When we started planning our ten‑year anniversary celebration, one of our biggest goals was simple: show appreciation to the people who’ve supported us over the past decade. We wanted to create moments that felt thoughtful, personal, and uniquely us/Overlook… little touches that made guests feel appreciated and gave them something meaningful to take home.
We’ve also seen way too many times where guests left behind wedding favors or had no real use for them, so we really wanted to find something our friends and family would enjoy for years to come. So if you’re like us and wondering, “What wedding favor would my guests actually love?” — steal this idea from us!
One of the most‑loved parts of the night: a portrait station where guests could gather their people and get a professional photo they’d actually use.
It felt like the perfect way to give everyone a small piece of Overlook Barn — something heartfelt, elevated, and captured on the mountain we all love.
Why a Portrait Station Felt So Right
Speaking from experience, I love and cherish any professional family photos we’ve had done over the years. But I also know how hard it is to make those happen: figuring out what to wear, getting the three young boys to cooperate in wearing said outfits, trying to be in decent moods and on time… all the things.
So I thought: If people are already getting themselves and their families to come celebrate with us — why not give them a beautiful professional photo of it?
It became a way to honor our guests, thank them, and send them home with something that felt like Overlook’s heart: connection, beauty, and a moment frozen in time.
A portrait station works because it gives guests the ability to take advantage of what a wedding offers:
- Their whole family dressed up at the same time
- Grandparents, siblings, cousins, and chosen family all in one place
- Professional photography with great lighting
- A moment to pause and capture the night
As a side note, we love a good photobooth and had one at both our wedding ten years ago and at our anniversary celebration — set up by our DJ, Mohr Fun Events. The photobooth let guests loosen up, grab props, and be silly, while the professional portrait station created those elevated, frame‑worthy images people actually print and cherish. Both served totally different purposes, and together they made the night feel even more fun and personal.
How We Set Up Our Portrait Station at Overlook Barn
We had the huge perk of working with Olson Design Photography, who know the property inside and out. Here’s the framework we used — easy to adapt for any wedding, anniversary party, or mountain‑venue celebration.
1. Choose the Right Spot (and Have a Weather Backup)
Our original plan was to place the portrait station in Mary’s Meadow — one of our favorite spots at Overlook Barn with wide‑open views and gorgeous natural light. We thought it would be gorgeous to set up vintage lounge furniture from A Bushel and a Peck Vintage Rentals and florals from A Thistle and Twig Florals in the meadow to create a total vibe. Raye and Co created signage to direct people to what was happening.
Once again, I didn’t have a super specific vision for exactly how it would look and trusted our incredible vendors to pull together the design, tying in our overall elements with the fact that it would be a stand‑alone portrait station for guests.
However, the NC weather did not get the memo for our original plans, and it was a rainy day — which took Mary’s Meadow out of play. But like we tell our couples, we always have an inclement‑weather plan in advance so it’s a no‑brainer on the day of to adjust.
We moved the portrait station into Cliffside Barn, which was where our cocktail hour was planned. Our vendor team arranged it in the corner near our large glass garage door opening to bring in all the natural light. It ended up being perfect: covered, cozy, and even closer to the main action.
This combination created a warm, textured setting that photographed beautifully!
2. Open It During Cocktail Hour
Because we didn’t have a ceremony, guests arrived during cocktail hour — so that’s when we opened the portrait station. It gave people something fun to do right as they walked in, captured everyone while they were still fresh, and created a bit of an icebreaker moment as people started to meet others. This also worked well for us specifically because we had a whole separate kid party planned for the reception (more on that later!) so having the portraits during cocktail hour made it so families could take advantage before the kids started their separate party.
3. Keep the Flow Simple (No Signup Sheet Needed)
We debated having a signup sheet or time slots, but after talking with Olson Design, we realized we were totally overcomplicating things. They had the great suggestion of just having guests wander over whenever they were ready and then sending out the full portrait station gallery to everyone afterward.
Not only was this a great idea because it created less work for us, but it also made it so we could surprise our guests with this idea — and I’m a sucker for surprises.
So here’s how it worked:
- Guests saw signage explaining what was happening
- Stepped in when there was a natural lull
- Got a few quick poses in minutes
Short and sweet was key (especially for families with little kiddos)!
4. Deliver Photos in a Simple, Shareable Way
We opted for a digital gallery where guests could:
- Find their images
- Download them
- Print or share however they wished
This is one of the easiest ways to deliver wedding guest portraits — and it keeps the experience seamless.
Making Your Portrait Station Personal
Whether you’re planning a wedding at Overlook Barn or another venue, here are easy ways to personalize your portrait station:
- Backdrop: Neutral for timeless portraits, or something that nods to your story
- Prompts: One “classic” shot and one “fun” shot
- Black & White Option: Adds a fine‑art feel
- Kids Included: Some of our favorite images were families who rarely get the chance to be in a frame together
Common Questions About Wedding Portrait Stations
Do we need a second photographer?
Highly recommend. Many couples have one photographer cover the event and another focus on portraits during the time they’re available.
Will it slow down the evening?
Not if it’s placed near — but not in — the main flow. It worked super well for us during cocktail hour but could also work well during the reception.
What about shy guests?
Once a few people jump in, others follow. Clear signage and a friendly photographer help.
Lessons Learned
Even with how well it went, we walked away with a few insights worth sharing:
Make signage impossible to miss — and add an announcement or two.
A couple guests told us afterward they didn’t notice the sign, so they missed their portrait chance (ahhh, killer to hear that!). Next time, we’d place a sign in multiple spots and have our DJ announce it a couple of times.
Always have a rain plan.
Our Mary’s Meadow setup would’ve been gorgeous, but Cliffside Barn ended up being just as magical — and arguably more practical because it kept everyone in one place for cocktail hour. Weather happens. Backup plans matter.
Keep the timing flexible.
Guests loved popping in during natural breaks rather than a rigid schedule.
Don’t overcomplicate delivery.
Sending the full gallery to everyone afterward was easier than managing signups or tracking who took photos.
A Favor That Lives On
Weeks after we delivered the album, we got to see the portraits put to use:
- New profile pictures
- Holiday cards
- Couples printing their photos for their homes
- Texts from families grateful to finally have an updated picture with everyone in it
Woohoo — success! It was a way of giving our guests a piece of Overlook. A moment on the mountain, captured forever. More to come from our 10-year anniversary series: how we made a weekend of it, and how we incorporated kids in the celebration in a way that was fun for them (and let parents have a blast, too!).
Vendors:
- Florals: A Thistle and a Twig
- Vintage Rentals: A Bushel and a Peck Vintage Rentals
- Photography: Olson Design Photography
- Displays/Signage: Raye and Co.
- DJ: Mohr Fun Events
- Catering: Reid’s Catering
- Transportation: Trinity Transport