Top Tips for Hiring a Photographer for Your Destination Wedding

Top Tips for Hiring a Photographer for Your Destination Wedding

Finally selecting a venue for your destination wedding is incredibly exciting but there is still a lot to do, including finding a photographer for your big day.  Choosing a wedding photographer is not a decision that should be rushed, particularly when you’re hundreds or even thousands of miles away from home. While you don’t want to blindly hire someone,you may not have the luxury of meeting potential photographers face to face.  To help make things a little easier, here are some top tips for choosing a destination wedding photographer.

Check with your venue before you start searching. Many venues require you to use aphotographer from their preferred vendor list. Selecting a photographer from a venue’spreferred list can actually make things a little easier because they’ve been pre-vetted. Be sure to look through the portfolios of each photographer before you make a final decision though, asyou still want their photography style to be the right fit. If the venue doesn’t have a preferred vendor list, ask them for recommendations anyway.

Consider the added expenses. It’s important to remember that there are going to be some added expenses when you’re hiring a photographer for a destination wedding. Along with thecost of their package, there is a chance that you will need to pay for flights, transportation and accommodation costs, depending on where they live. If the photographer already lives in the area, this is not something you will need to be concerned about. It may also be a good idea to start getting some quotes on destination wedding photographers before you finalize your budget.

Ensure they have the relevant experience. Most wedding photographers will jump at the chance to shoot at an exotic location but do they have the necessary experience? For example, if your photographer has never shot an island wedding before, they may not know aboutpotential issues they might run into with their gear, which is why it’s always better if you canchoose a photographer who has the necessary experience in that climate.

Consider the timing differences. You may think that you can simply hire a destination weddingphotographer for the same amount of time you would a local photographer but this isn’t alwaysthe case. There is usually more to a destination wedding than regular weddings, which means you may need a photographer for an entire weekend instead of just one day.

Once you have found a destination wedding photographer, find out whether they can arrive a day early to ensure they have time to scout out the venue. Having them arrive earlier will also provide you with some added peace of mind should there be any issues such as flight delays.