Professional photographers may have clearer insight into wedding venues than any other nuptial-services provider, having assessed settings, both tony and tacky, for visual appeal. Angela and Drew Willingham, Lansdale, compiled a Montgomery County best wedding venue list on The Willinghams, their website.

Their top ten are:

1. Cairnwood Estate, the Beaux Arts mansion of the industrialist Pitcairn family in Bryn Athyn
2. Philander Chase Knox Estate, a 1700s-built home of its namesake owner onsite at Valley Forge
3. Normandy Farm, Blue Bell, whose campus accommodates large and small weddings and a convenient onsite hotel
4. Appleford Estate, Villanova, a fieldstone home reflecting early Pennsylvania architecture
5. Barn on Bridge, Collegeville, a now-renovated vintage barn once part of a 1700s dairy farm
6. Les Jardins (The Gardens) at Talamore, Ambler, which won the 2020 Wedding Wire Couples Choice award
7. MOYO, Schwenksville, a unique setting that, when it’s not hosting events, is an operational yoga studio
8. Graeme Park, Horsham, the 1722 home of the Provincial Governor of Pennsylvania
9. Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, the only site to offer an after-ceremony, giraffe-feeding session
10. The Loft at Landis Creek, Limerick, whose golf-course setting is ideal for photography

More recommendations for area weddings — both in Montgomery County and beyond — is at The Willinghams.

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Some tips for couples planning an outdoor wedding.