Whenever I talk to clients about their wedding day, one of the first things they bring up that stresses them out is formal family photos. You know the moment: everyone lines up, we’re looking for grandma (who surely can’t have gone far), an uncle sneaks off to grab another drink, and cousins are halfway through cocktail hour snacks. Meanwhile, you just want to get through the portraits so you can enjoy your day.

The getting ready portion of the day is so fun because that’s when it starts to settle in that this is

really happening. You’ve spent so much time building a life with your favorite person and you committed to making that your forever. So many beautiful dates and personal moments led up to the proposal, and many months of wedding planning came after that! So much work, and time, and so many emotions have led up to this and now you’re breaking ground on your wedding day! 

The wedding venue you select is the foundation for just about everything about your wedding. It sets the aesthetic, the vibe, and ultimately how your wedding photos will look.

When it comes to high-quality photos, good lighting is crucial. And not all venues are built the same. I’ve seen firsthand how the right lighting transforms an image. Here are my top 8 Austin wedding venues for gorgeous natural light in the city and surrounding Hill Country wedding venues.

A thoughtful timeline is the key to freeing yourself up to embrace the organic, joyful moments of your day!

Documentary wedding photography is the art of capturing a wedding day exactly how it happened, organically. It rejects the pressure to make couples perform and make their wedding look like a carefully choreographed event for the sake of meeting people’s expectations online. It leaves room for, and encourages, couples and wedding parties to be natural throughout the whole day and party like no one is watching. And more than anything, it emphasizes one thing. That I could never create something that is more beautiful than your organic joy on a wedding day!

. Austin wedding venues truly offer something for every kind of couple. As an Austin, Texas wedding photographer, I’ve had the joy of seeing some of the most stunning mansion wedding venues in the area you're dreaming of old-money elegance with a touch of Southern charm, you can’t miss The Grand Lady in Manor, TX. Just a short drive from downtown, this 1881 mansion sits on 20 lush Hill Country acres and provides the perfect backdrop for timeless, romantic celebrations.

Another iconic venue in the heart of the city is The Allan House, where garden weddings thrive beneath old growth oak trees, offering a true oasis in downtown Austin. And if sustainability and modern elegance are on your list, Barr Mansion is unmatched. Not only is it rooted in historic beauty, but it’s also a zero-waste venue that blends style with purpose. These venues highlight why Central Texas is a haven for weddings, and why I love capturing love stories here as a dedicated Austin, Texas wedding photographer.

Getting married in the Austin TX area offers so much that you just wouldn’t find in many major cities. One that couples especially appreciate is the city’s proximity to beautiful nature that feels intimate and tucked away from city life. Just an hour from downtown Austin, we find ourselves in Canyon Lake TX, where Evan and Aubreye decided to start their new life together!