Finding Your Destination Wedding PhotographerJust because someone can click a button on a camera does not make them a destination wedding photographer. So, how do you find a good one? Below are some tips to help you with this part of your destination wedding planning.
Do Your ResearchA destination wedding usually means that you are doing most of the planning from a distant location. You will be relying on a wedding planner or event coordinator of the resort that will be hosting your event. Isn’t that part of the reason you are having a destination wedding? To keep it simple and stress free? Yes, but, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be involved and knowledgeable of the vendors the resort will be using.Most often, resorts will have staff photographers or local artists that they will recommend. Do your research. When your planner recommends a destination wedding photographer, ask for a website to view their work. While you are surfing the net, if you find a destination wedding photographer that you like, don't be afraid to ask the resort for them by name, even if they are not on the resorts vendor list. If he or she is available for your big day, the resorts will usually do their very best to accommodate. When the photographer that our resort partnered with was not available for our wedding day, she recommended Julia. She told us that she had worked with her before, and gave us her email and a link to some of her photos. We loved her work the moment we saw her portfolio. You can see her updated site here. So, instead of going with the resorts second choice, we asked if they could book Julia Renfro. They did. Our wedding pictures were incredible! You can see some of them in the slide show above, and I use many of them throughout this site. Julia went out of her way to make sure we had our pictures before we left Aruba. She does wonderful work and her fun-loving personality brought the best genuine smiles out of all our guests. We couldn't have asked for a better photographer!! We would highly recommend her to anyone. Please use the form to the below if you would like to contact Julia directly to schedule a photo shoot for your wedding, anniversary, proposal or other special event. She would be happy to answer any wedding photography questions you may have. Ask For ReferencesWhen you have your list of photographers narrowed down to your favorites, ask for references. Sometimes, photographers will give you the names of some of their satisfied customers. Follow up with them...Ask the other couples about their experience.There is some great info to be had in the internet discussion forums. Check out some of the chat boards. Search for discussions on destination wedding photographers, or be even more specific and narrow your search down to the island, area, or city where you are planning your wedding. You can find honest reviews on photographers, as well as other wedding vendors at the Aruba Community Forum. What Is In The Package?Ask what the wedding photography “package” includes. You may want to upgrade to more photos, and/or have all photos put on a CD.Our "package" contained 1 hour, plus 36 prints in an album and a CD. The one hour covered pictures of the ceremony, and photos on the beach. But, what about the cocktail hour, dinner reception and dancing until midnight? We were able to increase the package to include much of the night's festivities. So don't be afraid to ask. Photograph Style and Subject Matter KnowlegeWhen choosing a destination wedding photographer, consider both the photographer's portfolio and personality.One thing that I had to keep in mind while choosing a destination wedding photographer was that our ceremony would be taking place at sunset. I needed to be sure that whoever I decided on could capture portraits in low-light or back-light with out losing the beauty of the sunset behind us. I also knew that I wanted someone who could capture the spontaneity of the moment, and not be fussing over props, and poses in the hopes of winning the next Pulitzer. (Of course, we had to have the traditional poses with family and friends, but, I also wanted our guests to enjoy themselves.) Julia did just that! Her work is outstanding! She captured the light and colors of Aruba, and all the emotions of our wedding celebration from seating the guests, to the last dance. BYOP (Bring Your Own Photographer)While there is obvious available talent on Aruba, some OTHER destinations DO NOT have much to choose from, so, some couples choose to hire a destination wedding photographer to fly to their destination wedding.The cost involved for this option can be pricey since you are expected to pay for his or her flight, and equipment insurance, and hotel accommodations in the same hotel as you and your guests for a minimum of 2, preferably 3-4 nights. He or she should arrive a day early and leave two days after. (This is to be prepared for any airline delays before the wedding, and give your photographer time afterwords to back up any digital copies of your wedding photos onto CDs. Digital devices and film can be damaged with airport scanners, so having a back up is very important!) Other Things To Think AboutYou might also consider hiring you photographer to do a few mini-shoots, as well, such as the rehearsal dinner or a guest brunch the day after the wedding or maybe even a few romantic shots of the two of you at historic sites on your honeymoon.We did not think about that ahead of time, and realized when we got back home, we had beautiful photos of the wedding, but none of the rehearsal dinner. (Apparently, I don't know how to take photos in the dark because none of them came out!) And although we had tons of gorgeous photos of the island, we did not have very many of the two of us on our honeymoon together. Had we thought of this beforehand, we would have hired Julia for a few extra shoots. The advantages of hiring a photographer who spends most of her time in Aruba is that she knows all the best places on the island to do a romantic photo shoot. Destination weddings are incredibly exciting, which is all the more reason choosing the right destination wedding photographer should be a priority that stands above all else. After all, you will want to remember this amazing experience with the utmost clarity for years to come. Top of Destination Wedding Photographer Page Back to Destination Weddings Info Page New! CommentsPut your 2� in about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
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