Destination Wedding Photography: Things To Keep In Mind

By co-admin | In: Photography | No Comments

14 June 2010

You are here: Home / Photography / Destination Wedding Photography: Things To Keep In Mind

Especially in challenging economic times, Destination Weddings become that much more alluring. There are many benefits to having a destination wedding, but it’s good to know what you are dealing with.

The Benefits

- Overall, it is easier on the wallet. Usually, your guests pay their own way, which also affords them the opportunity for a nice vacation, especially during the winter.

- You’re getting hitched in a magical locale with magnificent panoramas that make the wedding photography that much more memorable.

- There is a fairytale quality to getting married in a far off place that’s relaxing and lush. It certainly won’t be like the typical weddings back in the city.

- The hotel generally handles all the details including setting you up with a local wedding photographer (more on this later).

- By having your wedding far away likely only those folks you actually want to come will show up because of the scheduling and financial obligations. This is a good way to dodge a potentially touchy guest list at a home wedding.

Potential Issues

- It could be difficult for a few much loved people to attend due to valid bona fide] problems (ie) financial, having babies, inability to take a vacation because of work, etc. Ironically, you may end up having a hard time fathoming why a loved one can’t come – though they may well be justified.

- Did you get to visit the resort before the big day? If not, you may show up right before the allotted show and see things not to your liking. Fortunately, big problems hardly ever happen. Regardless, it’s critical to have clear communication with the Event Organizer to mitigate any problems that may arise.

- Often, destination weddings occur in the winter season. In planning the wedding remember that if your wedding is in the late fall, winter or early spring, disappearing light will be an issue after about 5 o’clock. Therefore, if the ceremony is 3:30 or later the post-ceremony photos may be at risk. The sun will drop like a stone and quite suddenly it will be dark. The beautiful background will barely be visible and you might as well be taking pictures in Chicago – which kind of defeats one of the main reasons you’re having a destination wedding (ie) the glorious background and the accompanying images. Remember, all you have left afterwards is your wedding photography.

- If you choose to go with the local photographer, firstly, you will most likely be let down with the results. Secondly, not only are you are usually not paying less, sometimes you’re outlaying more than if you brought in your own photographer. Thirdly, once it’s all said and done, if you have any issues with the pictures you might be out of luck. What if they are not calling you back? What if you don’t receive your photos? That is a scary situation. On the flip side, you can hire a photographer from your own city who does destination weddings. In this case you actually meet your photographer way ahead of time . In short, you make a connection with the person who is going to be capturing your wedding. Most siginicantly, God forbid there are any issues, they are easy to track down and you have some recourse.

- Now, there is something you must keep in mind if you decide to work with a destination wedding photography company from your own town. Foreign photographers need permits to “officially” ply their trade in most destination spots. For the Bahamas, the permit costs $300. Now, your photographer can journey incognito and say they are one of your guests. This can be risky. What if they don’t believe you, especially after they’ve gone through your luggage and perused all your equipment? They may not let you photograph the wedding – which would be disastrous. If your photographer is going to fly under the radar they should bring as little gear as possible to avoid unwelcome scrutiny. Or, it might be best to go the safe route and get the permit.

Consider having a destination wedding. It can be and almost always is a delightful experience. Just be aware of the aforementioned issues that may put a damper on the proceedings.