool for discovering local beauty spots that would make ideal locations for a shoot. Is there a castle just down the road from your hotel? There may be a natural park or woodlands just a few minutes' drive away. Have a look at the National Trust for Scotland's website (www.nts.org.uk) to see if they have any places of interest nearby. If somewhere does fit the bill it's best to phone and talk to somebody at the property to arrange your visit in advance. It's also worth checking out your local council's website for gardens, parks and historic buildings in the area; even if you've lived in the vicinity all your life you might be surprised to find out what's just around the corner. And if your venue is in a city or town, try incorporating urban landscapes into your backdrops - this is a great way of documenting both the time and place in which you were married, making your album even more fun to look back on in years to come.

TOP TIP
If you want to have some photos taken 'on location' but are worried about abandoning your guests for any length of time, consider organising an activity to plug the gap for them. Couples are increasingly enlisting entertainers such as magicians, comedians and highland dancers to keep friends and family amused while they're off with the photographer.

Got a photography question? Get help from other brides-to-be at the SWD Forum... CLICK HERE!

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