Guest Post by our sweet friend, Jessica, of Jessica Frey Wedding Photography
Planning a destination wedding can be both exciting and difficult, especially if it’s a location you’re unfamiliar with. I’ve been a destination wedding photographer working internationally for 12 years and have been overjoyed to travel all over the world to photograph my couples! It’s a unique experience and something I treasure and am honored to be a part of. With twelve years of experience, I wanted to share with you why you should choose to bring your own destination wedding photographer with you instead of choosing a local photographer.
Reason 1: Style of Photography + Trust
Depending on your destination wedding location, you may find that the style of photography and expertise you’re searching for doesn’t exist. I had a couple fly me to Hawaii a few years ago because they couldn’t find a local photographer who had the style of photography they wanted and knew I could not only provide that for them, but would guide them through the process. They lived in California, I lived in Texas and had never even met the couple, but came recommended by their friends (who I also photographed while they were living in London). Same with my two couples in Germany and my clients traveling to Costa Rica. I met them all there- after never meeting in person! They knew through phone calls and emails that they would be taken care of 110% and knew that I was experienced in not only travel but photographing them in the best way possible to capture the unique location that is so special to them!
Reason 2: Energy and Personality of Photographer
The photography industry is different from country to country and what you see here in the US doesn’t really exist in other countries. If you’re looking for a photographer to get to know you and care personally about you and your family beyond the basic point and shoot and pose style you’ll likely need to bring your own photographer.
Most hired by the venue (especially in-house/all-inclusive resorts in Mexico) shoot 2-8 weddings a day and mass produce their shots/images and have a list of photos they are required to take. So while you’ll have images to preserve the memory of the day, it won’t come close to the personalization provided by a destination photographer who is there specifically to serve you and your guests.
Pro Tip: When I travel, I tend to be hired to photograph the rehearsal dinner as well and get to know everyone leading up to the big day. I also end up photographing a ‘day after’ session so we can take advantage of the unique beauty of the location and get some incredible bride/groom portraits you can’t normally take on a wedding day.
Reason 3: Personalization
For my couples that have taken me to Mexico (Cancun/Tulum/Riviera Maya/Cozumel), Hawaii (Maui/Oahu), Germany, Ireland, Costa Rica, the Bahamas and others – they wanted a first-class experience of trusting that their big day will be captured perfectly and with personal attention. Your photographer should invest a lot of time getting to know you, helping you through the process and providing options to make the most of your wedding day and the days before and after. When you hire someone from your country, who speaks your language, you’re more likely to get more personalized attention leading up to and after the wedding day.
About Jessica:
Jessica Frey is an award-winning international wedding photographer based in Austin, Texas. True to her label as an Enneagram 7, she’s always got a smile on her face, loves making new friends and has wanderlust in her heart. She has backpacked around the world and has loved getting the opportunity to photograph joyful, timeless couples for the last 12 years.
A native Texan you can find her enjoying queso and Blue Bell ice cream when she’s not working or running around with her little boy and she’ll never pass up something sweet or the chance to show off her irish dance skill.
She can be reached at:
www.JessicaFreyPhotography.com
Jessica@jessicafreyphotography.com
Instagram: @jessicafreyphotography
Love Notes:
Having a destination wedding in one of our favorite vacation spots with our closest family and friends we knew we needed someone who could capture every special moment of the week flawlessly and effortlessly. We could not see trusting someone we had just met a day or two earlier with these precious moments. That is why we chose to bring Jessica Frey Photography with us to Cancun. We would not have trusted our special day to anyone but Jessica.
– Sophie
I had already seen Jessica’s work and loved it when I started planning my wedding. The resort we were using offered the option of a photographer but I knew that these photos were going to be so important to me and I didn’t want to risk them on anyone else’s hands. I’m so glad Jessica came to my destination wedding because our pictures were perfect!!
– Kaci
