Especially in poor economic times, Destination Weddings become that much more enticing. But it’s advisable to make yourself aware of potential pitfalls.
The Benefits
- Overall, it is cheaper. Usually, handle their own flight and hotel bills, which also gives them a chance for a welcome vacation, especially during the chilly season.
- You’re getting married in a magical locale with magnificent landscapes that make the wedding photography that much more unforgettable.
- There is an enchanting quality to sealing the deal in a far off land that’s relaxing and lush. It will be unlike all the nuptials you go to back home.
- The hotel generally handles all the particulars including setting you up with a local wedding photographer (more on this ahead).
- By having your wedding far afield in all probability only those folks you actually want to be there will show up because of the time and monetary obligations. This is the route to go to circumvent a potentially touchy guest list for a home affair.
Potential Drawbacks
- You may in fact make it tough or unfeasible for some of the important people in your life to participate because of limitations in their situations, which you may be oblivious to (ie) financial, having young children, inability to take a vacation because of work, etc. Ironically, you may then have a hard time understanding why a person who is dear to you won’t come – though they may well be justified.
- Did you have a chance to visit the resort before the big day? If not, you may show up right before the allotted day and see things not to your liking. Fortunately, big problems rarely crop up. Still, it’s essential to have clear communication with the Event Planner to mitigate any problems that may arise.
- Often, destination weddings take place in the winter season. In planning the wedding remember that if your wedding is during the late autumn, winter or early spring, retreating light will be a factor after about 5pm. Therefore, if the ceremony is 3:30 or later you’ll have trouble getting in all the pictures (family, wedding party, couple). The sun will vanish and quite suddenly it will be dark. The heavenly background will barely be visible and it’ll be like photographing a wedding in Baltimore – which kind of defeats one of the main purposes of holding a destination wedding (ie) the glorious scenery and the accompanying photos. Remember, all you have left afterwards is your wedding photography.
- If you choose a local photographer, firstly, most are not well-trained. Secondly, not only are you are usually not paying less, you might also end up paying more than if you brought in your own photographer. Thirdly, once it’s all said and done, if you have any issues with the pictures you are a few thousand miles away. What if they don’t answer your calls? What if you don’t receive your photos? That is a dreadful scenario. On the other hand, you can hire a photographer from your home town who does destination weddings. In this case you actually meet your photographer way ahead of time . In short, you create a connection with the person who is going to be capturing your special day. Most importantly, God forbid there are any issues, they are easy to track down and you have many more options at your disposal.
- Now, there is something you must keep in mind if you decide to work with a destination wedding photography company from your own neck of the woods. Foreign photographers require permits to “formally” work in most destination locales. For the Bahamas, the permit costs $300. Of course, your photographer can journey incognito and say they are one of your friends or family. This can be risky. What if they don’t believe you, especially once they’ve rifled through your luggage and perused all your equipment? You might be risking not being able to photograph the wedding – which would be disastrous. If your photographer is going to fly under the radar they should bring as little gear as possible to avoid unwelcome attention. Or, it might be best to go the safe route and get the permit.
Consider having a destination wedding. Invariably, it is a delightful experience. Just be aware of the aforementioned issues that may put a damper on the proceedings.