Austin Wedding Venues Photographed by John David Weddings

JD Swiger has photographed weddings at most of Austin's best-known venues and across the Texas Hill Country for more than a decade. Knowing a venue's light, layout and timing before your wedding day means fewer surprises and better photographs. Below are venues JD has worked at, with links to real weddings where a blog post exists. If your venue is not listed, ask: JD photographs at new venues every season and travels anywhere in Texas and beyond.

Downtown and Central Austin

• Hotel Ella — a restored 1900 mansion near UT with a columned portico and garden ceremonies. See a Hotel Ella wedding.
• The Allan House — a Victorian home in downtown Austin with a lawn ceremony space and intimate indoor rooms. See an Allan House wedding.
• Commodore Perry Estate — a 1928 Italianate estate on ten acres in Central Austin, with formal gardens and a chapel. See a Commodore Perry Estate wedding.
• Hotel Saint Cecilia — a boutique South Congress hotel suited to small, stylish weddings and elopements.
• The LINE Hotel — modern lakeside rooms on Lady Bird Lake with downtown skyline views. See a LINE Hotel wedding.
• Four Seasons Hotel Austin — lakefront lawn and ballroom; ideal for elopements and larger celebrations alike. See a Four Seasons elopement.
• Hotel Van Zandt — a Rainey Street hotel with a rooftop pool deck and skyline backdrop. See a Hotel Van Zandt wedding.
• Laguna Gloria — the lakeside Italianate villa and grounds of The Contemporary Austin. See a Laguna Gloria wedding.
• Umlauf Sculpture Garden — a shaded sculpture garden next to Zilker Park for outdoor ceremonies. See an Umlauf wedding.
• Mattie's — the historic Green Pastures estate in Bouldin Creek, with live oaks and resident peacocks. See a Mattie's wedding.
• Wish Well House — a restored 1890s home in East Austin for intimate weddings. See a Wish Well House wedding.

Northeast Austin

• Barr Mansion — an organic-certified Victorian mansion and artisan ballroom in Northeast Austin, one of JD's most-photographed venues. See a Barr Mansion wedding.

Texas Hill Country, Lakeway and Dripping Springs

• Prospect House — a modern, minimalist venue in Dripping Springs designed around natural light. See a Prospect House wedding.
• Addison Grove — a Hill Country barn venue west of Austin with a pecan grove and open-air chapel.
• Camp Lucy and Ian's Chapel — a Dripping Springs estate with a Vietnamese timber-frame chapel. See a Camp Lucy wedding.
• Vista West Ranch — a Dripping Springs ranch with Hill Country views and a rustic barn. See a Vista West Ranch wedding.
• Lakeway villas and lake houses — private estates on Lake Travis. See a Lakeway Italian villa wedding.
• Vintage Villas — a lakeside hotel and event venue on Lake Travis. See a Vintage Villas wedding.
• Garden Grove — a wedding garden in Buda, south of Austin. See a Garden Grove wedding.
• Private ranches and backyard weddings across Horseshoe Bay, Wimberley, Fredericksburg and the Hill Country. See a backyard Austin wedding.

Beyond Austin

JD also photographs destination weddings: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Marathon and the Gage Hotel in West Texas, New Orleans, New York, Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, Denver, California, Italy and Scotland. Travel packages are available for any location.

Choosing a venue for great photographs

The venues that photograph best share three things: a ceremony site with open shade or soft evening light, a getting-ready space with windows, and somewhere nearby for portraits at sunset. JD is happy to walk through timing and locations for any venue you are considering, including ones not listed here. Read Top 6 wedding venues in Austin for stunning photos or get in touch to check your date.