As destination weddings become easier and cheaper, more and more couples are swapping their local venue for a more exotic location. If you are planning to get married far from home, destination wedding photography is something you should consider carefully.
Using local suppliers for most of your wedding needs is part of what makes a destination wedding special. However your wedding photos will be something you look at for the rest of your lives so you want to be sure you get it right. When you have a destination wedding you have two choices; you can either use the local photographer supplied by the venue, or you can take a photographer with you.
Here are some of the pros and cons of these two options:
Using a photographer supplied by your destination wedding venue
Many destination wedding packages include the service of a photographer and a wedding album
whether you want them or not. If you are paying for a photographer you may as well use them.
A local photographer will be familiar with the wedding venue and its surroundings, and will have some good ideas for interesting backdrops or photo locations. A local photographer will also be able to liaise more effectively with the other wedding suppliers to ensure your day runs smoothly.
The downside of using a local photographer is that you won’t have met them before, and you won’t necessarily feel comfortable with them right away. Unless you have viewed samples of their work you can’t be sure that their photographic style suits your tastes, and the methods and technologies they use may not be as modern as you could get at home.
If you are getting married abroad and something goes wrong with the photos, you will have more trouble getting it sorted with a local photographer, than with one you have employed in Australia. If you are having a destination wedding in Australia, for example in the Whitsundays, you can usually be more confident that a photographer supplied by the venue is a good choice.
Taking your own photographer to your destination wedding
Along with perhaps a hair stylist, a photographer is the most common supplier couples take with them for a destination wedding. You can ask any wedding photographer if they do far away weddings, but some actually specialise in destination wedding photography.
Because you hire your destination wedding photographer at home, you can take time to shop around and choose one whose style you love. You can also be fairly sure that you will get compensation if things go wrong with the photos, and that they will be using up to date photographic methods and technology.
If you take a photographer with you, you will have met them before the wedding and will be more comfortable having them around. You can also get a wider range of photos, perhaps some taken on the plane on the way and some taken of the guests chilling by the pool the day before the wedding.
Of course the major downside of taking your own photographer to your destination wedding is the cost. You will need to pay for their airfare and accommodation as well as for their services and the photos themselves.
