Local Versus Local: Hiring a Destination Elopement Photographer

Planning a destination elopement comes with many, many unique hurdles. That doesn’t mean they have to be stressful ones! After all, the payoff is always worth it when you get an adventure and a wedding wrapped in breathtaking scenery. A common question, however, is whether couples should hire a photographer who is local to them, or local to their venue, to capture the whole experience. Does it matter? How do you know which is the right choice? Is it going to ruin your pictures if your photographer has never been to your destination?

My answer? Not at all! In fact, hiring a photographer who is willing and able to travel is a huge benefit—even if they’ve never been to your chosen elopement spot. A photographer who is local to you, or at least to the US, is more likely to match your style and personality or even be someone you're already familiar with.

Plus, a travel photographer (like yours truly) has been there, done that when it comes to navigating new places. With that experience under my belt, there’ll be no worries about language barriers or finding our way around or even foreign business practices you may not be familiar with. Less stress about getting your images or managing any issues with a photographer overseas means your memories will be full of joy and celebration, not “Holy smokes that was a stressful day!”

Another pro is that, personally, I can be way more creative when I've never been to a location before. Coming in with fresh eyes allows me to find unique compositions instead of the same hotspots that we’ll get photos of anyway. The time we spent strolling unfamiliar streets during this session in Milan led to some of my favorite photos ever. The art and architecture? Inspiring. The garden? Just delicious! Take me back!

Overall, choosing the right person to bring together your destination elopement dreams can make or break your whole experience. I’ll be exploring the topic of choosing vendors more in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for my next posts!

Amber is a Las Vegas Elopement Photographer who is available for travel for elopements and weddings. Send in a contact form through the link above to schedule your free consultation.