If you’re reading this because you’re planning a wedding, congrats! If you know someone who is planning a wedding, share this tip with them! While I share plenty of wedding and engagement tips on my Instagram and Tik Tok, I think this one deserved its own blog post. Ultimately, I want you to have the best wedding photos ever and I truly believe renting an Air BnB instead of a hotel will elevate your wedding photography. If you’re getting married in Gainesville, you’re in luck! I’ve done my research and included some links at the end of this post to a variety of spacious Gainesville Air BnB’s.

Even if you’re not getting married in Gainesville, take my advice to book an Air BnB for the days leading up to your wedding instead of a hotel. Here’s why:

1. Getting Ready Photos: First and foremost, the biggest reason I suggest an Air BnB over a hotel is if you are taking your getting ready photos and your venue doesn’t have a bride and groom’s suite. If you aren’t taking getting ready photos or your venue provides suites to you and your wedding party with ample space (and time), then this might not be that big of a deal to you, but there are still plenty of reasons to consider it.

2. Amenities: You can find entire homes with fully functioning kitchens and laundry rooms. On the morning of your wedding, it’s a lot easier for everyone to spread out and get ready without being on top of each other or having to stay in separate hotel rooms. I’ve had couples rent 2 homes near each other, so the groom is getting ready with all his groomsmen in one space, and the bride and her party in another. It offers peace of mind to have multiple bathrooms, bedrooms, a full-sized kitchen and laundry room during wedding preparations.

3. Room to move around: The morning of wedding days can be pretty hectic. There are dresses and suits everywhere, there’s always a bridesmaid steaming the bride’s dress and it seems every electric outlet is in use. If you have enough space, you don’t have to add claustrophobia into the equation. In a home, you can have the snacks and mimosas flowing in the kitchen, designated rooms for your bridal party, and plenty of electric outlets for all the ironing, steaming and phone charging you’ll be doing. A home also provides ample space for your hair and makeup artist to move around while getting everyone ready. This allows your photographer to move around as well and get clean shots of everyone getting ready without clutter or people in the background. What typically works well is designating one room or space for all of your personal items/accessories/chargers, and keeping one room clean and clear so you can take getting ready photos in a beautiful and clutter-free space. This way people who aren’t being photographed can still get ready in other rooms, there’s easy access to everyone’s personal items and you’re not scrambling to clean up the room you’re taking photos in. Even if your photographer is not photographing the getting ready process, you will still benefit from the amenities and space for a stress-free day. This leads to my next point …

4. The aesthetic: Your space’s aesthetic is important for stunning photos. We don’t have much leeway if you’re in a cluttered hotel room with eclectic decor, a mini fridge and microwave we can’t move. Add the whole wedding party to that and everyone is getting ready on top of each other. More often than not, we have to spend more time than we’d like cleaning up food wrappers, garbage and moving furniture to create a space for photos. In an Air BnB, you typically have much better light, room to move around, and beautiful decor. You have the benefit of choosing the most aesthetic room to get ready in, a nice spot for photos and depending on the home, you may even have an outdoor space for photos.

5. At the end of the day, I personally believe it’s always nicer to cozy up with your honey in a home after the wedding. Air BnB’s can sometimes offer more flexibility with checkout, offer more privacy than a hotel and you have plenty of amenities and space for all your things after the wedding.

Here are some Gainesville Air BnB’s I’ve researched for my couples:

Gainesville Modern Home – accommodates up to 8 guests with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths

Entire Home near the UF Stadium – accommodates up to 6 guests with 3 bedrooms, 3 beds and 2 baths

Modern Home for up to 8 guests – accommodates up to 8 guests with 3 bedrooms, 4 beds and 2 baths

2-Story Home for 10 guests – accommodates up to 10 guests with 3 bedrooms, 7 beds and 2 baths

Cozy Home for 8 near Depot Park – accommodates up to 8 guests with 3 bedrooms, 5 beds and 1 bath

“The Floridian” – 2-Story Home for 11 guests – accommodates up to 11 guests with 3 bedrooms, 8 beds and 2.5 baths

Modern and Stylish Home for 8 guests – accommodates up to 8 guests with 3 bedrooms, 4 beds and 2 baths

Cozy and warm Condo for 8 guests – accommodates up to 8 guests with 2 bedrooms, 5 beds and 2.5 baths

Home with backyard for 6 guests – accommodates up to 6 guests with 3 bedrooms, 5 beds and 2 baths

Pool Home in NW Gainesville for 6 guests – accommodates up to 6 guests with 3 bedrooms, 3 beds and 2 baths

Pet Friendly 4 Bedroom Pool Home for 8 guests – accommodates up to 8 guests with 4 bedrooms, 5 beds and 2 baths

Modern Boutique Condo for up to 8 guests – accommodates up to 8 guests with 2 bedrooms, 5 beds and 2 baths

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