Grandhouse Wedding Photography & Videography<br> Sydney, Australia
Shooting outdoors on their big day is a very popular trend among couples getting married today. It’s very much in vogue, and couples often spend a lot of time thinking about some really unusual and creative outdoor wedding photography ideas to help create a unique and memorable wedding album. With couples becoming more demanding, photographers and agencies are trying to outdo one another in coming up with creative and quirky outdoor shoot ideas. Places that used to be frequented for picnics, treks, walks, or adventures, are now preferred destination for wedding shoots.
If you are looking for ideas for outdoor shooting for your wedding day, we’re here to help you with suggestions. It’s one of the most important days in your life, and at Grandhouse, we are committed to helping you make it very special, and have beautiful and cherished memories for life with our exceptional photography.
When we say outdoors – even the sky is not the limit! You can experiment with innumerable locations, and keep the best photos for your album. There are several fascinating locales you can take pictures in, but before we discuss actual locations, there are a few things we need to consider.
It is important to plan according what the season will be during your wedding.
The sun sets a little early in these months, and Sydney is in the East, so it might be a good idea to plan your outdoor wedding shoot in the morning or afternoon; however, if you want a dramatic and ethereal effect, you can plan for a late afternoon of early evening shoot as well. A huge advantage of having a winter wedding is that the sun won’t get very high, and you will have a lovely golden hued effect in your photos – warm and soft lighting that sets a romantic tone.
In the warmer months of spring and summer you need to plan the timing well – afternoons are not the best times, as you may look squint-eyed trying to avoid the sun. Mornings and early evenings are the best timings, as you will be asked to look into the sunlight, for the best photographs are captured when the camera faces away from the sun.
Surprisingly, you don’t have to worry if its cloudy on your big day. Overcast skies give you mesmerizing lighting, which make for amazing photographs. Rains are even better – as you will get lighting that is rich and high in contrast.
Take a little time off before the end of your wedding reception late in the evening, for some night pictures. Just make sures there’s a teeny bit of light still peeping outside, so that with a flash set up by the photographer, we can create a truly magical effect – add a sparkler send-ff for that extra dazzle. Of course, you are going to have a photo with an almost pitch-black background, with objects close to the sparklers of flash showing up a bit brightly – but then that creates the wow effect. So you can also plan it so that the sparkler is sent off slightly earlier so that you can capture ambient light that lights up the surrounding objects and picks up the myriad colors in the sky.
They may make you pose in strange places and positions, use flash during the day, or any number of what seems weird to you. But eventually, you need to place your trust in your photographer. At Grandhouse, our photographers are brilliant, passionate, and experienced, and they know how to add pizzazz to your photos for that unforgettable wedding album.
And now we come to the best outdoor wedding photography ideas:
A farm is an excellent place for an outdoor wedding shoot. Posing with a beautiful horse in a lush field will look very elegant in a picture frame. It is a superb idea especially for a winter wedding. We can click a few pictures of the bride and groom in random poses around a horse – if there’s a mama horse and her baby, that will be even more beautiful. We can also have a romantic pose next to the horse – with your arms around each other, and gazing into each other’s eyes.
A well-manicured lawn with the dining arrangement and only the bride and groom standing there with hands held, while the photo is taken from a height – a balcony works best if one is available. You can also do a pose on a spiral or antique staircase, dressed in your wedding outfits. The symmetry and patterns on the staircase will render timeless elegance to your photo.
Does this sound crazy? Maybe! But set a bright table and chairs on a busy footpath, maybe a beautiful bouquet on the table, and the couple sits, talking, smiling, and looking lovingly at each other – while the rest of the people and objects are blurred out … unusual, and definitely glorious, because it showcases how the couple can be lost in each other even in a busy place filled with people and myriad distractions.
Of course, for this, you need to choose a place where you know the exact timings when trains pass through the area. Preferably in a rural area, the couple in their wedding outfits, with the groom slightly bending the bride for a kiss, or a kind of swirling dance pose – now there’s a fantastic and unique outdoor wedding photography ideas idea!
Take a picture in a lawn or your yard, with both sets of parents, and the newly married or about to marry couple in the middle. It would be a great idea to not pose formally, but rather, let the couples be themselves, and take a few candid wedding photos.
The bride and the groom standing on either side of a large tree trunk, trying to wrap their arms around the trunk, will make for a very happy and carefree picture. Heads thrown back in laughter will add to the charm of the moment. Posing for this photo in the golden hour will add a layer of magic to it, and will make the perfect addition to your wedding album.
Water always makes any landscape more beautiful – instantly. Posing in your wedding outfits on the shores of a pond, lake, or river will make for a romantic and unforgettable wedding photo. If there are some rocks on the banks, you can sit on them, or even pose with one of you sitting with legs outstretched, and the other lying down with their head in the partner’s lap. Or you can even stand with hands held.
The beach is a happy place, one that holds many memories for all of us who live in coastal cities. Bring out your inner child with this fun-filled, quirky photo where you and your better half are jumping on the sand, with the sea in the background. If you can time it for the sunrise, it would make for an excellent capture indeed.
Are you animal lovers? If either or both of you have pets, posing with all of your pets on a lawn will capture the memory of your fur babies for life. The couple can sit on the lawn with legs outstretched while the kitties and doggos are arranged all over or around them.
No, we’re not talking about generating electricity, though of course, you can generate a few sparks with this pic! Top of a hill is the ideal location, where the wind blows at high speeds. The bride’s dress and hair billowing in the wind, with the groom trying to protect her, makes for a tender and beautiful photo – the billowing clothes and hair add a smidge of drama.
Pose in front of a beautiful building for a stunning photo to frame your wedding party. First do some research and finalize the location, and choose the colors of your outfits to match or complement the backdrop. It does not necessarily have to be an ancient building – even a modern building, but something with unique architecture, will make for a great photo.
If your first date was at a cinema, you can pose outside it; check which movie is playing on the day you plan to shoot your picture, and try to arrange outfits that have some relevance to the movie. For example, if it’s a period film, you could dress up in 60’s style. If it was a restaurant, we can have photos both inside and outside the restaurant.
Amusement parks present innumerable opportunities for unique photos, as there are several rides and stalls, entertainers and vendors who make for an eclectic and vibrant background. The possibilities here are endless – you can take advantage of the different levels at amusement parks and even pose like you’re going to get on a ride, or race each other.
The Taronga Zoo is a Covid safe site, and shooting a couple of pictures there of the happy couple as they admire the various animal inmates is sure to make jaws drop in awe. The Sealife Aquarium, where you can have backdrops of huge glass aquariums with fish darting to and fro, and the Koala Park sanctuary can also be considered. It is sure to be a unique outdoor wedding shoot!
Make a carpet on the lawn or grounds of your reception hall with tons of flowers, and the couple can sit or lie down on it with eyes closed. Use flowers of just one color, or cleverly arranged colors, for a truly beautiful – and fragrant – setting; and certainly one to cherish for years to come.
Old wooden benches, or wrought-iron table and chair set in a garden, with the bride and groom probably enjoying a cup of tea, in the lap of nature. Simply gorgeous!
An empty highway, with the couple walking, and taking, hands held, without a care in the world – what a sweet memory that would make! You can also vary this by seating them in an open-top car, sharing a joke and laughing, with either the groom or bride putting their hands on the wheel as if to drive. This photo will look best if shot from afar, rather than close up.
This photo is ideal for anyone who has a fall or winter wedding. A path in the woods, with lots of fallen dead leaves, with several trees in the backdrop makes for beautiful rural, woodsy picture that is also very uncommon. Its magic lies in its simplicity.
Here you don’t have to buy or arrange flowers! Just have the couple pose in front of and in the middle of beautiful and bright flowers – it is a guaranteed winner. You can try a range of poses, sitting on a bench, standing and gazing at the flowers or each other, or even the groom posing as if he is going to pic a flower for his lovely bride. The bride can wear a hat if it’s a sunny day; if its winter, it’s a good idea for both the bride and groom to wear gloves and jackets; after all you don’t want anyone freezing!
Are either of you a fan of the Marvel Universe? Harry Potter? Game of Thrones? Look for locations that will give you similar backdrops, and dress up as your favorite characters. Not only is this fun, but will make for a superb addition to your wedding album. An element of lightness among all the seriousness of the ceremonies!
There are a few gorgeous castles in Australia – you may need to take permission for a wedding shoot, but if you can do it, it will make for an incredible couple of photos. You can take pictures in different locations inside and outside the castle, and maybe even a few with the both of you dressed in old-time clothes. You can even have a few friends in the frame for this, dressed as knights or ladies in waiting. A fun idea for sure!
These are just a few ideas that we thought up of – but the most important thing is what you want; your photos should convey who you are, what you like, and what you as a couple enjoy. At Grandhouse, our expert photographers are happy to work with you to ensure your wedding album is a dream come true.
