New York Wedding Photographer | Indoor Wedding Photographer | Indoor Wedding Photos
Whether you’re having a rainy wedding day, a celebration that’s indoors, or just want those moody indoor wedding photos rain or shine, here’s some photo inspiration for weddings inside
by destination wedding photographer Kathryn Cooper Weddings
Why Indoor Wedding Photos?
While most weddings in 2023 tend to be outdoor affairs, chances are you’ll have at least a few parts of your day inside. The getting ready. The dancing. The food.
And if it’s raining? You’ll need to move your photo ideas out of the downpour.
Now, some couples choose to have all-indoor weddings. It could be because it’s February in a church in Minnesota. It could be because thunderstorms are about to release the Kraken in New York. Or maybe it’s because you found a castle in the middle of Oregon, and you want those unique, spooky, moody images.
Whether it’s your choice or not, it’s going to be indoors…so you might as well take advantage of it! Many church weddings are held indoors, and if you’re in a museum, castle, historical mansion, wedding venue, or ballroom, you still want incredible photos of your day. So here is inspiration in the form of indoor wedding photos, tips if you’re planning/getting married/adjusting, and help if you’re a photographer.
Experienced Wedding Photographers Come Prepared
As an experienced wedding photographer here at Kathryn Cooper Weddings, I always am prepared for the unexpected. And you have to be: Surprise thunderstorms, a sudden injury, a last-minute venue change–so many things can change day-of, and it’s my job to come prepared.
Sometimes this means more set-up time, including scouting areas and coming up with creative ideas to take cool shots (often at night). Even an empty ballroom will work perfectly for those indoor night shots!
Besides, dancing photos are so much better indoors, because as photographers we get to play with all the fun DJ lights, disco balls, light wands, and more.
So, if I’m your photographer, I always have extra lighting, light stands, and ideas for how I can still capture incredible wedding photos.
Are Indoor Wedding Photos Worse?
Hey, that’s not the attitude to have! Of course not!
There’s a notion that indoor wedding photos are second to outdoor wedding photos. The truth is, some people like them all, and some always pictured their weddings outdoors and are distraught.
But in reality, a great photographer can capture the scene amazingly. There’s no “better” when it comes to outdoor vs indoor; they’re just different.
There ARE pros and cons to having your wedding indoors, however. Here are just a few:
| Indoor Wedding Photos Pros (+) | Indoor Wedding Photos Cons ( – ) |
-Your photographers doesn’t have to worry about gear gettering wet -Goodbye squinting into the sun! -No sunburn -You needn’t buy umbrellas nor mosquito repellent -With fewer noise requirements, dance the night away -Your photographer can get creative, moody portraits -Dancing photos inside, at night, are the best! -Indoor photos are often quite romantic | You can’t enjoy the sun You’ll have less space than in the outdoors Guests see less of what they traveled to see You’ll probably have fewer candids with flash Florals/decor may be needed more to brighten up the space Shadows will be more common in lighting scenarios Outdoor shots are often more fun and colorful |
Indoor Wedding Photo Tips (for couples, planners, and photographers)
For photographers:
- Make sure you’re well-versed in on-camera flash and OCF
- Have at least 2 – 4 flashes so there’s plenty of available light
- Get a softbox and lightstand so you can take consistent portraits indoors
- Indoor wedding photos shouldn’t be second-rate and ho-hum. Figure out how to spice things up with cool long exposures, colorful lights, creative portraits, and more
- Understand shadows, and play off of empty space or unique lights
- Know how high you can crank your ISO before it produces images you don’t like
For others:
- Don’t feel pressured into making a decision until you have to. I’ve seen 100% rainy day predictions turn into beautiful summer weekends, so it can be good to procrastinate
- Discuss weather possibilities with DJ, photo, video, and floral. They’ll likely need to change plans or have backup plans
- Don’t worry too much! If you’ve hired professionals, they’ll be prepared for any situation
- When interviewing vendors, make sure they have experience working indoors. This varies state to state, as many places are all outdoors or all indoors for the bulk of the year
- When planning a wedding in the first place, you’ll want a tent or indoor space just in case weather isn’t on your side
- When you do your venue walk-through, mentally choose some of your favorite rooms and locations for wedding day photos
Examples of Indoor Wedding Photos
Finally, without further ado, here is a wide variety of wedding photos, from non-traditional photo experiments to traditional church ceremonies~
Kathryn Cooper Weddings: Indoor Weddings | Indoor Wedding Photography | Rainy Day Wedding Photos
Hi just love all the ideas you laid out here, so much great advice for photographers too! And your images are beautiful!