Let me say this out straight – I hate gazebos.  I hate gazebos and fountains and I especially hate having to photograph a couple at whatever landmark/feature that a reception venue has, where every other couple from the last five years has been photographed.  There, I’ve said it. I feel better now, with that weight off of my shoulders.

Wedding portaits should be about capturing the romance, and capturing the relationship between the couple.  I would much rather work with the couple and with the light available.  I want to show how much they are in love with each other, rather  than the wooden structure that the reception venue bought from Home Depot. 

The portrait above from Simone and Damien’s wedding was taken in the late afternoon.  The maitre’d of the venue suggested I use the fountain as a backdrop for the couple – the same fountain that every other photographer uses as a backdrop for every other couple who gets married there.   Instead, I looked at where the light was coming from … and it was stunningly beautiful glowing light.  And the best was, the spray from the fountain was lit up by the glow from the late afternoon sun.  This created that ethereal looking golden mist behind them.  Looking for and using great light, and looking for a beautiful backdrop to place the couple in context … is so much better than photographing them against unconnected objects in the landscape.

Wedding portraits should be about romance, and not the gazebo or fountain. 
Indeed, we need more cowbell, less gazebo!