Yesterday I visited a new wedding venue that I have wedding bookings for this season. I haven't visited this venue before so I needed to go and see it first hand. It was 90 minutes drive away and I spent 2 hours on site looking around, familiarising myself with the venue and taking some photographs. I also got to meet the owner and we had a chat about what they offer and how they work, so it was a very worthwhile 5 hours.

I believe in minimising my stress levels on a wedding day and that means avoiding any surprises I can and knowing the venue. So to have a relaxing look around in advance helps; this leads to me being relaxed more on the day and that hopefully shows to the bride and groom to-be. After all they will have more than enough stress on the day without worrying about me.

According to some venues I have spoken to about pre-wedding visits they say its unusual for photographers to visit them in advance of a wedding. I find this odd, how can a photographer provide the best service without visiting in advance? Obviously some venues may be quite simple in terms of location options but this venue was spread over 10 acres and had many secret spots that would help cease some stunning bride and groom images.

So I believe in pre-wedding venue visits because it helps me plan the day and provides the bride and groom some stunning images that may not have been possible with a photographer that wasn't familiar with the venue.

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