wedding photography – D. Scott Carruthers Photography

Choosing Your Phoenix Wedding Venue: 9 Must-Have Features

Assessing Your Wedding Style and Vision

So, you’re planning your dream wedding in Phoenix. Congratulations! Between the gorgeous weather and stunning desert scenery, Phoenix has so much to offer for your special day. But with so many wedding venues in Phoenix to choose from, how do you find the perfect place to host your wedding festivities? As you start touring locations, there are a few must-have features you’ll want to keep in mind. From size and style to catering options and extras, choosing the right wedding venue is key to crafting your ideal celebration. Whether you envision an intimate gathering or a grand-scale event, the perfect Phoenix venue is out there waiting for you. Keep reading to discover the top things to consider as you embark on this exciting part of your wedding planning journey!

Key Logistics for Phoenix Wedding Venues

The first thing you’ll want to consider is the overall style and vision for your big day. Are you dreaming of a formal ballroom wedding or a casual beach bash? A rustic barn venue or modern loft space?

Once you’ve narrowed down the vibe, think about must-have features. For a formal wedding, a large open space for dining and dancing plus a separate area for cocktails are a must. For a casual beach wedding, look for oceanfront access and lots of natural light. A rustic barn calls for wooden beams, string lights and greenery while an urban loft needs an industrial-chic space with high ceilings.

Also determine if you want an all-in-one venue that provides catering and bar service or if you prefer a DIY blank canvas where you can bring in your own vendors. Consider how many guests you plan to invite as well as if you want indoor and outdoor spaces.

Other factors to keep in mind include:

– Accessibility for your guests with ample parking

– Flexibility in layout to customize the space

– Available accommodations onsite or nearby

– Photo-friendly spots for engagement and wedding photos

– Permits required for elements like live music, open flames or fireworks

Choosing a venue that aligns with your wedding vision and has all the features you need will help ensure you have the perfect place to celebrate your new beginning. Take your time exploring all the options – this is one of the most important decisions you’ll make!

Top 9 Features to Look for in Phoenix Wedding Venues

When choosing a wedding venue in Phoenix, there are a few key logistics to consider.

Location

Make sure the venue is in an area convenient for you and your guests. If it’s too far from hotels or the airport, it may be difficult for out-of-town guests to attend. Look for venues centrally located or near major transportation hubs.

Capacity

Choose a venue that can comfortably accommodate all your guests. Too small of a space will feel cramped, while too large of a space won’t have the intimate feel you want. Think about both the ceremony and reception, and any venue tours should discuss maximum capacities for different setups.

Parking

There’s nothing worse than a lack of parking for an event. Look for venues with on-site parking that can fit the number of expected guests. If parking is limited, consider venues near public transit or that offer shuttle services.

Catering

Many venues will require you to use their in-house catering, while some allow you to choose your own caterer. If you have a specific caterer in mind, check that the venue allows outside catering and has a proper kitchen facility. Venues with in-house catering may be more convenient but offer less flexibility.

A/V Equipment

Make sure the venue has high-quality audio and visual equipment for things like playing music, giving toasts, and showing slideshows. Check if they allow outside A/V vendors or if they have staff to operate the equipment. The last thing you want is technical difficulties on your big day!

With the right venue that meets all your needs, you’ll be well on your way to planning a Phoenix wedding your guests will never forget.

D Scott Carruthers Shares 11 Ways to Get a Real Smile from Wedding Photography Subjects

Photography is a specialty that attracts a lot of interest due to its power to create memories. Many people have wanted to become good photographers but their lack of mentors has dragged the process of getting towards the helm of their success. This is the reason D. Scott Carruthers has championed an initiative aimed at helping upcoming photographers execute their ideas. He has practiced photography for more than 10 years and here are few tips he shares to help you draw genuine smiles from your subjects while taking wedding photographs.

Make it a game

Getting the subject involved is the ultimate way through which you can ensure you get a genuine smile. One of the suggestions you could pursue is telling them to put on strange faces to see who does it best, and amid this unexpected activity you will get many smiles as they find it laughable and awkward.

Stare lovingly

Since in a wedding you are most likely to be photographing the couple, you could ask them to stare at each other lovingly. Obviously this is a vague suggestion as they will be confused how to best do it, which will definitely get them blown up in smiles and laughs.

Tell something funny

Although not everyone might be good at this, you might squeeze in some jokes related to the day. The rule is to tell something they can relate with and digest easily if you want to get them taken away in beautiful smiles that will help make the photos amazing. It is just about playing with their psychology in a manner that will have them relax to enjoy the moment.

Approach with a smile

The psychological effect of approaching with a smile on is strong as you are able to trigger the couple to as well feel easy around you. Putting on a strong face might trigger them to feel that you are handling a very complex process and thus everyone must remain silent all through, which is not going to help you get genuine smiles.

Compliment them

A compliment boost one’s mood and ego and as research has shown, when you compliment someone they are highly likely to feel good about themselves. Therefore, telling your subjects they look good together might sound simple but the effect is far reaching, and with that easy mention you will get them smiling.

Ask a trick question

Asking a trick question that at the same time gets them to suspect you want information from them is also a perfect way you could get people smiling for photos. While they will try to figure out the best answer for the question, it will get them smiling as everyone tries to outdo the other in getting it right.

How did you meet?

While photographing a couple, this question is important to them as it reflects their beautiful past and the point where their love kicked in. Most definitely, they will put on smiles before anyone comes up with a response to the question.

Kiss her on the cheek/nose/forehead

Many happy couples will wear a beautiful smile when asked to intimately kiss each other before a camera. It’s a wild suggestion that will get them energized to embrace the moment, and with this you can be assured to get genuine smiles.

Ask a dance

If the subjects are having hard time relaxing, you could get them moving and make sure to focus their attention far from the camera. It’s easy to get a couple to embrace a dance session with joy and the fact this will be before a camera they will be triggered to wear beautiful smiles.

Ask for a laugh

You could as well ask them to laugh and research has shown that fake laughs gradually turn into giggles. Continue clicking until the laugh turns real and just like that you will help to create beautiful photos.

Tell each other a secret

It will also sound strange when you tell them to whisper a secret to each other, and amid this process will come beautiful smiles. Most definitely, the secret in this case will include love messages to each other.

D Scott Carruthers is a world class photographer as well as a traveler and lover of all things vegan. You can see more of his content at carruthersphoto.com