Professional Wedding Reception Photography for Unforgettable Celebrations
Your wedding reception is the ultimate celebration of your love story, filled with joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments with your family and friends. Whether you need a wedding reception photographer to document your reception only or require an expert to handle challenging lighting conditions that your original photographer may not be comfortable with, Golightly Studios is here to ensure every detail of your celebration is beautifully captured.
A wedding reception photo
As professional wedding photographers with years of experience working in dimly lit venues, we specialize in using off-camera lighting to create flattering and dynamic images, regardless of the location. Our expertise guarantees that your reception formality moments and the high-energy party afterward are documented in stunning quality.
WANT RECEPTION PHOTOS LIKE THESE?If you want wedding reception photos like these, make sure to contact us!
Why Hire a Photographer for Your Wedding Reception Only?
Our wedding reception photography service is perfect for couples who:
Only need their reception photographed – Perhaps your ceremony is an intimate or private affair, but you want a professional to capture the energy of your reception.
Had a destination or courthouse wedding – If you've already tied the knot elsewhere, we can ensure your stateside reception is professionally documented.
Need an expert for low-light conditions – Many photographers may not have the experience or equipment to handle challenging lighting situations. We bring high-end gear and advanced lighting techniques to ensure every shot looks flawless.
Want professional coverage for their evening celebration – From your grand entrance to the final dance of the night, we’ll capture the candid, authentic moments that make your reception special.
BETTER PHOTOS
RIGHT TOOLS
UNIQUE TO YOU
A fun wedding reception photo of the couple
What’s Included in Our Wedding Reception Photography Service?
We offer flexible hourly coverage options based on your needs and event timeline. Whether you need just a few hours of coverage or full-night documentation, our services are tailored to fit your wedding celebration.
Key Moments We Capture:
Grand Entrance – The moment you and your new spouse make your way into the reception, greeted by cheers from your loved ones.
First Dance – A romantic and unforgettable dance shared between the newlyweds.
Parent Dances – The emotional moments of the father-daughter dance and mother-son dance.
Toasts & Speeches – Genuine reactions from you and your guests as loved ones share their heartfelt messages.
Cake Cutting – A classic wedding tradition, beautifully documented.
Bouquet & Garter Toss – Fun and exciting moments as you keep the traditions alive.
Dance Floor & Party Moments – From choreographed dances to wild dance floor moments, we capture the energy and excitement of your guests.
Candid & Guest Reactions – The laughter, tears, and joy shared among your family and friends.
Reception Details & Decor – Every little detail that makes your reception uniquely yours, from centerpieces to venue ambiance.
An outdoor wedding reception photo
Why Choose Golightly Studios for Your Reception Photography?
1. Expertise in Low-Light & Challenging Conditions
Many wedding receptions take place in dimly lit venues, ballrooms, or outdoor spaces at night. Our professional team utilizes off-camera flash and lighting techniques to ensure your images are crisp, well-lit, and full of life, no matter the setting.
2. Candid & Storytelling Photography
We specialize in a mix of authentic, photojournalistic storytelling and stylized reception portraits to ensure a diverse and complete collection of images from your special night.
3. Flexible Coverage Options
We understand that every wedding is different. That’s why we offer customizable packages with multiple hourly options to best suit your schedule and budget.
4. Professional & Experienced Team
As seasoned traveling wedding photographers, we’ve photographed wedding receptions in all types of locations, from grand hotel ballrooms to intimate backyard celebrations. You can trust us to handle every lighting and logistical challenge with ease.
A wedding reception detail photo
Availability
For weekend wedding receptions, we typically only book 3 months out of today's date. For weekday wedding receptions, we typically allow bookings up to 6 months out of today's date.
Pricing
Our wedding reception photography pricing is very simple and easy to understand. For the most up-to-date pricing information, please visit our wedding photography pricing page.
Below you can view some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive as a reception photographer.
Our wedding reception photography service covers the following:
Reception details
Grand entrances
Introductions
First dances
Parent dances
Toasts
Speeches
Cake cutting
Bouquet tosses
Garter tosses
Dinner
Dancing
Games
Exits
Wedding reception photographers typically excel in the unique skillset of photographing receptions. Although a "normal" photographer can photograph a wedding reception, many lack the necessary equipment and knowledge of how to use it effectively.
A wedding reception photographer will bring along not only the necessary equipment required to photograph a reception effectively, but they will also have extensive knowledge and experience using that equipment.
A wedding reception photographer will typically bring along the following items in addition to their camera equipment:
2-6 off-camera flashes
0-4 studio strobes (if required)
LED lights (If required)
Lighting transmitters
Light modifiers (Softboxes, octoboxes, umbrellas, grids, and snoots)
Color corrective gels
Artistic gels
Light stands
Spare batteries
Wedding receptions typically take place in the evening and are usually indoors, this means that the surrounding lighting is typically dark, thus requiring supplemental lighting such as off-camera flashes or strobes.
Although many modern cameras can autofocus exceptionally well in low light, with some scenarios it is simply just not enough! In order to create quality photographs that are not grainy, a photographer must use lighting to compensate for the darkness.
Using lighting is something that most photographers fail to take the time to learn. There are many reasons for this, but the most common ones are that it can be challenging to understand and that there is a financial investment that must be made.
Knoxville Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Knoxville Wedding Reception Photographer include Adair Park, Avalon, Bearden, Bellview, Biscayne, Blue Grass, Broadacres, Colonial Village, Colonial Heights, Concord, Downtown Knoxville, Fairmont, Farragut, Fifth and Gill, Fort Sanders, Fountain City, Gibbs, Glenwood, Halls, Happy Valley, Holston Hills, Island Home, Lakeshore, Lonsdale, Mechanicsville, North Knoxville, Old North Knoxville, Old City, Riverbend, Sequoyah Hills, South Knoxville, Standard, St. John's, University of Tennessee Area, West Hills, Westmoreland, and Windy Hill.
Oak Ridge Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as an Oak Ridge Wedding Reception Photographer include Briarcliff, British Woods, Centennial Village, Emory Heights, Forest Creek Village, Groves Park, Harbour Pointe, Harbour Cove, Summit Place, The Preserve, and Westwood.
Lenoir City Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Lenoir City Wedding Reception Photographer include Avalon, Covered Bridge, The Grove at Chatuga Coves, The Grove at Harrison Glen, Kahite, Rarity Bay, Split Rail Farm, Tellico Village, and WindRiver.
Maryville Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Maryville Wedding Reception Photographer include Adams Run, Amerine Downs, Asbury Place Maryville, Avalon, Bayberry Terrace, Berwyn Fields, Bittle Heights, Briarcliff, Broady Court, Broady Place, Brookshire, Buena Vista, Cherokee, East Forest, Everett Heights, Heritage Condominiums, Homewood, Hubbard Hills, Jett Woods, Kirklands Estates, McNeilly Place, Mercer Place, Montvue, North Maryvale, Northfield, Oakland Park, Oakhurst, Olympia Mountain View Condominium, Oxford Hills, Providence Place, Reserve at Ross Springs, Savannah Park, Sequoyah Square, Sevier Heights, Silver Creek Village, Sterling, Sunset View, The Village at Worthington, Treymont, Trotwood Farms, Turner Place Condominiums, Turnberry Vista, Vintage Village, Westcliff, Westfields, Wimbledon, Windridge, and Windsor Village.
Townsend Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Townsend Wedding Reception Photographer include Big Valley Resort, Kinzel Springs, Laurel Valley, Lawson Crossroad, Miller Cove, Stonegate, and Tremont.
Pigeon Forge Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Pigeon Forge Wedding Reception Photographer include Alpine Mountain Village, Arrowhead, Bear Cove Falls, Bear Creek Crossing, Big Bear Lodge, Black Bear Ridge, Bluff Mountain Acres, Cedar Falls, Covered Bridge, Eagles Ridge Resort, Grand View, Hidden Springs, Legacy Mountain, Sherwood Forest, Walden Creek, and Woodridge Village.
Gatlinburg Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Gatlinburg Wedding Reception Photographer include Alpine Village, Chalet Village, Cobbly Nob, Deer Ridge, Glades, Hemlock Hills, Laurel Estates at the Glades, Norton Creek, Pittman Center, Riversong Estates, Sky Harbor, Smoky Mountain Village, and White Oak Lodge and Resort.
Sevierville Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Sevierville Wedding Reception Photographer include Appleview River Resort, Asbury-Forks of the River, Barington Park, Beal Woods, Belle Meadows, Boyd's Creek, Catlettsburg, East Sevierville, Fair Garden, Grandview-Whites Village, Harrisburg, Kinberlin Heights, Northview-Kodak, Old Town, Riverview, Sevier Home, South Sevierville, and Wildwood.
Nashville Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Nashville Wedding Reception Photographer include 12 South, Antioch, Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Demonbreun Hill, Downtown, East Nashville, Edgehill, Elliston Place, Franklin, Germantown, Green Hills, Hermitage, Hillsboro Village, Inglewood, Madison, Marathon Village, Melrose, North Nashville, Opryland, Portland, Rosebank, Sorbo, Sylvan Park, The Gulch, The Nations, Trinity Lane, Music Valley, Wedgewood-Houston, West End and Woodbine.
Chattanooga Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Chattanooga Wedding Reception Photographer include Alton Park, Brainerd, Cummings Cove, Chickamauga, Downtown Chattanooga, East Brainerd, East Ridge, Hill City, Hixson, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, North Shore, Red Bank, Southside, St. Elmo, Tiftonia and Woodmore.
Atlanta Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as an Atlanta Wedding Reception Photographer include but are not limited to Adair Park, Ansley Park, Ashview Heights, Atlanta University Center, Auburn Avenue, Bankhead, Belvedere Park, Berkeley Park, Brookwood Hills, Candler Park, Cascade, Chastain Park, Collier Hills, Cabbagetown, Cascade Heights, Downtown, East Atlanta Village, Edgewood, English Avenue, Grant Park, Grove Park, Kirkwood, Little Five Points, Midtown, Morningside-Lenox Park, Old Fourth Ward, Poncey-Highland, Riverside, Rockdale, South Downtown, Sweet Auburn, Virginia Highland, West End, Westview and Woodland Hills.
Lexington Wedding Reception Photographer
Our service areas as a Lexington Wedding Reception Photographer include Anderson, Ashland Park, Beaumont, Belleau Woods, Bluegrass Estates, Brookhaven, Cardinal Valley, Castlewood, Chevy Chase, Clays Mill, Coolavin, Countryside, Crosswoods, Davis Mill, Dixiana, Downtown Lexington, East End, Elizabeth Street, Fairway, Fleming’s Way, Garden Springs, Glenmore, Greenbriar, Hamburg, Hartland, Hillsboro, Indian Hills, Idle Hour, Kenwick, Lansdowne, Lexington Green, Masterson Station, Meadowthorpe, Nicholasville Road, Oakhill, Palomar, Pleasant Ridge, Regency, Rookwood, Southland, Tates Creek, The Homeplace, The Woods, Thornton, Versailles Road, Westwood, Winburn, and Woodhill.
Book Your Wedding Reception Photographer Today
Whether you need full reception coverage or just a few key moments captured, we would be honored to be part of your special day. Our availability for reception-only photography is limited and booked on a first-come, first-served basis, so use the button below to get in touch with us!
