Today’s article may come as a bit of a surprise to some seeing as how much I adore my weddings here in Chicago. The fact is though that I absolutely LOVE photographing destination weddings! Why should you hire a destination wedding photographer though rather than someone local to the area in the first place you might be asking? Maybe you’re wondering what my destination packages include, or how to book me for your own destination wedding. Lucky for you this article is here to answer all those questions and more, so let’s get into it!

Why Hire a Destination Wedding Photographer?

So why should you hire a destination wedding photographer? Wouldn’t it be easier to hire someone that’s already in the area you plan on having your wedding? While it may be simpler to book a photographer in the area, the main differences come down to the experience you’ll have and the photos you’ll receive. Each photographer has a different feel to their work. This includes the photos they take, their style of editing, and the experience they provide as a whole. Considering these factors, it can be much simpler finding a photographer that fits your vision who’s willing to travel rather than settling for one that is local to the area of your wedding. 

Why Hire Me as Your Destination Wedding Photographer?

So why should you choose me as your destination wedding photographer? I’m glad you asked as there’s a few reasons! First is my photography and editing style. I prioritize capturing your wedding day in a way that feels authentic to you. That way no matter when you look back at your wedding photos, whether it’s 5 or 50 years after your wedding day, they take you right back to the moment and ALL of those feelings you had on your wedding day come rushing back.

The next reason is the experience I provide my clients. From day ONE after you book your wedding with me I am there for YOU. You and your wedding day are my priority, which means I’ll be helping you every step of the way. From the moment you book with me I’m there helping you plan your day, getting every detail nailed down so that when your wedding day arrives you’re ready. For a deeper dive into my client experience check out this blog!

Lastly is my love of travel, which is key for a destination wedding photographer! I have a well worn passport, and the invaluable ability to pack 10 days worth of clothing into a single carryon bag. This expertise doesn’t just make things easier on my end though, as I’m able to use this passion to help your travel experience as well! I can help you with a packing list of must haves, work through what you need to bring with versus what you can get once on location, and more!

What’s Included in My Destination Wedding Package?

You might have seen my destination wedding package on my investments page, but let’s go over the items in more detail! One important note is that while this is my standard destination wedding package I am always willing to work with my couples to create a wedding package that best fits their vision.

8 Hours of Coverage

As your destination wedding photographer, my standard package includes 8 hours of wedding day coverage. This coverage usually amounts to you receiving a minimum of 800 high quality photos from your day through a digital gallery. This gallery allows you to download your photos as well as purchase high quality prints directly from it. When you inquire with me we’ll go over the plans for your wedding day and from there we can decide if 8 hours of coverage is enough, or if we’ll need to adjust your package for more coverage of the day!

Custom Timeline

Creating a timeline for your wedding day is stressful enough as it is, adding in that it’s a destination wedding only makes things more difficult. That’s where my knowledge as a wedding professional comes into play! Being a photographer for both local and destination weddings for years now I’ve come across basically all types of wedding day timelines. I know what works, what’s possible, and what needs to be done to make the moments you want to happen on your wedding day actually happen. This is a huge help not only for your wedding day, but also for your sanity leading up to the day itself!

Vendor Assistance

Planning a destination wedding can be challenging for a number of reasons, and one of those is finding the vendor team that will make your vision a reality. With my experience in the wedding industry I know what to look for when searching for wedding vendors. Even in a location where I have yet to work with the vendors of the area, I’ll be able to help guide you in choosing which vendors to book for your day. We’ll talk about what you want your wedding day to look like, what you want the experience to be for you and your guests, and from there I’ll be able to point you in the right direction of a few vendors in each profession that can help to achieve that vision!

Planner Collaboration

Your wedding planner is oftentimes a life saver for a destination wedding if you choose to hire one. This is because they take a lot of the stressful decisions and organization of the day off of your plate. This is why having a collaborative and cooperative relationship between your photographer and your wedding planner is SO important! If you think about it, we’re really the two vendors that are there for ALL of your wedding day and it’s planning, not just a set portion of the day. I pride myself in making my couples wedding day and planning process as simple and stress free as possible, and part of that is working closely with your wedding planner!

Location Scouting

Another part of my expertise as a destination wedding photographer comes from my thoroughness when it comes to location scouting. When clients book with me for a destination wedding they often have their venue booked, or are in the process of booking it. Outside of that though they know very little of the surrounding area. This is more important than you may think though, as you’re going to want some portraits taken somewhere aside from your wedding venue! While I always encourage my couples to choose a wedding venue that’s beautiful in its own right, you’re going to want some photos aside from those at your venue to give your gallery some variety, and to take advantage of the fact that you’re having an awesome destination wedding!

As your photographer I’ll be able to do research and location scouting ahead of time so that come your wedding day we’ll have options lined up for you to take portraits that showcase your love at your destination of choice!

How Do You Book Me for Your Destination Wedding?

Ready to book me as your destination wedding photographer? Head over to this link to send me an inquiry today so I can reserve your wedding date and help you get to planning! It’s important to note that when filling out your inquiry to give me as many details as possible about your destination wedding that you can. Where and when you plan to have your wedding, whether you have a venue booked or not, how many guests will be attending, etc. That way when we hop on a call together to go over the details more in depth I’ll already have a rough outline in my mind of the day and we can iron out more of the in depth planning!

By now you should have a clear picture on what the experience I provide to my destination wedding clients as their photographer, why a destination photographer is a good idea for a wedding, and how to book me as your photographer! If you’d like to check out some of my work as a destination wedding photographer check out Andrea and Max’s elopement at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego. I also have a bucket list of locations I’d love to photograph for a destination wedding. Who knows, maybe one of them is on your list of potential wedding locations too!