All venues are different. What might be great for the bride or groom or one vendor might not be so great for a photographer. That dim lit room that creates atmosphere for every one else can be a real nightmare for a photographer. It’s for this reason that I thought it would be good to give a photographer’s perspective on some venues .In the next few weeks, I’ll be going through different venues and highlighting what I like about them. Today, I’m starting with The Garden Room review.
The Garden Room Review
In the past seven or so years that I have been shooting weddings, I’ve probably done around 10-2o weddings at The Garden Room, so that’s a lot of time there. In all those times, I’ve never had a negative experience; it’s always been a great atmosphere.
The Garden Room offers a lot of variety for a photographer. Within the venue, you have two different locations: the indoor area and the outdoor. The indoor section is beautiful. The whole place is this brown wood that just looks classy. They have plenty of room for seating and dancing. There’s nothing I hate more than being really crowded. I don’t like getting in people’s way, but I really don’t like not being able to get an angle or get to a shot. I don’t have this problem inside. The only difficulty I’ve run into inside is the lack of light. With most rooms, I can bounce a flash off of a ceiling or a wall. The brown wood, though, absorbs a lot of the light. A low aperture (fast) lens can solve this problem, but it is still there.
The outside area is one of my favorite places to shoot. It’s not a giant space, but it makes up in that with beauty. There’s a central area that leads up to a stage, and this is where the ceremonies usually are. Above this area, on the wood structure, is this green vines that spread all over to make a ceiling. They’ve also wrapped several of the posts with Christmas lights, so at night it really adds to the photos. There’s a small waterway and a bridge that leads to another seating area. Besides using this area for ceremonies, it is usually used for receptions. The stage is an easy place for a DJ to setup and the main room is great for dancing. I’ve always found this area easy to shoot in. During the day, there’s plenty of natural light, and at night, I can easily set up flashes on the stage to illuminate the dance floor.
Besides that actual venue, The Garden Room is right on Dickson Street, so it is extremely easy to take the couple somewhere nearby for photos. I’ve used the Dickson Street Inn before, and the garden next to the Walton Arts Center. The possibilities are really endless around there.
Another great thing about The Garden Room is the service. The Garden Room provides all the food and alcohol, so that’s one less vendor to have to worry about. The food and alcohol is taken care of, so the bride won’t stress about that, and I won’t have to worry about someone being late or causing problems. The workers at The Garden Room have always been extremely kind to me. They always make sure that I am taken care of, which is a real plus for a photographer.
Every time I find out that I’m shooting at the Garden Room, I know things are going to go smoothly, and I’m going to get some great photos. It’s a great place for brides and for photographers. I hope this Garden Room review was helpful. If you are looking for a place to have a wedding, it’s one of my top suggestions.
