Destination wedding photographer
Having been able to be with couples for their most special day over the years of being a wedding photographer has been so magical- and another level of magic is being their destination wedding photographer. Getting to travel, see the culture of the location they have chosen, work with amazing golden hour and always the challenges of the heat!
For this blog I wanted to talk over some of the main posit from a destination wedding photographers point of view that are important to consider.
Ceremony time:
Often when getting married about there is a much great chance of a sunny day compared to the UK! Like… MUCH! There are still risks of the odd shower or potential thunder storm so it is always best to still look at a back up plan if you are looking at a French outdoor ceremony or a Tuscan outdoor wedding breakfast to have options at your chosen venues for sections that might be under cover.
But one of the main points with destination weddings is with the heat. So it is worth deciding the best ceremony time. Often in the UK we would have ceremony times between 12-2pm as the most commonly chosen ‘sweet spot’ in terms of timings. However if your getting married in peak season abroad- then the temperatures are really rising! So often planners and venues advise on a later ceremony to allow you both as a couple and your guests not to melt and enjoy the ceremony.
HOWEVER it is a fine line… try not to have your ceremony too close to sunset as it will not leave you long for any group and couple photographs. As it is lovely to be able to have a ceremony where it is a little cooler rather than sweating down the isle! But with enough time to not rush through your photographs and have enough time to potentially pop to the best spot for golden hour and sunset photographs. So think about allowing at least 1.5 hours minimum from your ceremony end time to when sunset would be. As a wedding photographer I research heavily when your best times of day for photos are for the location, venue position and time of year. So I can work with you, your wedding planner and venue to help with the best ceremony time, dinner time etc for your photos and for the day itself.
Golden hour:
You might hear photographers talk a lot about golden hour and the ‘perfect light’ for couple photos. This is basically up to an hour before sunset depending what the weather has been like for the day and if you have any tree coverage blocking the sunset etc. So its often best to factor in enough time so that is is not rushed and you get the best photographs you can in a relaxed manner. The golden hour light can be the most romantic light, bright warm and passionate! Shooting into the sun and getting the right angles can be tricky- so make sure you put enough trust in me to get the right shots for you.
Sunset:
Sunset is where you can push the boundaries with a destination wedding. This can be more moody where the sun changes from bright, to warm, then the rich oranges of the sunset and then more of the dusk pinks and purple which are truly lovely. Depending on the backdrop it should give you some really atmospheric shots and it can be really exciting to photograph.
Wedding breakfasts and first dances:
The wedding breakfast and first dance during destination weddings can be really lovely. Often venues are set up for some amazing outdoor set ups. With string fairy lighting, potentially for fireworks and amazing cake cuttings with the most exquisite light! No dark cramped spaces thank you! Make sure you fully enjoy these aspects- as warmer climates means enjoying the outdoor spaces for longer, as well as potentially 4 or 5 mini courses of delicious local food.
Uk Destination wedding photographer
A wedding abroad can mean choosing your nearest and dearest, with no added stresses and being whisked off to an amazing setting to say your vows! And as I have blogged before- taking your wedding photographer abroad for your destination wedding doesn’t have to be expensive. I work with all my couples to make the trip the most cost effective as possible. So what are you waiting for? Pop me an email to find out more 🙂 See my other blog post Why you should take a UK photographer to your destination wedding
