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Pam & Ryan’s Parkland Country Club Wedding

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If you are planning a wedding in South Florida, may I suggest you visit Parkland Country Club.  As a wedding photographer, I love working at venues that offer a wide range of picture taking opportunities.  As you will be able to tell looking at these pictures, this place is a picture taking heaven.

Working as a South Florida wedding photographer, I have taken photos at almost every venue in the area. Often when someone thinks of a wedding venue in Florida they usually envision a beach location with an ocean view.  While I shoot plenty of South Florida beach weddings, I also photograph lots of off the beach weddings.  Of course beach weddings are awesome, however there is also something to be said about weddings that take place at country clubs, garden locations, and museums.  Being away from the shore line means that brides no longer need to worry about blowing hair, wind blown veils, sand in shoes, or sticking to toes.  In addition, many country clubs offer a wide range of lakes & ponds as well as waterfalls and flowing fountains.  All these unique backgrounds offer a large range of interesting and pretty backdrops.  In my over 16 years as a South Florida wedding photographer, I can tell you this: Parkland Country Club seems to have more places for pictures than most other wedding venues.  With this said, don’t take my word for this statement, Look at the pictures!  Also if you are a photographer or if you are just interested in photography, I’ve provided some information on how these wedding pictures were taken and the equipment used.  Also, the pictures in this article are from the bride and grooms album layout.  Their album is a 12×12 so each image is a double page 12×24 spread.  To learn more about our wedding albums click this link:  Wedding Albums & Design

Groom kissing his bride in the courtyard at Parkland Country Club.
Everyplace you look at Parkland Country Club is a potential great picture. In front of the main entrance to the clubhouse is a larger circular drive with a gorgeous fountain in the center. In addition the buildings themselves have a pretty rustic appearance. At the wedding photographer, it’s up to me to take pictures that balance the lighting on the bride and grooms face with the background. In this shot, I put Pam and Ryan under an overhang which provides nice soft lighting. As a way of matching the difference in brightness between the background and the much darker overhang lighting I used a powerful flash. For this saturation the flash of choice is the Qflash TRIO

BELOW: If you are planning a Parkland Country Club wedding, there are a few things you should remember.  First, make sure you allow plenty of time for getting ready and the getting ready photography.  There is a bridal room which is very nice, but not the largest.  It’s certain adequate for up to 10 bridesmaids and it’s very comfortable for hanging out with your girls and taking pictures.  Below are some of the getting ready photos.  This couple had a very unique vinyl wrapped dance floor installed.  If you are not familiar with vinyl dance floors, they are highly reflective and could be designed with custom printing.  If you would like to learn more about these really awesome dance floors click here: Dream Dance Floors.  I love these floors because I could take pictures with really unique double reflections.  I have no idea the cost for these dance floors but I’m sure Dream Dance Floors would be happy to assist you.

Bride and her girls getting ready for a Parkland Country Club wedding
Pam’s wedding day started off with her and her bridesmaids getting ready in the Parkland Country Club bridal room. As the wedding photographer, I always start once the make us is almost completely finished. From past wedding photography experience, I can tell you, most brides don’t care for pictures taken before the makeup is complete. Once I arrive I either photograph the very end of the makeup being applied or I re-stage the make up pictures. It’s important to keep in mind, if the bride wants pictures with all her girls together wearing robes or pajama shirts, all the girls should have the makeup should be complete.

Often I will receive calls from couples asking how much it costs to have a wedding at Parkland Country Club.  Wedding packages at Parkland Country Club range from $125.00 per person to $160.00 per person.  This is from 2021 wedding cost information.  Having spoken to hundreds of brides I have been told that a Parkland Country Club wedding is one of the best values when it comes to wedding venues.  As a photographer, who is on the preferred photographer list, I can say with first hand experience the grounds around the country club offer much nicer scenery than other South Florida wedding venues that cost much more.  Honestly, the best way to find Parkland Country Club wedding prices is to arrange a meeting with the venues catering director.  By having a face to face cost meeting you will be able to learn about pricing and any additional extras that are offered.

Groom and his groomsmen getting ready for the wedding day at Parkland Country Club.
The getting ready pictures are not just about the bride and her girls. In a wedding album if you have pictures of the bride getting ready you also should have the groom and the guys getting ready. For this layout I felt that black and white images will work really well. At a wedding, I photograph all my images as color files. When If decide I want black and white images, I process them as black & white finished images.  In an attempt to produce creative pictures I alway look for unique angles and background shapes to photograph.  Whenever, I see a shiny surface like one found on a piano or glass coffee table I use the shiny surface as a reflection.

As you can see the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.  It’s very important to allow enough time to take wedding pictures.

brides wedding pictures taken around the main clubhouse at Parkland Country Club.
During this wedding I must have spend about 30 minutes photographing the bride alone. That may seem like a lot of time, however when you consider the different locations, the lighting, and shooting to get a great expression it’s really not. I have some thoughts about wedding photography at Parkland Country Club. The photographer should spend about one hour shooting pictures of the bride and groom around the main clubhouse. Then take a golf cart to the front gate, and shoot around the small lake. The lake is located to the right drive before you get to the guard gate. I guess I should add a map showing where the lake is. It takes about 15 minutes to drive in a golf cart to the lake. When you add it all up, bride and groom pictures at Parkland Country Club should take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. In these three pictures, one was taken at the front driveway at the the main clubhouse, another taken in the back of the main clubhouse, and the center picture was taken at a fountain on the way to the front gate.  It’s funny, in this post I have no pictures showing the lake.  However, I shot plenty. I just didn’t put any in this post.

Pam and Ryan decided to have me stage a “First Look” before the wedding ceremony.  By seeing each other early they had plenty of time to take pictures and enjoy the cocktail hour as well. 

Bride and Groom's First Look at Parkland Country Club.
When I photograph couples “First Look” pictures my main focus is on the groom’s face and his expression. In this case, I chose a secret place with a simple background that would not be distracting. During a First Look, you never know which way the groom, or the bride, will turn. This means that there should be plenty of room for the photographer to move around. I created this album page as a sequence, Groom’s face, Both with hand gestures as they look at each other, and a simple, look at the camera photo.
First Look at Parkland Country Club.
This “First Look” picture was taken by my second photographer.  By having two shooters, one photographer can capture the grooms face while the second photographer  can capture the brides expression.  By processing this image in Black and White, the viewer is drawn to the bride face, and gown texture again the living wall.
Bride and groom photographed inside a tunnel at Parkland Country Club
One of my favorite places to take pictures at Parkland Country Club is inside the tunnel that is located on the main drive. This is a very cool spot for pictures.
Bride and groom picture taken with a special infrared camera.
Isn’t this picture unique? As a wedding photographer, I am always looking for ways to produce images that are unique. Shooting infrared is one type of alternative photography process that most South Florida photographers don’t do. When I lived in Los Angeles, I learned how to photograph with infrared film.  Infrared film is very sensitive to heat, light, radiation.  Loading infrared film into a camera needs to be done in a completely dark room.  In addition, processing infrared film is very difficult, as a matter of fact. In Los Angels, there were only a handful of people who could process infrared film correctly. When I moved to South Florida, I tried to shoot infrared film, then ship it to Los Angeles for processing.  Everytime the images were damaged in transit.  Then, I learned that a digital camera can capture, infrared images.  However, the only way to  capture infrared images with a digital camera is to have the camera modified for infrared.  Obviously I had one of my cameras modified.  If you are a photographer and you are interested in picking up infrared here is a link to a place that modifies digital cameras for infrared. Life Pixel infrared conversion  If you have a digital camera, and you are considering modifying your camera for infrared remember this, once you do the conversion, your camera will never shoot normal pictures again.
The bride and groom pictures in this article were taken all around Parkland Country Club.  When we planned this wedding, lots of time was built into the timeline for bride and groom pictures.  

One of the most important aspects of wedding photography is the timeline.  The wedding day consists of many different parts.  These parts include, Getting Ready, First Looks, Bride and Groom pictures, Wedding party pictures, Family pictures, ceremony, cocktail hour, Reception.  By not having a proper well thought out timeline the photography process could fall apart.  Having a great timeline is critical for successful wedding photography.  Click the link to read an article I wrote on wedding photography timelines.   Having a great wedding photography timeline is one of the most important aspects of great wedding photography.  As a wedding photographer in South Florida, I have a saying about shooting weddings, there is the artistic side, or the creative photography side.  As a photographer, I like to think that I get hired because of my creative and artistic work.  However, there is the “Stay out of trouble side”. The stay out of trouble side, refers to not missing important pictures.  At a wedding, clients expect pictures of, Bride with Mother, Bride with Father, Family with Grandmother or much more.  If a wedding photographer misses these pictures, there is going to be a problem.  When important posed pictures are missed, clients tend to become angry.  Not missing these pictures is key to building a five star reputation.  A wedding photography timeline must allow for family pictures and beautiful bride and groom pictures.

Why should you hire me as your wedding photographer?

As a South Florida photographer, Parkland Country Club is one of the first places I visited and photographed.  To say that I know every inch of this property is an understatement.  Over the past 15 years, I have shot engagement sessions, weddings, Bat and Bar Mitzvahs, Portrait shoots, and corporate events at this location.  I have watched the staff change over at the club many times as well.  Each new director of catering has a unique way of producing weddings and events.  While many venues in the area, allow a photographer to simply show up with a camera, Parkland CC does not.  You must have proper insurance, before they allow a wedding vendor onto the property.  Because, I work at all the high end wedding venues I have insurance policies that cover several million dollars of coverage.

Bride and groom pictures taken at various places around the grounds.
These pictures were taken at various places around the property. The photo on the left was taken at one of the walkways close to the lake, the middle picture was taken at an more hidden location by the main clubhouse, the picture on the right, was taken back at the lake. My advise is to spend several hours exploring the grounds before the wedding day.

BELOW: Once the bride and groom pictures have been taken, I move on to the family pictures.  In the pictures below you can see, just a small sample of the posed pictures I take at a wedding.  Well before the wedding day, it’s a really good idea to ask the couple for a list of important family combinations that should be taken.  From experience, I know about bride with mother, bride with father, bride and groom with brides side, grooms side and so on.  Its the more unique pictures that should be included on the list.  Combos such as 3 or 4th generation pictures, brides mother and mothers sister, best friend pictures, should be on the list.  Also, if the parents are not divorced, or separated, this should be discussed before the wedding day.

Posed pictures taken at a wedding.
Shooting posed pictures in the area behind the bridal room. There is an covered patio with a view to the scenery which makes for the perfect place to take these pictures. Working at Parkland Country Club, I have found that wedding guests start to arrive about 30 minutes before the ceremony. If the posed family and bridal party pictures run late, which is often the case, this is a hidden spot where you can finish the pictures without the guests seeing.

Wedding ceremony pictures. These include, walking down the aisle, the groom watching the bride, father shaking the groom's hand while the bride watches.

Most of the wedding ceremonies I have photographed here take place in-front of the main clubhouse.  They also take place in the late afternoon.  This west facing location is perfect for easy lighting.  With the sun behind to couple, the lighting on the bride and groom’s face is even and soft.  This makes for the most flattering pictures.

Wedding ceremony pictures, including bride and groom exchanging rings, and wedding ceremony decor photos.

BELOW: The ballroom at Parkland Country Club is not the largest.  It also does not have a high ceiling.   If that is on your wish list than you may be disappointed with the ballroom.  However, as a photographer, I like this ballroom.  Not having the highest ceiling means I can bound my flash off the ceiling or walls which created beautiful soft lighting.  The size is perfect for a wedding with 125 or so guests.  When decorated correctly this ballroom could look amazing.  Check out this pictures below.

Decorated wedding ballroom at Parkland Country Club.
In this case Palm and Ryan had the ballroom draped which gave a beautiful background for the reception decor.
Wedding reception party pictures. Including, dance pictures, toast pictures, and parent dances.
Once the party starts, my photography style shifts from a beauty portrait, photographer, to a wild party photographer. I always make sure to photograph everyone at the wedding. As the photographer, I know that there are certain times when I could photograph many of the wedding guests in a short amount of time. For example, during a slow dance, I could get couple pictures around the dance floor. It’s very easy for me to tap a shoulder, and take a picture.
Nigh time wedding pictures taken at Parkland Country Club, including a sparkler sendoff.
Sparkler sendoffs have become very popular. The warm lights, combined with sparklers always make for awesome pictures.

There is no question that Parkland Country Club is one of my favorite South Florida wedding venues.  Check out some of my favorite pictures from this awesome venue here:  Indian Wedding Picture  Over the years I have shot several indian weddings at Parkland Country Club.  This couple sent me the nicest thank you note and review.  Check out their picture here: Amanda & Zach. Here is another from Amanda and Zach.  Here is another Indian wedding picture taken at Parkland Country Club.   Here’s another Indian wedding photo.

Wedding ring picture
One of my favorite aspects of wedding photography, is the fact that I get to shoot a wide range of picture types. This includes, beauty photography, food photography, candid photography, photo journalism and as seen here, small item photography.
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