5 Reasons Why, As A Destination Wedding Photographer, I Love Shooting A Wedding Somewhere New — And How It Benefits You
As a destination wedding photographer, capturing a wedding at a new (to me) venue or location brings me so much joy and creative excitement! I think I can say that most wedding industry artists/vendors feel the same way. Here are 5 reasons why I love shooting a wedding somewhere new and how it benefits you as my client.
From time to time, when speaking with potential clients, the question of “have you shot (or worked) a wedding at my venue before?” will come up in our conversation. I love addressing any questions, but this is one I specifically wanted to clarify! I think this is really important information for any couple to understand as you plan your wedding and start booking your favorite vendors!
1. Fresh Eyes or Perspective: *cue Andy Grammer’s “Fresh Eyes”*, “I got these fresh eyes, never seen you like this before”. Haha, but in all seriousness, being a creative, an artist, capturing your moments and creating artwork in a new place is like seeing a wonder of the world and capturing the beauty of it all. There is a big advantage to your photographer shooting your venue for the first time because they get to see the space and details with fresh eyes and perspective. Details that might otherwise be overlooked by someone else, might be seen by someone who has not seen them before – which leads me right into my next point.
2. Enhances New Artistic Creativity: When I walk into a new space, my creative juices as I like to say, starts spilling over. I visualize in my mind all the possibilities, the organic moments that might unfold and the orchestrated art/imagery I can create for my clients. A new space, or venue, or location is like a new canvas to a painter about to create a masterpiece.
3. You’ll Receive A Unique Gallery: As the client, choosing a vendor/s who has not worked in your venue or location before means you will receive a gallery unlike any other gallery of that venue or location. Your gallery will be different and unique because it was seen with fresh eyes and perspective. The way a florist works their flower magic in a new space will be beautifully different, just like the photographs a photographer captures will highlight details differently. Your gallery will be different from other couples’ galleries and that is special. It sets your gallery a part.
4. Vendor Style: If you take away anything from this blog post, let it be this one point. Always book a vendor (and photographer) because you love their style/their work. Book your favorite vendors – don’t sit on that. Book them because you love their editing style, their approach, their philosophy and personality, but also because you trust them. When you choose vendors based on those reasons, it won’t matter if they have worked at your venue or location of choice. Their talent, expertise and art will shine and you have given them the gift of freedom to create something nothing short of magical for YOU. That is all any artist or industry vendor truly desires – the freedom and trust to create magic for you, their client. Being given the opportunity to do that in a new space is like icing on the cake or the cherry on top.
5. A New Venue Is Not A Hinderance: My last reason is pretty simple and more of a summary. The fact is, a new venue or location is not a hinderance to me as a photographer. Rather, it is a spark of joy to my creative heart and soul. When I am given the opportunity to work somewhere new, I add extra travel days to my itinerary so that I arrive a few days early to my client’s event. This gives me the chance to walk around the venue grounds and familiarize myself with the location. I envision all the picture possibilities, figure out where the sun rises and where it sets on site and find the magical secret spots where the light is perfect. It is like going on a treasure hunt! All this to say, I absolutely love the challenge and opportunity of shooting somewhere new.
xoxo, Mary Kate
Vendor credits:
Venue: Larz Anderson House @eventsatandersonhouse, Workshop Host: AMV Retreats @amv_retreats, Wedding Planner + Styling/Design: AMV Weddings @amv_weddings, Educators: Sophie Kaye @sophiekayephotography, Kir Tuben @kir2ben, Michelle Harris @mharris_studios, BTS Photo: Mekina Saylor @mekinasaylor, Vicki Grafton @vickigrafton, BTS Video: Kirsten Beatley Films @kirstenbeatleyfilms, Florist: Love Blooms @lovebloomsdc, Furniture/Tabletop Rentals: White Glove Rentals @whitegloverentals, Hair & Makeup: Madeline Eleanor @bymadelineeleanor, Dress: Carine's Bridal Atelier @carinesbridal Reem Acra @reemacrawedding, Accessories: Erin Rhyne @erinrhyne, Cake: Two Teaspoons @twoteaspoonsnj, Stationary: Studio Wren Co @studiowrenco, Linens: Nuage Designs @nuagedesignsinc, Shoes: Something Bleu @somethingbleu_ , Rings: Victor Barbone @victorbarbonejewelry, Styling Boards: Chasing Stone @chasingstone Lindale Studios @lindalestudios, Flat Lay Styling: Sophie Kaye @sophiekayephotography, Ring Boxes: Styling Reserve @thestylingreserve, Harpist: Nadia Pessoa @nadiapessoaharp, Live Illustrator: Samia Lynn Illustration @samialynndesign, Model: Hailey Fleming @haileywhiskedaway
