Sunny Isles Beach Wedding

Let’s also call this one, “The Perks of Taking your Own Photographer to your Destination Wedding.” You know, for short. 😉

But for real. That’s actually what we’re talking about today. 🙂 Especially since along the way we’re sharing Marah and Carl’s GORGEOUS Sunny Isles Beach Wedding with you. That definitely WAS a destination and most definitely DID NOT take place in Kansas City.

(PS – Party People – if you’re thinking about skipping this one because you’re NOT having a destination wedding? That would be a MAJOR MISTAKE. You DO NOT want to miss checking out this wedding. TRUST US. 😀 )

So. You’re having a destination wedding.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! That’s super exciting!! (Fun fact – a lot of people who actually work in the wedding industry choose to have destination weddings.) And the best thing about a destination wedding?

Odds are you’re having it at a resort of some type. Whether it’s an all-inclusive in the Caribbean, or a beachfront hotel in Hawaii or Miami, you’re doing it. And they’re taking care of EVERYTHING. They have the food, music, flowers, and accommodations done and done. Rentals like tables, chairs, centerpieces and linens? Done. And, even better? Your photographer is included in the resort rate for weddings.

Sounds pretty awesome, huh?

We’re going to stop you right there. Because while food and centerpieces are things that can be systemized an picked out online, photography is not one of those things. Your wedding photographer will be with you ALLLL day long. Well, if you choose to keep them that long, or if the package provided by the resort allows it. Or maybe they’re just showing up for the ceremony and part of the reception, but none of the getting ready that you want covered?

Oh….and you’re not sure who your photographer will be on your wedding day because, you know, the resort has 5, and it’s just whoever is on the schedule for that day.

WAIT. Don’t do it, friends. JUST SAY NO.

It’s totally one thing for a resort to include alllll the things for your wedding. But to not have any control over who will be with you on your wedding day? To not know who is going to be capturing your most precious moments, or how experienced they are? To not get to meet them prior to your wedding day?

That’s a big NO from us. And a lot of other couples planning destination weddings too.

Sure, the photos on the website look okay. I mean, you are getting married in paradise after all. And they know all the best spots on the resort, so you know you’re going to get those exact same photos that you see on the website.

But is that really what you want from your best day ever?

We didn’t think so. More frequently than you think, couples planning destination weddings are also hiring their own photographers for their destination wedding. Someone from home, that they know and trust to tag along with them for the big day. If you’re thinking, but does that really happen? We can assure you that it does.

And here’s why: (These are also the same reasons we LOVE doing destination weddings like Marah and Carl’s in Sunny Isles Beach.)

1. Familiarity

You actually know the person or people arriving on your wedding day. You’ve already built a relationship with them. Chances are, you’ve already done engagement photos and had a handful of meetings with them to go over timeline, do reveal sessions, and just get to know each other.

When they show up on your wedding day? You’re already friends.

And it’s one thing to let a friend get all up in your grill on your wedding day as your make-up is getting done – they’re sure to get your natural emotions and reactions. You’ll be able to actually sit back and relax. You trust that they know exactly what they’re doing because you’ve already built that relationship, and know how they work.

But if you don’t know that person? Odds are you’ll be on edge a little bit more. You won’t be able to relax as much, and they won’t want to really capture all of your MOMENTS that the person you know will be able to. Whether you realize it or not, when we’re around strangers who are trying to be present in our most intimate moments, we close down a little bit and don’t let our full emotions out. Do you really want guarded photos from your wedding day?

2. Similar Photography Styles

Chances are, you probably hired someone from home to do engagement photos. And you chose that person because you LOVE their style and the aesthetic perfectly captures you and your boo. That resort photographer that you don’t know? Their aesthetic and style isn’t likely to change to mesh into what you love. They have 1 style and way less artistic freedom than your photographer at home. And to be honest, this might sound kind of brutal, but what’s the point of hiring a wedding photographer whose style you don’t love?

Take your photographer from home. Then all of your photos will be stylistically and aesthetically 100% what you want. You don’t get your wedding day back, friends.

3. The Wedding Photography Experience

Most couples (at least ours), hire a photographer to not just show up and take pictures, but also because they want an experience. They don’t want to just meet their photographers on the wedding day and have that be it. Instead, they’re in it for everything from start to finish. The experience that every single one of our couples get is the same, whether they’re getting married here in Kansas City, or at a beautiful destination somewhere.

And the biggest part of that experience?

It’s not the fun gifts, or random surprise cards. Or Kyle’s really bad dad jokes. But instead the opportunity and time that we get to spend together getting to know each other and building that relationship.

It’s doing in-person reveals and ordering prints and albums with them so they don’t have to figure it out on their own. It’s loving on their pups during engagement sessions, and going out for drinks or coffee to walk through wedding day timelines. It’s definitely NOT just showing up for a few hours on a wedding day, which is the “experience” you get with a bundled resort wedding photographer.

Ask yourself, what’s more important?

4. Knowing What Comes Next

So. You’ve flown away to paradise, had the best day ever, and now, you’re back home. And you’re just waiting. And waiting. For what?! The delivery of the link of your wedding day photos (or USB or DVD, whatever they send). And you have no idea when it’s coming. Or what they’ll look like (because hello, you’ve never seen the individual photographer’s work). So you sit and you wait. You’re not sure what to expect, or when. And you try to reach out to the people at the resort, but you don’t get a response.

Friends. Just skip all of that stress.

Take your photographer from home. Then you know exactly when and how to expect your wedding photos. You’ll still get to do the ever-important in-person reveal with your boo. There’s no second guessing the quality of the images that you’re going to receive. You KNOW you’ll be able to get your wedding album ordered in a timely manner. And you KNOW the quality of the album and artwork because you’ve literally held them in your hands. There’s no questions, or doubts. And the brilliant thing is you know exactly what to expect.

5. Trust

Yep. We’re throwing this one out there AGAIN because it really, truly is that important. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again and again, having photos taken is a very, very personal, intimate experience. Especially on your wedding day. And there’s something that can be said for having a trusted professional, that you know and love by your side all day long.

Yes, you might have to pay for your photographer’s travel and for them to stay the night. But isn’t that small expense worth knowing exactly what you’re going to see and get? That you 150% trust the person that is capturing your most precious memories? Because honestly, you don’t get this day back. And you don’t get to do it again. And putting all of those precious moments and memories in the hands of someone you don’t know?

Oh man, you’re much braver than we are, let’s just say that. We would always, much rather pay a little bit extra to get exactly what we want than to take that risk.

All of these reasons? They’re exactly why Marah and Carl’s wedding photos turned out the way they did. Because they trusted us. And Marah was totally okay with me being up in her face while she was getting ready. Because we’ve sat on her couch, picking out save the dates and drinking margaritas together. Because we’ve heard all the stories about their sweet nieces and nephews, and knew how important they are to them.

But most of all? They 110% knew they could rely on us to not miss a single moment because we had built that relationship with them, and were friends with cameras, and not just strangers.

That, my friends, is always the key to the magic. And exactly why it’s worth taking your own wedding photographer to your destination wedding.

Anywho. Okay, now that we’ve thrown all of that out into the world. 🙂 Marah and Carl – CONGRATULATIONS sweet friends, from the very bottoms of our hearts!! We are so, so SO incredibly happy for you both and absolutely cannot wait to see where life takes you! Thank you so, SO much for trusting us with your memories and for letting us tag along to Florida with you. 🙂

Feel like you’re missing something? Check out Marah and Carl’s sneak peek here.

Or, check out their gorgeous fall engagement session here.

Sunny Isles BeachWedding Vendor Dream Team

Hair | Phairis Luxury

Makeup | Mae Monroe

Florals | Unique Design Florals

DJ | Fernando Productions

Wedding Photography | Rivas Weddings