Hiring a destination wedding photographer: What are your options?

Picking a photographer for your destination wedding can be tough, but there are lots of options that many don’t consider.

Hiring a local photographer

It’s a fairly common option to hire someone who works as a photographer in the city where you’ll be getting married. This is convenient since they’ll be there waiting for you, but it can be tough to get to know them before the wedding if you’re planning from a distance.

wedding photographs

If you go with this option, make sure you’re working off a recommendation, either from your wedding planner or someone else whose opinion you trust, and make sure you’ve spoken with them about your specific needs and seen some of their sample work.

Bringing someone with you from home

This is a great option for people planning a destination wedding, especially if you’re the kind of couple who wants an engagement session or other photography services that aren’t all happening while you’re in your destination.

This option usually means you’ll have to pay for travel and accommodation for your photographer, but this isn’t always as expensive as it sounds. Depending on the market they work in, photographers from home can be way less expensive as far as base costs, which can mean that even with their travel fees, they can be competitive with local photographers.

Bringing someone in from another location

Picking a photographer based on their style and personality is really the best way to go, instead of convenience and location. Of course, this can mean paying a little more, but that’s not always the case. Many wedding photographers are open to traveling and can provide a custom quote for their full services at your destination location, which will include travel and perhaps some extra incentives if they’re trying to break into the destination wedding market.

Remember that if you select a photographer from a less expensive market than your destination, it can be less expensive to book them, even after factoring in travel expenses.

In the end, your wedding photographs will last a lifetime, so picking someone you trust and get along with is important. Instead of assuming that travel fees will be exorbitant, remember to take into account all the factors (like base prices, incentives and deals) and weigh your options to find the wedding photographer that will immortalize your wedding in a style you adore.