If you’re in the midst of planning a destination wedding you probably have already figured out that finding the right photographer can be a pain in the butt. It is always hard to book vendors in a location where you don’t actually live, as most want to meet face- to -face with you before your wedding day. The first step in tackling this necessary chore is to determine whether you are more interested in hiring an independent photographer or a photography studio.
An independent wedding videographer will likely have more freedom to meet your needs than one who has to answer to someone else. They usually work closely with their colleagues and can often give you more personalized services than you would get from a large photography studio. You will also generally be able to work out an agreement with an independent photographer that you may not be able to get otherwise, especially when it comes to shots and poses that are not standard in wedding photography.
In any case an independent photographer will likely ask you to pay their travel expenses in order to get to and from your wedding destination. If you really want to make sure you click with the photographer you are hiring (and this is always important) it may be worth it for you to travel to them or them to travel to you for a face-to-face meeting. Just be aware of the fact that independent photographers often charge a higher rate for their services than a large photography studio would. This is because they can set their own rate and that usually means they are in demand so you might have no luck negotiating for the lowest deal possible.
We all know that a destination wedding is expensive, so if you are trying to cut costs in other aspects of your planning you will likely be better off hiring a photography studio. Most offer a few choices of basic photography packages but do allow you to come up with a customized package that meets both your needs and your budget. However, most photography studios have a list of the poses they will photograph and you may be forced to stick with that list.
The larger the studio you work with is the less likely you will get any real one on one time with your photographer before your wedding day. This can cause problems if you end up with a photographer that makes you uncomfortable, produces poor results or annoys your guests.
If you have no choice but to hire a photography studio it is important to see examples of their work from each photographer on staff if possible. The last thing you want to do is end up with wedding pictures that don’t properly capture the beauty of your big day.
For more tips on finding the right photographer for a destination wedding or any other type of wedding check out BestforBride.com. The smartest brides believe in Best for Bride.
