Another amazing day at The Atlantic Inn on Block Island! The fact that it always seems to be beautiful there makes me want to shoot there every weekend. Melissa and Brian put a lot of thought into their wedding details. She made all these wooden signs that were all over the wedding. They were directing people to the areas for different events. The ceremony location in this photo over looks the farm below and the Ocean. Its a great spot up on a hill. They had such amazing games for people to play and they couldn't have asked for a nicer day on Block Island!
The tricky thing about the Atlantic Inn is the ferry! You have to time the ferry to get on and off the Island. If you choose to make a weekend out of it, the stress of the ferry goes away. You get to enjoy walking up and down the town and getting a true sense of the island. Block Island to me is one step up from Nantucket. It has the same charm but it feels a smidge like Cape Cod and Nantucket mixed. The hydrangeas of Cape Cod with the small town, small island feel of Nantucket.
You can explore the entire island on Bike, and I actually recommend you do it. The bluffs, the lighthouse, the beaches all allow you to get there by bike. You could bring a car, but you really don't need it. If you have your wedding on Block Island, have one person with a car. It will help you navigate for pictures on the island during the wedding.
Outdoor ceremonies are amazing. They bring nature into your ceremony and you can incorporate beautiful views into the day. Having an outdoor wedding opens you up to having so many more options for a location. You aren't stuck at a hotel. Most outdoor ceremony sites have a wonderful indoor reception locations. To answer your question; If you are having an outdoor ceremony you want to aim for good light. Outdoor ceremonies that are not done under a shady tree or the like, can open you up to harsh shadows or squinty faces. To that end you want to try and have your ceremony at the later part of the day. Most photographers would suggest having it two hours before sunset, but sometimes that is not possible. If you have to have it mid day you want to think about how you set the ceremony.
Well, we already covered that the light is a huge component of an outdoor ceremony. If you can control where you stand, do it! Take a look at where the West and East is. We know the sun sets in the West. You don't want your photographer to have to shoot directly into the sun at sunset. Without huge studio lights, that's really hard to balance an exposure and make sure you can see the couple.
You also want to think about the time of year and bugs! Well its magical to think about having a beautiful outdoor ceremony, sometimes bugs can really ruin the idea. I know at the Codman Estate, the Italian Garden is surrounded by woods and trees and fields. A lot of my clients plan for that and they either fog the area the morning of with a spray, or they have bug spray on a table in the back. That's always so nice. Also if you get married outside in the summer, be sure to have coolers full of water. I have also seen a drink station set up with lemonade on ice. On a hot day, that can really add a nice touch to your wedding.
Location: Atlantic Inn, Block Island, RI.
Reading Photographer Headshots-Portraits-Kids-Families, Senior Portraits 40 Marla Lane, Reading MA 01867 781-315-6030 - aw@cordelephotography.com