Let’s be real, there are SO many beautiful locations throughout the world, and as a destination wedding photographer, I really do want to see them all.  Over the years and through my travels I have begun to gather so many ideas for sessions and an awesome list of places I would LOVE to document my couples. With the list constantly growing I figured it would be a good idea to get my bucket list out there as well as go over exactly how this works and what it’s like to work with a destination photographer. Let’s get into it!

How to Book a Destination Photographer

Inquire

When booking me as your destination photographer, there are a couple of things that will happen when you book.  One, whether you’re booking a session or a wedding I will need at LEAST a rough date or time of year.  It certainly does not have to be a solid finalized date if you’re eloping or planning a couples session, but I’ll need a rough idea of when you plan to have your session to make sure that I have availability. If you are planning a wedding and already have a date set, you’ll want to include the date in your inquiry so I can get it on the books.

Though you do not need a full vision, it is always helpful to have a couple of ideas in mind when it comes to where you want to have your photos!  Are you more of an adventurous mountain-loving couple, or do you want to spend our time together walking the beaches of Hawaii? Send any ideas you have my way in your inquiry so that I can start planning and help with any additional planning you may need.

Inquire for My Destination Wedding Services Here!

Collection Creation and Consult Call

After you send over your rough dates and location ideas, I will put together a couple of base collections for us to go over on our consultation call.  Though yes, our call is technically a consult call, after we go over all the sort of contractual details I love to use the rest of our call as a time to get to know you and brainstorm everything you want out of your session. Getting to better know you, hearing what you’re envisioning, and helping plan out some ideas for your session is such a fun part of being a destination photographer. I love the planning and the anticipation of a session almost as much as the session itself!

Secure Your Date

After we finalize a date and make a rough plan for where you want to go we’ll sign on the dotted line, you’ll pay your retainer and then we will be ready for the fun stuff!  Things like outfits, location scouting, and rentals, it will all be a team effort. I’m here as your photographer and also as a resource for all the details that go into planning a destination session. If you have a very clear picture in mind of what you want that is totally fine as well, but I’m always here to help if needed.

On the topic of travel for your destination session, there are SO many gorgeous places I have on my bucket list of places to go. We’d be here all day if I went through every spot I wanted to have a session at, so here are some of my favorite destinations that I’d love to go to as a photographer.

Bucket List Locations

Upper Peninsula in Michigan

Places like Pictured Rocks National Park, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, give you the coolest views of Lake Michigan and low key make you feel like you’re in some crazy far away land outside of Michigan. The landscape of the upper peninsula is seriously breathtaking and combined with the vast open waters of Lake Superior there are SO many amazing locations for destination photography sessions.

Grand Tetons, Glacier NP

Honestly have always loved the idea of heading to Glacier and the Grand Tetons as a destination photographer. The snow-capped mountains combined with dense forests and scattered lakes seriously look out of this world. Pretty much anywhere in the area would make for an incredible location for a session.

Salt Flats in Utah

3,000 acres of white desert with a gorgeous mountain view?  YES PLEASE! The salt flats in Utah are truly one of the most breathtaking locations in the continental US and would make for an epic elopement or destination session location. 

Alaska

Literally the entire state! Just kidding, but really anywhere cool you want to go in Alaska for your elopement or session I am totally down to travel to as a destination photographer.  Here are a few more specific spots I would be over the moon to visit for my couples, Haines State Forest, Grewingk Glacier Lake, and Gorge Creek. There are so many amazing locations to choose from in Alaska that are perfect for an elopement or engagement photos.

International

And if you’re looking to leave the country, that is a whole different ball game! We live in a huge beautiful world with tons of amazing locations all around the globe. With so many places to see around the world it would be impossible to list everywhere I’d like to go but my top three locations would have to be Italy, Greece, and Iceland. If you have somewhere international that you’re looking to travel to for your elopement chances are I’m down to go with you as well! Head over to my contact page and let’s plan out your dream destination session.

Being a destination photographer has truly been a dream come true. Traveling to these amazing destinations and capturing the love that my clients share for one another have been some of the best experiences of my life and I can’t see myself doing anything else. For anyone on the fence about having a destination session or elopement I STRONGLY recommend that you consider it. There’s so much excitement that comes along with an elopement or even a couples session, adding the adventure of a new place adds to that even more!