You’ve invested in a professional makeup artist, you’ve been spoiled at a hair salon, and you’re wearing the best looking outfit you’ll ever wear in your life. Of course you want to look stunning in your wedding photos. So, what’s the perfect photoshoot location? A lot of couples find themselves under the impression that there is an official list of locations where you must take your wedding photos. There’s even a misconception that if you don’t take your wedding photos at one of these permit-mandatory areas, then your wedding photos will automatically look terrible. This is far from true.
Above: Nobody said that you can’t take bridal party photos at a local deli.
Don’t get me wrong: your typical park (Edwards Gardens) or historic location (Distillery, Casa Loma, U of T, etc.) are certainly awesome. There’s a reason why these locations require permits. They are all in high demand because they are aesthetically beautiful. If you’ve been dreaming of standing in front of the Gooderham and Worts sign in your wedding dress, then absolutely, invest in the permit and hire a photographer that can rock your desired look.
Above: Leading a bridal party around downtown Toronto. Street art teaches us that you don’t need to have your work hanging in a gallery in order for it to be meaningful. I think the same applies to wedding photography.
However, if you’re not completely sold on using a traditional wedding photo location, then don’t feel pressured to follow the crowd. And believe me, there will be a huge wedding crowd at all of the permit-mandatory photo locations. There are hundreds of parks in the GTA that don’t require a permit and they’re equally as nice as the famous parks. And in all honesty, any place can serve as your wedding photoshoot location. There’s only one criteria I recommend: you should be excited about it. Genuine excitement is contagious. And 100% of the time it results in photos you’ll love.
Above: This “western town” location worked wonders for our morale – especially important since it was a rainy November day. All of the groomsmen had a blast and were excited to work with all of my photo suggestions.
Let me tell you a story about when I took wedding photos at the Home Depot. To my disbelief I found a bride and groom that deliberately wanted to do something crazy. How could they tell that I would be okay with this? In fact, we had a meeting at Starbucks to determine our battle plan. We debated whether it would be best to take the photos at either: Burger King, IKEA, or The Home Depot. And yes, this was a 100% “for real” conversation that we scheduled to have face-to-face. The Home Depot won out due to logistics (closer to the venue) but I would have been stoked to use any of those locations.
Above: At The Home Depot. Every member of the bridal party was into it!
It worked. All of the wedding party members were ridiculously excited for the photos. I think in the back of everyone’s mind we were all wondering, “so is this for real?” – as if we were anticipating the bride or groom to make an executive decision and change locations. But instead, in all of the time leading up to the wedding, everyone was talking about it non-stop. And then during the reception, about 2 hours after the Home Depot shoot, at my table some guests were telling me that they were excited to see the Home Depot photos. Enthusiasm can honestly turn a good photo shoot into a great one.
Above: Dave ‘N Busters Arcade. I won’t forget this wedding photo location – nor will the bride or groom! And who doesn’t want memorable wedding photos?
Your wedding party members will be helping you out in so many different ways. You’ll probably also be low on sleep due to the ongoing planning. It can be challenging for everybody to find some missing energy if so much of it has already been spent. Determine what kind of “style” you want in your wedding photos and then pick an exciting location that will be compatible with your desired look. The value of a wedding photography location cannot be measured by a permit fee. Rather, the best wedding photoshoot locations are the ones that get you and your bridal party pumped to produce some unforgettable moments.
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