There are many wedding venues throughout America and as you select one in your area it is very simple to select a wedding photographer that is nearby and has a lot of experience shooting at those venues. But what do you do if you plan on having a Destination Wedding? One where you go off to a location away from your surroundings? How do you select a wedding photographer to capture your wedding when you have no sense of how they operate in an area you aren’t familiar with?
Of course, if you have a wedding photographer in your area that you are comfortable with, you could always pay to have them accompany you to your destination, but that can get quite costly. Travel, hotel, food… it adds up. Therefore, choosing the right photographer is crucial to preserving your memories.
Here are essential tips for choosing your Destination Wedding Photographer.
Photo by: Three16 Photography
Researching Potential Photographers and Where to Start
Starting your search for the Destination Wedding Photographer can be daunting task, but if you approach it correctly, it can also be a fun experience.
Obviously, one of the best places to start your research is on the internet. Wedding directories, such as WeddingWire and The Knot, often feature portfolios of various photographers, allowing you to browse through their work and get a sense of their style and expertise. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest can also be valuable resources, as many photographers showcase their latest photoshoots. And of course, their own websites.
In addition to online research, consider seeking recommendations from your friends, family, or other couples you know who recently got married. As they say, word-of-mouth is still the best way to get referrals. After all, a personal referral can provide information about a photographer about their professionalism, reliability, and overall quality of work from someone you trust. And of course, this is more important when looking to having your wedding at the destination location.
One other thought is that if the venue you are planning to get married at has a list of preferred vendors. That means these photographers that have shot there and the venues and/or coordinators have developed a good working relationship.
Review Their Destination Wedding Experience
To begin with, ask how many destination weddings they have photographed and where those locations were. After all, destination weddings come with their own unique challenges, such as adapting to the lighting, venues they are unfamiliar with, all the travel logistics, and if they can meet tight timelines. A wedding photographer that has destination wedding experience will know how to make the adjustments needed without missing a beat and still deliver amazing photographs.
In addition, ask them where the destination weddings they’ve shot were and if they have photos to share. In our case, we have shot weddings and/or engagements in Horning’s Hideout in North Plains, Oregon, San Francisco and in Arizona.
Review Their Wedding Galleries
You can always look over their social media posts for various photos, but you will get a better idea if you spend time on their website. Each photographer will set up their website a little different from the next photographer, but you can look for venues, services, portfolios or even their blogs to review their work. If you don’t find any shots that are “destination” driven on their website, ask the photographer to send you a couple of samples of their destination wedding photoshoots.
Ask Yourself if Your Vision Matches Their Style
Let’s be real, photography styles will vary. Not only from one photographer to the next, but a quality photographer’s style will change over time as well. When reviewing their portfolio, ask for more recent samples because you might be looking at older shots that they just don’t do anymore or have grown in their craft. Check for artistic styles, are the shots bright or dark, storytelling, or more documentary where the emotions are not quite there. Choose a photographer whose editing and shooting style genuinely resonates with you.
Photo by: Three16 Photography
Ask Them About Their Backup Plans
Things happen. It’s a part of life. However, no one wants or needs problems, especially from their wedding photographer on the day of the wedding. If they are local to the destination, ask them what their back-up plans are in the event something arises. If you’re bringing in a photographer, ask them about their plans to get there prior to the wedding. After all, flights get delayed, gear can fail, weather changes. What exactly is their back-up plan if those events were to occur. As we know, professionals always have contingency plans.
Photo by: Three16 Photography
Importance of Client Testimonials and Reviews
Client testimonials and reviews play a crucial role in the decision-making process when choosing a destination wedding photographer. Be sure to look over their reviews. You can often find them on their website but be aware that they may have only included the good reviews. Be sure to look via Google and Yelp to get an even better idea. Look at good reviews but be sure to read the not-so-good reviews too. However, when reading the bad reviews, be aware that there could be a client that wasn’t happy with one aspect, where no one else had that same issue. We suggest looking for patterns of the same negative issue. If ten reviews are negative due to poor lighting on their final product, that would be a concern and a red flag. If it is only one person that has that issue, it could be the photographer, it could be the elements that day or it is simply the person wanting something to complain about.
Patterns in reviews are really important. That could also be said for the positive reviews.
Photo by: Three16 Photography
Conclusion
Because your destination wedding photographer captures your most important day for you to cherish for a lifetime, it’s important that you take your time and research properly. Meet with them and get a “feel” for them. If you feel it’s right, then hire them. But if you are not truly feeling it for whatever reason, move on to someone else and don’t settle.
Your destination wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and choosing the right photographer is an essential step in making it truly unforgettable.
If you’re interested in a Destination Wedding Photographer, or even a Local one, reach out to us and let’s have a conversation. You can contact us at Three16 Photography.
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About the Author:
Jerrick O’Connor is the owner of Three16 Photography and has 15 years of experience in the world of photography. He specializes in Weddings, Engagements, Family and Corporate photography and loves connecting small business owners with other small business owners in hopes they can benefit each other’s production. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife Josie, playing board games or just spending time with his many friends.
