I’ll admit, as much as the formal portraits in a wedding day are so important (they’ll be memorialized in your wedding album forever), the best ones, the money shots, are those that are off the cuff, snapped in the heat of the moment, when the couple literally melts into each other, drunk in love, quite possibly drunk overall. The photographer lives for these opportunities and often can not wait for lulls in the dance set just so that he or she can grab the newlyweds and whisk them away for some impromptu photos.

While the rest of the guests are digging into dessert or dominating the dance floor, the King and Queen of the day are taking advantage of the last hour of their photo contract and making the most of our venue – which, if you haven’t guessed already, has infinite places to steal away for unplanned photo opps. We’ve discussed a few of them in the past, but considering how many amazing photos photographers share with us on the reg, we needed to provide a reminder.

At Leonard’s, think of your wedding day as your own personal paparazzi haven. If your photographer scouts out a scene that looks to be perfect for a couple kiss snapshots, then go right ahead and indulge, because we can promise you – you’re going to love how the captures come out.

In our art gallery.
To be quite honest, I had thought about the premise of this post a few times before I decided to commit to it. I considered my own wedding day – nearly 5 years ago – how in the last 30 minutes, our photographer scooped us away from our friends and family and brought us outside to get a few photos under the outdoor twinkling lights. They were stunning and, hands-down, some of our favorites from the day. Well, once I saw this photo of one of our just-married couples sneaking a passionate kiss in our art gallery, I knew I had to jump on this idea. Secluded, seductive (with the pink/red lighting cascading over the walls), sexy, and so in-the-moment, if your photographer can crank out a shot like this, you’ll be loving it for years.

On our staircase.
You’ve seen this place before, but how stunning does it look at night? Couples absolutely love breaking away from their receptions for just a few minutes to make magic on our grand staircase. And what’s amazing about this photo is that their photographers stand on the outside and snap a silhouette of the couple, without even knowing what they’re talking about. What they’re whispering to each other on the inside. It’s so private, so intimate, and yet so artful. Plus, our chandelier does a great job of standing up to the bride’s gown. Both beautiful, both shining. If you ever wanted a standout black and white or sepia-toned photo, this one is it.

At our front door.
It’s got Cinderella written all over it, doesn’t it? Well, with that in mind, a photo of the two of you in total enchantment at our glass-laden front doors is breathtaking. We love how this couple embraced the fairy tale, with a perfect kiss laid on her hand by her prince, but really, this setting is just a wonderful place to be yourselves. To kiss like it’s your first, your last and everything in between, to dance as if no one’s watching. And as much as we love our ballrooms, being able to accommodate our brides and grooms elsewhere on our grounds is so fulfilling. You’ll also never regret having a late-night photo under our iconic “L” motif, for you’ll never forget where you said “I Do” to a lifetime of love and happiness.

In our gazebo.
We’ll keep this short, because our gazebo has been talked about before, but really, any way that a couple chooses to pose here will be 🔥🔥🔥. Our wrought iron gazebo certifiably stuns in photos, especially at dusk and even later into the night, when our private garden is lit up and the natural beauty of the setting + the illuminated metallics on our petite pavillion just sing. But angled-artful shots like this one are just as bewitching. Look at that starburst peeking through as the couple purses their pouts, it’s so pretty! We love something like this right after ceremony, when the couple finally has a moment to drink in their newlywed status, and all they want to do is kiss, hold hands, and gush about how they’re floating on cloud nine.

We’re here for all of it!

Featured image courtesy of Yehoshua Solomon