Now that you’ve selected a venue for your destination wedding, the next item on your to-do list will likely be hiring a wedding photographer. Choosing someone you trust to capture the most important day of your life is no small task and can be especially difficult when you live hundreds or even thousands of miles away from your chosen location. Ultimately, it would be great to be able to hop on a plane and meet with prospective photographers, but you also may not have the luxury of arranging these in-person meetings. For couples in need of a little guidance, I’ve outlined a few tips for how to book a photographer from afar.
Check with your wedding venue
Some venues might require you to use a photographer from their preferred vendor list. These are experts they’ve worked with before and trust to deliver great results. Even if your venue doesn’t have a list of required vendors, you may still want to ask the property manager if they can recommend anyone. They just might know of all the local pros worth hiring.
Think about expenses
There is often a greater expense associated with destination weddings due to transportation and hospitality arrangements. Using a trusted local photographer will drastically reduce expenses. If choosing a close-to-home photographer, make certain that your quote accounts for all the expenses that your photographer will be charging for. If you need to stick to a firm budget, I suggest sticking with a local photographer who’s photography style melds with your needs.
Hire someone with experience
There are certain moments in life that you can’t do over and your wedding is one of them. It is essential to hire a wedding photographer with real-world experience. Many people will likely jump at the chance to shoot a wedding in a beautiful location, but a novice photographer might not be familiar with the ins and outs of shooting in a different environment. The last thing you need to worry about is whether your photographer has the proper equipment for your chosen location.
It’s all about style
It is essential that you find a photographer whose sense of composition and shooting style complement your wants. With modern technology, you’re in luck! Since you obviously have a connection to the internet, you can visit a photographer’s website and view photo galleries of weddings that they have previously shot. Don’t just look for how the color in photos has been processed. Take a good, hard look at the shots. Are these a group of candid shots documenting their wedding day, or maybe shots of couples and the wedding party posed in a more traditional way. This is all about personal preference and your choice here will likely help you land the best wedding photographer for you.
Think about how long you will need them
A destination wedding often consists of not only the ceremony and reception but because of the travel time involved entire days or even weekends can be filled up with pre- and post-wedding events. Consider hiring a photographer for even longer if you want to capture the whole story of your celebration.
Advanced travel needs
Any wedding planner will tell you that thinking ahead should be at the top of your list. Check to see if your photographer will be available to travel a day or two ahead of the nuptials. This will allow for ample time for the photographer to scout locations for the shots. Not only will your photographer be more prepared to deliver great photography but they will be in the location itself. Plane flights are often missed, delayed, and sometimes canceled. Knowing that your photographer is already onsite will save you from a mountain of stress caused by a canceled flight.
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