Wedding Photography Tips for Golf Course Weddings
Golf Course Wedding Photography Tips:
- Stay off of the "green": This is the part of the grass where the golf hole is located. It's very expensive to maintain and damage by wedding guests or the wedding party can damage the grass.Golf courses will allow you to take photos in certain spots where there is plenty of grass if you choose to do so.
- Respect the Golfers: Remember, you're at a golf course or country club. Weddings are a side business of these establishments. The main business is that of golfing and you may run into golfers who don't appreciate a wedding taking place while they are playing a round of golf. So, be sure to respect the golfers and their game.
- Observe all posted warnings:This may seem as a no-brainer, but I have seen both brides and grooms disregard warnings and venture off on to the course just to barely dodge flying golf balls.
- Take advantage of the surroundings: You'll find lots of fun stuff to photograph at a golf course. I've included some wedding photography suggestions in a list below.
- Make Recommendations: Chances are if you're photographing a wedding at a golf course, it will more than likely be taking place outdoors. If you have the opportunity, then make recommendations on how the alter/ceremony location should be set up in order to get the best photos and avoid any potential sun glare or other factors that like backgrounds that can effect the overall image. I like to walk the grounds and make recommendations on the location of the seating and direction of travel by the bride in order to get the best shots.
Wedding Photography Ideas for Golf Course Weddings:
Below are some suggestions and tips for shooting a wedding at a golf course. Again, these are just suggestions and you should be able to use them as a spring board to create your own stunning wedding images:
- Use the surrounding views: For example, in the image above, I use take advantage of the canyon and mountains at Eagle Glenn Golf Course in Corona.
- Golf Carts: Most golf courses will allow you to take out a few golf carts to specific locations on the course. Take advantage of this by photographing the couple in the cart. Perhaps a shot form the front and one where they are driving off.
- Waterfalls/Lakes: Golf courses have plenty of them. Take advantage of the bodies of water at the wedding site. If there are ducks/geese in them, you may want to capture the birds as background with the couple in front.
- Bridges: If there are lakes or streams at a course, then you will find bridges. These are great for having the couple walk across, sharing a personal moment, as you stand off in the distance and capture them. (See the image to the right I photographed at the Diamond Bar Country Club)
- Rocks: Utilize any rock formations you find. These are typically around the lakes at the country club. It's a great place to pose your bride and groom or even the entire wedding party.
- Putting Green: You can typically utilize the putting green for photographs as well. A fun shot is to have the groom laying on his back with a golf ball in his mouth while the bride pretends to swing a golf club at the ball. There are other photos that can be centered around using golf clubs and the putting green as well. Perhaps if the groom and groomsmen are golfers, they can pose with clubs in their hands.
- Bounce your Flash: The reception facility at a golf course is typically a banquette room.These rooms typically have plenty of available light coming through the glass windows during the day. However, at night I recommend bouncing your flash off the ceiling as they are low enough to spread the light. But, keep in mind the color of the ceiling. Some ceilings are off white and this will affect the color cast of your image. So you want to adjust for this in your white balance or in post production (Photoshop).
- Establishing Shot: Don't forget to capture an image of the sign, building exterior, and reception exterior (especially if the reception is outside under a tent). The couple can use these images in their wedding album to establish the location where they where married and had their reception.
