When planning a destination wedding, there are many questions you might have. From an Italian getaway in Tuscany to a mountainside celebration in the PNW, destination weddings allow you to say I do in a truly meaningful location. There are so many moving parts involved in a destination wedding, and things can get complicated so easily. Hiring your photographer shouldn’t be one of them. We have learned a lot in our experience photographing weddings in so many beautiful places. So today I am sharing why you should hire a destination wedding photographer.

Personality

One of the most important factors a couple should consider when hiring their wedding photographer, is personality. This is true for both local weddings and destination weddings. Finding a photographer who you feel comfortable and relaxed around will make all the difference on your wedding day. After all, your photographer will be with you the entire day. More than anyone else – even your soon to be spouse! Consider what qualities you’d want surrounding you on your wedding day. Make note of these things when you meet with photographers. If your venue provides a photographer have them confirm that you will be able to have a meeting with them over video chat or a phone call before booking. This will help to ensure that your personalities mesh. If they don’t, bringing in your own photographer will likely be the route for you.

Trust

Finding a photographer who you love is imperative, but also hiring a photographer you trust is just as important! Perhaps the style of photography you love is not available in the area where you will be getting married. Zach and I experienced this ourselves when hiring a photographer for our 10th anniversary trip. On the island we visited, there just weren’t very many options. So we settled for a photographer who was as close as we could get to our vision. Sadly, the images were not usable. We had saved for awhile to invest in that trip and wanted professional photos to remember it by. So it was a difficult experience for us.

Taking a gamble on a photographer you don’t know is a risk. Ask your photographer for several full sample galleries. If you don’t see what you are looking for, hiring a destination wedding photographer is probably the option for you!

Photography Style

This part seems easy, but there is more to it that you might realize when it comes to destination weddings. There are so many incredible photographers across the globe, but not all of them offer the same type of services. The wedding photos we are used to seeing in the United States isn’t always available in other countries. For example, some resorts offer an “in house” photographer but often times these photographers are working with very limited hours. The images are very simple in order to get them in and out the door quickly so that they can head to the next event. As a result, most often they will not be able to capture the editorial and story telling style of modern wedding photography.

If your heart is set on a certain style of photographer, don’t be afraid to ask for full sample galleries. This helps to ensure that you will be working with a photographer who is well versed in the style you love. If this is not an option where you will be getting married, hiring a wedding photographer from the United States for your destination wedding might be the best choice for your situation.

Communication and Organization

When it comes to planning a destination wedding, there are a lot of moving parts. Having a vendor team who is highly organized is critical. This includes your wedding photographer. Pay attention to their communication with you. Are they professional and easy to communicate with? Or are their responses slow and lacking clarity? This will give you good insight into what working with them will be like. Don’t be afraid to ask them about their process and how they stay organized. You want all of the details of your day captured, and a good photographer will have a solid game plan for that.

Personalization

Finally, my last tip to help you decide if you should hire a destination wedding photographer is this: personalization. Is this important to you when hiring a destination wedding photographer? Let me explain what I mean.

When we serve any of our destination wedding couples it is so important that we get to know their vision ahead of time. This might be in person during an engagement session. But it could also be through emails or a video chat. We research your venue or location and create a session plan. We work with the planner to create a timeline that allows for all your dream images to come to life. Our bags are packed with styling details in the correct colors and plenty of back up gear.

We arrive days in advance so that we can see the venue for ourselves before the big day. This also allows us to photograph other special events such as your welcome dinner and get to know the important people in your life. We get to know the area, stopping to take beautiful images to add to your gallery. Because we know how special this location is to you and your love story. We know what is important to you before our plane ever takes off so that we can serve you to the best of our ability. We are immersed in this experience with you so that we can capture your greatest adventure in the most authentic way possible. It’s important to us to keep things fun and laid back so that you feel like you have two additional friends by your side as you marry the love of your life.

Why You Should Hire a Destination Wedding Photographer

Having a photographer who not only has your ideal style, but knows you and cares about you is the secret to incredible wedding images, no matter the location. A photographer who views you as “session number 5 today” will likely not be able to capture the same emotions or tell your story fully. A destination wedding is an adventure of a lifetime, and it deserves to be photographed as such. If you are looking to hire a destination wedding photographer, please click here to see if we our available for your date!