Courthouse Wedding in Woodland
Veronica contacted me to photograph her courthouse wedding in Woodland. I was more than happy to do so! Though my offices are in Woodland, I actually don’t get a chance to do photography there too often. So I was really excited to get the opportunity to take pictures at a location so close. It was a beautiful, warm day for a wedding and Veronica looked stunning in her wedding dress. I met her and her fiance on location and we got ready for the big event with her family. Civil weddings in Woodland don’t actually take place at the courthouse building, they are actually held in a building next door. As usual with civil weddings, the wedding area is pretty small and sparsly decorated - so it’s up to me to make sure we can get really memorable photos despite that.
Since this was a civil wedding at a courthouse, there was no hotel room or special areas for the bride and groom to get ready in. All the ‘getting ready shots’ took place in the lobby of the office building. Though the location had people all around, I was still able to get some great isolated shots of the couple getting themselves ready to say ‘I do’. These pre-wedding photos are important parts of the wedding day because they tend to be the introduction to the photo story that I tell.
The room in which the vows occur is very small, and Veronica brought with her a large group of family members. Not everyone could even have a seat because of the limited space. The challenge for me was to capture the wedding moment appropriately. Thankfully, I am glad I came ready with the tools I needed. For wedding shoots I always have my ultra-wide lens with me. This lens is a 16-35mm zoom that is a miracle maker in tight spaces. I can’t imagine a photographer that only brings a 50mm to a shoot like this. It can be pulled off, but the photos would certainly be limited to just a few good angles. With my ultra-wide, I had no problem getting everything I needed.
Civil ceremonies tend to go very quickly, so afterwards we had a good amount of time to take photos. As I said before, the old Woodland courthouse is a very nice area to shoot photos. There a nice balance of nature elements as well as classic architecture. The only challenge that I had to face was finding the best lighting as it was mid afternoon with the sun right above us. It’s critical for a good photographer to find the correct lighting areas and stick to those. I tend to find places to shoot on-the-spot rather than pre-plan places. Often times pre-planed areas end up not working out due to changes in the lighting.
It was a breeze to shoot Veronica today as her and her husband looked great! I just had to pose them and snap the photos. Often times when working with newlyweds I just tell them to talk about the wedding that just happened. I usually find that when they do, the smiles come out and I can capture beautiful candid moments of them together that way. Having the couple look at their rings is also a great photo opportunity and another way to have them show their love for each other.
No matter what, I make sure to get wide shots, medium shots, and close shots. It’s always a goal to make sure my clients don’t get the same looking photos over and over again. Providing a variety of views keeps everything fresh and exciting. Of course, my personal favorite photos are getting shots that are close. Close photography is definitely my wheelhouse and always tend to be my favorites from the day.
Kristina took over for me when it came to the wedding reception. It was great to have her go to the party and capture the festivities there. I loved this detail shot of the cake. Not only does this photo feature the cake, but I love that you also see the cake cutting event as well. This photo tells a clear story and I really enjoy this one from her. It also looks like the lighting couldn’t have been better during the reception. The golden hues are so beautiful to look at.
Reception events like the cake cutting, family photos, and speeches are always captured so they can be looked back by the couple later. I do, however, highly recommend adding videography services when it comes to wedding media. Being able to see and hear the speeches that are given can be really moving. If it’s in the budget, videography is a great service to purchase. We usually offer a special combined rate for both services. Check out our wedding page for details!
I’ll end this blog post with this spectacular capture of the couple kissing with the golden sun behind them. Kristina got an amazing moment here. Getting photos like this is what it is all about. I’d like to wish Veronica and her husband the best as they begin their married life together!