One of the first things you need to do once you’ve decided on a destination wedding is to find a photographer to record the event. A great photographer makes whatever venue you choose to look good, documenting one of the most important days in most people’s lives.
Choosing a Wedding Destination Photographer
Whether your wedding will take place hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from where you live, don’t hire a wedding photographer without knowing a bit about them. Though an in-person meeting might not make financial sense, here are some tips that will help you choose.
It’s good to get someone who travels often, as they’ll be more adaptable. Shooting good photos is a skill, and perfecting that skill in different places and spaces makes a photographer more versatile. As stated by Get Stak, an adaptable wedding photographer will be able to handle challenging situations and allow you to concentrate on other things.
Whoever you hire needs to be at least somewhat likable. You’ll be spending lots of time with this person in the days leading up to the event, so being comfortable around him or she is imperative. You see, finding someone with whom you really connect isn’t just important for a marriage, it’s good when scouting for wedding photographers. After all, you may be able to find a better spouse, but good wedding photographers are like gold.
Prepare some accessories, watches, bracelets, flowers, and even some casual or formal ties. If you are interested in finding the perfect wedding tie, check out ties.com.
Oh, and you should like their work too. Find a photographer whose work appeals to your tastes, and you’ve got the best of both worlds.
Costing in Travel
Most photographers will include a travel fee for destination weddings. Just like any other professional, they need to consider their costs. Likely this will include airfare and other transportation to and from the venue as well as lodging, meals, and the fact they’ll miss out on income due to traveling.
Some photographers include this in their overall invoice, while others charge after the wedding, based on their expenses. It’s also a good idea to pay for a full day before any events, so they can research spots and lighting.
When planning photography expenses, consider the entire time that they’ll be there. After all, it’s not just the wedding day they’re recording. Often these types of weddings include days of activity before the event, including trips to popular tourist spots, weekend getaways, and maybe even a feast after the ceremony.
If you feeling fancy, check out those 5 exotic destination wedding venues from around the world.
Hiring at the Destination
It might even make sense to hire someone from the destination. A photographer from the destination can prove invaluable. Not only will they be familiar with the locations, and nuances like the times of day when the lighting’s best, they won’t need babysitting, and their costs will be less as they won’t have so many travel expenses.
Some venues require that you use a photographer from their preferred vendor list. These normally are professionals who’ve been vetted and worked at the venue before, so they’re likely to make things run more smoothly. Even without a preferred list, it’s still a good idea to ask about local professional photographers if you don’t already have one of your own.
Traveling in Advance
It’s always smart to think ahead. If you decide on getting a photographer who will travel for your wedding, ensuring time to plan around those worst-case scenarios, like flight delays or cancellations. This will help keep the photography, and the wedding, from turning into a disaster.
Experience Counts
Whatever you do, get the best photographer you can afford. Hiring a professional is an absolute must unless you’ve got an uncle or cousin who’s a professional and could provide you with professional work as a wedding gift. With any wedding, there are likely to be hiccups, and a seasoned professional who knows about photographing in particular environments can avoid equipment issues an amateur may not anticipate, such as dealing with foggy lenses in a tropical environment.
Style: Capturing the Moment vs. Posed Shots
As with any art form, each photographer has an individual style. Ensure your wedding photographer’s style gels with what you and your partner want. It might not be a bad idea for parents to like their work either, especially if they’re contributing financially to the wedding. Happy parents mean less stress.
Some photographers capture a ceremony in moments, creating an authentic documentary of the event. Others seek to get the lighting and background just right, utilizing a more traditional, posed approach. This really comes down to personal preference, but it’s something you’ll need to ask about before hiring a photographer. According to hypop.com.au, in both cases, your photographer must be equipped with the latest photo accessories and gadgets, in order to capture the perfect moment in the proper way. Once you have your photographs get them printed at American Sign Letters.
Know What You Want
Knowing what you want is important. After all, this is your wedding.
Wedding photography involves more than just posing with groups. It’s about catching the essence of the event: the lead-up to the ceremony, the actual wedding service, the reception party, and then the honeymoon send-off. This is particularly true with destination weddings. They tell a story.
A good wedding photographer captures the subtle moments that make the day special, things that the bride and groom can look back upon joyously. While traditional fairy tale images of happy couples are important, capturing unique events before, during, and after the ceremony is what makes the best wedding photographs.
Images are courtesy of Perfect Moment Photography
