Where to shoot your pre-wedding (the places we already know)

"And where do we do it?" is always the second question. The first is what to wear, and we've already answered that one.

Here's our list. It isn't a ranking, and it isn't a list of the prettiest places in Paraguay: these are places we have already worked in, so we know how they behave with the light, how long it takes to get there, and what you need to ask for beforehand.

Before the place, the hour

This comes first because it decides more than the location does: the last hour before the sun goes down. The light drops, turns golden and soft, and there's nobody it doesn't flatter.

An ordinary place at that hour beats a spectacular place at noon. With the sun overhead the light falls straight down: it carves shadows under the eyes, blows out the white of a dress and flattens everything.

Choose the hour first. Then the place.

Which leads to something practical: if the location is a two-hour drive away, that good hour won't wait for you. Somewhere close to where you're getting ready almost always beats somewhere far and perfect.

Hotels: character, with the weather under control

Architecture, shade, and a covered plan B if the day turns. They're the safest option when you want something elegant without depending on the sky.

• Hotel Bisinni
• Hotel Las Ventanas
• Hotel Casa Blanca
• Hotel La Misión — Asunción
• Hotel La Factoría
• Hotel Niño Boutique

Green, water and open air

For couples who want space, distance and a landscape that breathes. Here the weather is in charge: it's worth holding a backup date in case of rain.

• Green areas of Parque del Área 1
• Green areas inside Paraná Country Club
• Ariju, km 22
• Lake Ypacaraí, from San Bernardino

On the Brazilian side: Foz do Iguaçu

• Hotel das Cataratas — the Belmond, inside the national park
• Wish Foz do Iguaçu

The most spectacular on the list, and the ones that need the most planning: both are in Foz do Iguaçu, so they mean crossing the border. Documents in order, and budget time for the bridge — on a bad day it can swallow the whole golden hour.

Places with a character of their own

For when you don't want "a pretty place" but a place with identity, one that gives the photographs their own signature.

• Estación Central del Ferrocarril — iron, old timber and a scale you won't find anywhere else.
• Satori Zen Club — Itauguá.
• Hacienda L&M — La Colmena. Themed cabins, tame animals and a large property. It's further away than everything else, but it's the only one with sets already built: if you want several different moods in a single session, this is the one.

At home, or in the studio

The two options almost nobody considers, and often the best ones.

• Your own country house, or a friend's. If you have one, start there. Nobody is more comfortable than in their own place, and comfort shows on your face. On top of that: no permissions, no closing times, nobody around.
• A studio session. For when the weather won't cooperate, when you want something clean and timeless, or when you'd rather have nothing in the frame but the two of you.

What does the location cost?

It depends on the place and it changes often: some cost nothing, others charge a fee per session, and the ones in Foz also mean paying to enter the national park.

We deliberately don't publish the figures here. An out-of-date rate written on a page is worse than no rate at all: you'd do your sums with a number that no longer exists and get the surprise on the day you go to book.

We'll find out for you. Tell us which place you like and we'll send you the current cost before you book anything.

What to ask beforehand

Four questions that prevent ninety per cent of the problems on the day:

1. Is there a fee for the session? Many hotels charge, and that's fair enough. Better to know in advance.
2. Do we need to book? And if so, how far ahead.
3. Are we allowed at that hour? Some places close exactly when the light gets good.
4. Is there somewhere to change? If you're doing two looks, this stops being a detail.

We handle all of this for you if you let us know in time.