Destination Wedding Photographer
Are you looking for a destination wedding photographer? Destination weddings, meaning weddings held in a vacation location away from your home country, have gained popularity in recent years.
Today, this alternative allows a couple to combine the best of an adventurous honeymoon with a more traditional ceremony and sometimes save money in the process.
Some of the destinations I’m available for include: Mexico, Florida, Florence, Mauritius, Rome, Venice, Ice hotel, Tuscany, Vienna, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Santorini, the Bahamas.
Some destination weddings involve just the eloping couple… others will include a few close friends and family… and still, others are full blowout affairs with multiple parties over a long wedding weekend.
So is a destination wedding right for you?
The Pros & Cons of Choosing a Destination Weddings:
· Pro: A Complete Wedding Package
Resorts and tourism organisations have seen the £££ signs behind this trend and so work hard to keep a destination wedding stress-free and more straightforward. As part of a package deal, many offer the complimentary services of their on-site wedding consultant, who will help you coordinate all of the ceremony essentials (marriage license, cake, efficiency, etc.) All you have to do is show up!
· Con: Planning a Wedding Long Distance and Legal Red Tape
For those not getting married at a resort, you’ll have to juggle all those details yourself long distance. If your destination wedding is in a foreign country, you might encounter complications when getting a marriage license. Consider hiring a coordinator who specialises in destination weddings to help you over these hurdles. And, check with those tourist boards, which may have literature available to help you find local florists and venues.
· Pro: Avoiding Stressful Family Situations
With a smaller invitation list, you can avoid feeling “forced” to invite the cousin you can’t stand or the in-law that everyone fights with. Just invite your very closest friends and family to the intimate ceremony and celebration, or keep it romantic and don’t invite anyone. You can always send them pictures!
· Con: Family Members and Friends You Love May Not Be There
Particularly for far-away locations, some guests may not attend due to the expense or the difficulty of getting time off work. Older guests may not be able to travel so far away from home. Talk to those who are truly essential before you book tickets and send invitations. On the plus side, you’ll have far more time to spend with the guests who come to a destination wedding than those who come to a more traditional wedding.
· Pro: You’ll Save Money By Not Having 200 People at a Reception
Spending a luxurious wedding weekend in a scenic location can often cost less than a seated dinner at a lovely place. Destination Wedding Etiquette calls for the bride and groom to pay for the hotel rooms, food, and most guests’ expenses. Guests pay for their airfare. If money is an issue, look to more local countries with a favourable exchange rate, and consider keeping the guest list small.
· Con: Some of your loved ones may not be able to afford to travel that far
Again, talk to those who are truly essential before you’ve made the final decision on your destination wedding location. Consider paying for some of your guests’ airfare, and look into group discounts through travel agents.
· Pro: By Combining Wedding and Honeymoon, You Can Afford to Go to that Dream Honeymoon Locale
Instead of spending your honeymoon at a Bed and Breakfast, you can have the trip of a lifetime in a glamorous location. Best of all, you’ll have an excuse to return there for future anniversaries.
· Con: With Your Family Around, and a Wedding to Worry About, Will You Get a Honeymoon?
Of course, you’ll be in a beautiful place, but will you have enough romantic alone time? To get around this, make sure you schedule it and insist on it. Arrive a few days before everyone else (you may need to do this anyway for marriage license requirements), or have a honeymoon nearby afterwards. If neither of these is possible, find exciting things your wedding party can do while you and your fiancé have time together.
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So, are you considering a destination wedding?
Well, if you are, congratulations. An appropriately planned destination wedding can be a fantastic and unique way to tie the knot, and what better way of capturing all those beautiful moments and surroundings than taking a professional photographer with you.
If you are looking for a photographer for your destination wedding, I’d love to hear from you. For full details about my wedding photography services, visit my home page. Alternatively, please get in touch with me directly on 07961 100 580.
To see one of the destination weddings I photographed, visit this blog Destination Wedding Photography Santorini Gem
