Booking a wedding photographer or videographer who hasn’t been to your venue before

The short answer

Most couples who book us are getting married at a venue we have never photographed before. No photographer or videographer has worked at every venue in the country, so not having been to yours is the normal situation, not a warning sign. What matters far more is how many different places your team has worked and what they do when they arrive somewhere new.

We have photographed and filmed more than 400 weddings together at 232 venues across England and Wales, and every one of those venues was new to us once. This guide sets out what you gain and give up either way, why it so rarely matters when a team has wide experience, and how we work around a new venue on the day.

What you gain from someone who knows your venue

It would be unfair to pretend there is no advantage. A photographer or videographer who has worked at your venue already knows where ceremonies usually happen, which rooms are free at which time, how the venue team likes to run the day and where the light falls in the afternoon. That is less for them to work out, and it can be reassuring if your venue is unusual or has strict rules.

It also means you can look at galleries and films from your own venue before you book, which is a real pleasure. If their work shows your venue the way you hoped it would look, that tells you more than any description can. Some venues also keep a list of recommended suppliers, which can make the search feel shorter.

What you gain from someone who has not been there

Choosing someone who has not worked at your venue widens your choice from a handful of names to everyone whose style, personality and availability suit you. For most couples that is the better way round, because you are choosing the people who will be beside you all day, not a familiar address.

It can also bring fresh eyes. A photographer who returns to the same venue again and again can fall into repeating the same staircase, doorway and lawn. Someone arriving for the first time looks at the whole place with curiosity, and finds the photographs that belong to your day: your guests, your light and your weather, rather than the ones that appear in every gallery from that venue.

The honest downsides, and when they matter

There are a few. The first stretch of the day involves finding our bearings. We may not know a venue’s house rules until we are told, such as where we can stand during the ceremony or which rooms are off limits. And we will not know in advance how the light moves across your terrace or which corner of the garden catches the evening sun.

These matter more when a photographer or videographer is early in their career, because they have fewer places to draw on. They matter very little when a team has worked at many different venues, because the problems a new place throws up have almost always been met before. So the more useful question is not “Have you been here?” but “How many different places have you worked, and how do you handle a new one?”

Where we have worked: 232 venues across England and Wales

So how many different places have we worked? Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed at 232 venues across England and Wales, from barns and castles to hotels and gardens. Every one began as a place we had never stood in, and every one came together in the same way, by paying attention to the people, the light and the pace of the day.

Search the map below to see whether we have been to yours. If we have, you can see where it sits and, for some venues, read our guide to it. If we have not, that is perfectly fine: it simply means we are about to enjoy somewhere new, and travel across England and Wales is included in our packages.

Browse every venue we have captured

Why it rarely matters when experience is wide

Venues look different, but they behave in familiar ways. A barn, a country house, a hotel ballroom, a marquee in a field, a castle and a village hall each bring their own few challenges: a dark roof, bright windows, a tight staircase, a room too small for the family or a ceremony in full sun. After more than 400 weddings and ten years, we recognise those quickly, whatever the venue is called.

Weddings are also about people before places. Your venue is the backdrop, and the photographs and film you will treasure are of faces, hands, laughter and the people you love, which happen wherever you are standing. A team that has worked in barns, castles, hotels and gardens knows how to find those moments in any of them.

How we work around a new venue on the day

We start with the people, then the place. We typically suggest starting coverage about two and a half hours before the ceremony, so while you are getting ready we have time to find our way around: where the ceremony will happen, where the light falls, where your guests will gather and where the quiet corners are. If there is anything we are unsure of, we ask your venue team or coordinator, because nobody knows the building better.

For the ceremony, we agree where each of us will stand so we are never in your guests’ way. For family groups, we choose a spot with room for everyone and good light, with a sheltered alternative if the weather turns. For your portrait walk, which usually takes 15 to 20 minutes near the venue, we look for the best of what the place and the light offer. If one spot does not work, we try another, because every venue has one.

Because we work as a team, one of us can keep an eye on the room and the details while the other stays with you, so nothing is missed while we settle in. And if rain, sun or a late start changes the plan, we work around the weather and the light on the day rather than treating a particular spot as a requirement.

How you can make it easy

A little information goes a long way, and none of it is complicated. Send us your timeline, the address of every place you will be during the day and the name of your venue coordinator. Tell us where you plan to hold the ceremony and where you would move to if it rains. If the venue has rules about photography, filming, flash or sound, or any rooms and lawns that are off limits, tell us early so we can plan around them.

Show us the parts of your venue you love, and any you are less sure about. A favourite corner, a view from the terrace or a staircase you adore all help us see the place through your eyes. Bring it all to the planning call we hold about a month before the wedding, and use our planning checklist and questions to ask a wedding photographer to prepare.

If your venue asks to see insurance, we have full indemnity and public liability insurance. If it keeps a list of recommended suppliers, that is a good place to start. Ask the venue whether outside suppliers are welcome and whether they need anything from us.

Questions couples ask

More than 400 weddings, and yours could be next

Cam and Beth have photographed and filmed more than 400 weddings together over ten years. If you are wondering whether we would suit your day, wherever it is, we would love to hear about it.

When you are ready, explore our photo and video team package, wedding photography package or wedding videography package.