HOW TO CHOOSE A DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Here at Rachel Rose Weddings, we think that choosing your destination wedding photographer should not only be hassle-free but also a joyful experience to add to your wedding journey.

So today we have the lovely Claire from Claire Graham Photography here to share some advice for choosing your destination wedding photographer.

"You've found your beautiful destination venue to hold your momentous day and now you're searching for the perfect photographer to capture it in all its glory!  It can be overwhelming with so many photographers all specialising in different styles of wedding photography. So when it comes to choosing your destination wedding photographer, here are some helpful tips to consider."

STYLE

Your wedding day is one of the most cherished days of your life! So it's only right, you would want all the memories of the day captured by a photographer whose work excites you and who you feel comfortable with - especially as you'll be spending a lot of time together!  

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Research is key when looking for your photographer! A good starting point would be to study the style of photography that really resonates with you, is it bright/airy, dark/moody, vibrate/saturated?  When examining the photographer's work, establish how couples are posed are they relaxed and natural or posed.  In the images are you more drawn to a more clean and minimal image or a busy detailed image?  Does the photographer work with natural light or a flash? Do they shoot digital, film or mix of both (hybrid)? By narrowing down all that appeals to you, will help shortlist potential photographers.

PERSONALITY

Try and get a feel for the photographer as a person, they need to be a good fit for you personality-wise. Many destination weddings are likely to hold a pre-wedding/welcome dinner the night before, so you will be spending a lot of time together!  So it important that you connect and feel comfortable with them and in front of their camera.  The more comfortable you are, the more genuine you will look in your photographs. 

EXPERIENCE 

An experienced photographer will not only bring skill to your wedding but can also adapt quickly to almost any situation with ease and with professionalism. In most cases, they can also assist in the smooth running of your wedding day.  Experienced destination wedding photographers also have an understanding of international/local travel, insurance, the process for baking up images etc. Giving you the confidence of knowing that everything is being taken care of.

"So these are just a few tips for you to consider when searching for your destination photographer. Remember it's your day, your journey, and your experience, so choose a photographer that will tell your story in a way that matches your vision!"

Thank you Claire for providing such wonderful guidance on one decision to be made on a destination wedding.  You can visit Claire's website here to see more wedding inspiration.

 

My love affair with Lavender

I have just finished planting 300 lavender plants in the gardens of Cortijo Pedro Jimenez so I thought I would share some beautiful lavender wedding inspirations with you.  It is one of my favorite plants due to its pretty muted tones, wonderful fragrance when fresh or dried and of course it is very easy to grow, a definite bonus as I´m not very green fingered!  It works well with so many colour schemes and adds a touch of feminine romance to so many different elements of your wedding day.  Sadly it is not available in our peak summer weddings here but is in abundance at this time of year and late summer. Here are some very pretty images and ideas to inspire you, enjoy x

Photography Credits : KT Merry, Elizabeth Messina, Lane Dittoe, Krista Fox Photography

El Cortijo de los Caballos - Zoe & Roberto´s Mexican Fiesta

When I first met Zoe I was Scared, really scared!  She turned up with a very thick file and pages of questions, charts, schedules and I though woah this woman is organized.  Well nothing prepared me for just quite how organized she would prove to be and I must have asked myself 100´s of times why she even needed a wedding planner, I would employ her in a heartbeat!  It was actually quite wonderful to work with someone who knew exactly what she wanted and I enjoyed every minute of the planning process and miss her dearly.  So it was a pleasure to be able to look over her wedding album today when choosing some photos to add to my blog as it was just such a fun, happy day with nothing but laughter and smiles from start to finish.  Roberto is Mexican and they wanted this to be represented throughout the day and so we set about adding tequila bars, a mariachi band, lots of bright colours, the beautiful papel picado bunting that they sourced whilst in Mexico and Fiona made a stunning wedding cake replicating this in fine detail.  The BBQ with a Mexican twist supplied by Fiesta Sol was just delicious and the tequila bar went down a treat afterwards, as you will see from the photos and the crazy dance off shortly afterwards.  Congratulations Zoe and Roberto, I hope to see you both in Spain again soon xxx

Dear Rachel and Johnny

Where do we start?! Our wedding at your beautiful cortijo was the best and most happiest day of our lives, even better than our wildest dreams and we couldn't have done it without you.

... Just to name a few things....you dealt with my epic lists and plans and love of detail, made our Mexican vision a reality, traipsed round bars trying to find us a mariachi band, sorted out hair and make up crises, dealt with an alabamba playing guitarist (' thanks Luis' ' that's not Luis!'), setting up the tequila bar which was so cool and was responsible for a lot of very sore heads the next day! You were such a calming influence and you dealt with everything and everyone so naturally and wonderfully and without stress or panic. We always felt in safe hands.

The suppliers that you helped to source and recommended were faultless, the firecracker that is Anna gazda and her jaw droppingly beautiful photos, Fi and her show stopping cakes, the amazing food and service from fiesta sol, the booze supplied from a very reliable and professional BWS, adorable Salvador the videographer, the floor filler who is dj rob, Alex and Lisa for making us pretty, zoe struttons vibrant flowers and last but not least beautiful Natasha whose humanist ceremony made sure that there wasn't a dry eye left in the house!

The cortijo itself is beyond beautiful with lots of brilliant areas to enjoy different parts of the wedding. You have done such a great job with the place. Staying there with our family and friends, splashing round the pool and eating together around the big tables created some unforgettable memories that we will cherish for life.

Most of all you have become such a good friend over the year that we have planned the wedding and I thank you so much for that and I really miss you. We hope to be back in the not too distant future. We wish you all the luck and happiness and love and we are so grateful that you were such an important part of our special day and all your brides out there who have it all still to come are very lucky ladies indeed.

Loads of love

Zoe and Roberto Real xxxx

 

Photography by Anna Gazda @ Limelight

Catering by FiestaSol

Cake by SweetthingsbyFi

DJ Rob RockstheHouse

Minister Natasha Johnson

Flowers by FlowersInc

Hair by Alex

Make Up by Rachel

Decor and Planning by Me