Brandi Image Photography » your timeless love, elegantly captured.

5 Reasons Why It Doesn’t Matter Where Your Photographer Lives

Planning a wedding is an exciting journey, whether it’s one you’ve planned out in your head all these years or one you are figuring out one day at a time. But it can also be an overwhelming process, especially when it comes to choosing your vendors.

The first few steps might have been pretty easy: setting the date, choosing a location, finding a venue. However, one of the next few (and most important) steps to be done early in the process is selecting a photographer. After all, they’ll be the one capturing every detail you took so long to prepare – from the stunning dress you wore to the intimate moments of your first dance.

So why limit yourself to a select group of photographers who live in the location of your venue?

Searching the globe for the perfect photographer who can best capture your once-in-a-lifetime day is not only for the elite! Here’s why you don’t need to care where your wedding photographer calls home.

The Internet makes it easy to find your dream photographer!

The worldwide web makes communicating with potential vendors a breeze. Did you see a stunning image taken by a Floridian photographer, but you live in Wyoming? Contact them and ask if they travel!

Even if you prefer to stay within the US, you still have 50 states full of possibilities when it comes to a wedding photographer. Most professional wedding photographers are experienced travelers, so we know the ropes when it comes to meeting with you on your big day.

Many of the beginning stages of planning with a distant photographer – such as signing contracts, completing payments, reading online reviews, and talking over FaceTime/Skype – can be completed entirely online. And we’re here to help you every step of the way!

Shop by style, not by location. 

Are you a super creative couple who loves the idea of a DIY wedding? Make sure you find someone who focuses on these details and captures them in a style you love! Are you part of an emotional family that hugs and cries at the drop of a hat? Find someone who gets those little moments better than anyone.

Do you love the total documentary, fly-on-the-wall look? Your perfect photographer for this style may not be in your hometown. What about a photographer who can pose everyone in your 26-person bridal party to perfection and can still make it look like a masterpiece? They are out there!

Every photographer has a style and focus that excites them – and it shows in their work. Try to match your wedding personality to a photographer’s style, and you’ll be the happiest couple in the world when you look back over your photos for years to come.

You can save money!

That’s right: it can actually cost you less to import your photographer than to hire one close to home. Everyone is budget conscious; it is a legit concern and you aren’t alone.

If you live in places like Chicago or New York, you live in one of the most expensive cities in the US for wedding photographers. While these photographers are likely worth what they charge and need to keep up with higher costs of living, it doesn’t mean their packages will match with your budget. Consider bringing in a photographer from a location with a lower-priced market!

In some cases, you might be able to pay their full package cost, flight and accommodations – all for a lower price than hiring a local. It may take a little more work to find the perfect person, but we all know that saving money while still retaining quality can be a huge help when it comes to wedding planning.

“Are you familiar with XYZ Venue?” 

One of the most commonly asked questions I hear from my couples is, “Have you shot at our venue before?”

It’s totally understandable why this seems like a good question on the surface. You may want to see what weddings look like at your venue, or what the photographer has done there before. And besides, it’s exciting to see your chosen place, all dressed up and captured beautifully.

Here’s the thing: when we shoot weddings, we’re looking for light or ways to create the best light for our location. This helps us capture the mood or emotions of your big day with feeling, color and intimacy. Light is light; how we control, manipulate or use that light is what sets photographers apart from the amateurs. Whether or not we have shot in your venue before does not affect the light we use.

Get a unique perspective!

You can go the safe route and choose a photographer who has shot at your venue before with the same few poses, in the same locations, with the same setup each and every time. There is comfort in that—I get it!

However, if you’re choosing a photographer for their overall style, they will bring a fresh set of eyes to your wedding day. You want images that evoke your day the way you envisioned it, not images that are limited to a habitual set of pictures that look unoriginal.

Your wedding photographs won’t be cookie-cutter unless you want them to be. A photographer that experiences a new place will have an excitement level that is through the roof, helping to spark creativity and unique, beautiful images of your big day.

Contact Brandi Image Photography, No Matter Your Location!

I love that the trend in weddings is moving toward more personal ceremonies and locations. Less focus is being placed on how a wedding “should” look and more on the couple’s personality and story. Your photos are a huge part of that! It’s how you’ll remember your day, your moments, your details.

Here’s the bottom line: choose your photographer for how they will capture your day, not for the place they call home. I love traveling to new venues, new towns and new countries, especially for such an important moment in life! Some of my favorite images have been captured in foreign places, and I can’t wait to add a few more.

Click on Say Hi! up top and tell me all about your dream wedding day! I’d love to be a part of it.