5 Tips for Stunning Outdoor Wedding Photography
Your wedding is a really big deal. For the rest of your life, you will remember the day you got married as one of the most joyful and memorable moments of your life—and we’re not just saying that because we’re photographers, we’ve also been married ourselves!
Whether your wedding is indoors or outdoors, there’s something special about being able to capture those memories in photographs so that you can look back at them years later and remember how it felt to be standing there, looking into your partner’s eyes.
Taking outdoor wedding photography presents its own challenges. From wind to bright sunlight and harsh shadows, there are a lot of variables that can affect your shots (and we mean a lot). And so today, we’re going to share with you our tips for making beautiful photography work even in those extreme situations—or just on any sunny day!
5 Tips for Stunning Outdoor Wedding Photography
Capture the magic of your special day with breathtaking outdoor wedding photos. From natural lighting to creative angles, every detail can be enhanced beautifully. Here are the top 5 outdoor wedding photography tips to inspire you and make every moment unforgettable.
1) Discuss With the Bride and Groom on the Best Times of Day to Capture Every Precious Moment of Their Wedding
One of the most important things that you can do as a wedding photographer is to connect with your clients and ask them if they have any preferences or restrictions. For instance, when planning their wedding, many couples decide to get married during the “golden hour,” which is when the sun is low in the sky and casts a soft glow on everything. This is also one of the best times for taking pictures!
If you know that your couple want to get married during this time, then you can plan ahead and make sure that you’re able to use natural light for all of those beautiful sunset shots! Of course, it’s important not to limit yourself to one particular time because there are lots of great outdoor weddings taking place throughout the day—but having this information beforehand will certainly help make scheduling easier.
2) Use Fill Flash to Compensate for Bad Lighting
No matter how hard you try, sometimes the lighting isn’t going to be the best. Maybe it’s a bright and sunny day, or maybe it’s cloudy and overcast. Maybe it’s just a little too dark for your liking, so it seems like there’s no easy fix. Well, whether you’re dealing with poor lighting conditions or just want to add some extra flair to your pictures, fill flash is a great option.
Fill flash is when you use a flash on your camera that is set at lower power than the ambient light. It will help illuminate the parts of your subject that are in shadow from the main light source.
This helps create a natural look, which you can see in a lot of outdoor photography. For instance, if you’re photographing a couple on a beach during sunset, but it’s still very bright outside, and there are shadows covering their faces—and you want to brighten them up—just pop on your flash. It’s a quick fix that doesn’t take too much time.
3) Use a Polarizing Filter to Make the Sky Pop
We could go on for hours about using polarizing filters, but here’s the simple version: if you’re trying to take a picture of a scene that includes the sky, or lots of reflections – a polarizer helps.
Why? Because without one, you can get a washed-out white sky. Not always the most flattering background for your wedding photos!
A polarizer works by cutting out any light that is not polarized and absorbing it into the filter. This leaves behind only polarized light, which is what gives color to your image.
For example, when you look at a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day, that beautiful blue color is what’s being left behind by the polarizing filter—if you were looking through one!
This isn’t to say that you must have a filter to get this effect – only that it does help – and if you have time on a wedding day to make use of one, it does give an effect that is very pleasing.
4) Showcase The Wedding Venue with Wide Shots
The wide shot is a powerful tool that can add dramatic impact to your photos. They help establish context, scale, and scope while also building excitement and anticipation. You see them in all kinds of movies and television shows—but you’ll also find them in wedding photography! So, if you’re looking to wow your audience with beautiful pictures from your outdoor wedding photography, be sure to take some time capturing wide shots before settling into medium or close-up shots!
This is one aspect of wedding photography I am super passionate about – my background is in landscape and science photography, so telling a story with the landscape, and tying it together with wedding photography I feel is very important – doubly so when talking about outdoor wedding photography!
5) Use Foregrounds to Give Wedding Photos Context
The magic of wedding photography lies in capturing the fleeting moments between people, and if you can do that without making it obvious that you’re taking their photos, then so much the better. But one thing that will help your images is to make sure they have a context. You want to make sure they are not just a portrait of two people but actually show how they fit into the world around them.
How do you do this? Simple: Use foregrounds. Not only does this give your photos a sense of scale, but it also helps to draw people into your images. And by playing around with different foreground elements, you can add an extra element of interest to your shots. Also, don’t forget to use the bride and groom as additional foreground elements. You can also use them as focal points by placing them in front of something interesting and then using a shallow depth of field to blur out the background.
Creative Outdoor Wedding Photography Ideas
Outdoor weddings offer endless opportunities to create unique and memorable photographs. From sweeping landscapes to intimate close-ups, every element of nature can be part of your story.
Incorporating the environment creatively can also add depth to your images. Think of using archways of trees, beach horizons, or floral backdrops to frame the couple beautifully.
Silhouette shots against sunsets or starry skies bring a dramatic and romantic touch. For candid moments, spontaneous laughter under string lights or barefoot dancing on the grass can create images that feel alive and genuine.
By combining creativity with technical skill, outdoor wedding photography ideas transform simple moments into extraordinary keepsakes. The goal is to let the surroundings complement the love story while ensuring the couple’s emotions remain at the heart of every shot.
Planning Your Outdoor Wedding Photography Session
A little preparation goes a long way in ensuring your outdoor wedding photos turn out beautifully. The most practical of all outdoor wedding photography tips is to plan around natural light. Early mornings and late afternoons usually offer the most flattering conditions, while midday sun may require clever shade use or added lighting support.
Discussing the venue with your photographer in advance helps identify the better angles and hidden gems. Whether it’s a garden, vineyard or beach, every location has unique features that can be highlighted. Bringing a backup plan for unpredictable weather is equally important, ensuring the photography session runs smoothly regardless of conditions.
Another helpful tip is to allow enough time in the schedule for both candid shots and formal portraits. By planning ahead, you reduce stress on the day and give your photographer freedom to focus on creativity. These thoughtful outdoor wedding photography tips ensure the final gallery is as magical as the day itself.
feel free to get in contact to have a bit of a chat for your vision of your outdoor wedding photography – it’s something I really enjoy doing and love to talk about!
