Yearly Archives: 2015

Destination Wedding Photographer: Top 5 Destination Wedding Must-Do Ideas

Destination weddings are some of the most amazing events known to mankind. They are an opportunity for family and friends to travel to a new place and just focus on the happy couple during their once-in-a-lifetime moment. Memories are made, new foods are eaten, photos are taken, and when all is said and done it is an event everyone is sure to remember for years to come.

Planning a destination wedding can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you are traveling out of the country. Choosing a florist, caterer, destination wedding photographer, and booking a venue can be time consuming tasks. We have put together our top 5 list of the most amazing wedding ideas you will absolutely have to consider for your destination wedding. Whether state-side or overseas, these tips are sure to help ease the stress and help make your wedding day extraordinary.

Ask for a sketch of your wedding cake

Many times, planning a destination wedding means trusting local professionals to provide your products and services. Even with the best research, you don’t want to leave anything to chance, especially your cake. Ask your baker to draw up a sketch of what your wedding cake is going to look like. This ensures you are both on the same page as far as color and design and there should be no surprises when your cake is delivered. If the sketch you receive is not exactly what you had in mind, there will still be time to make last minute changes so you and the baker will be happy.

Skip traditional flowers and opt for local foliage

One of the beautiful aspects of having a destination wedding is that you have access to exotic flowers and foliage. If your wedding is in Hawaii and you are originally from Wisconsin, this would be an amazing opportunity to make use of the beautiful flowers and foliage from the islands. Coordinate with the florist you choose and let them know that you are interested in having the most locally authentic flowers and greenery in keeping with the destination theme of your wedding.

Make the most of extraordinary views

You’ve waited your whole life for this day and planned an incredible destination wedding. Make the most of your surroundings! You don’t want to book a venue in the Bahamas with no view of the beach. Your best bet is to plan your activities and decorations around your scenery. If you love the mountains you may want to consider having an outdoor wedding with the mountains as the backdrop. If the beach is more your thing, you can look for a venue where your guests have the option of being indoors for dinner and dancing but can also have access to the beach for a romantic walk at sunset.

Book a professional destination wedding photographer

Local is not always best! You don’t want to trust your wedding photos to just anyone. Your wedding is one day in your life that you will want to relive and treasure for many years to come. One way to ensure that you have every important moment captured on film is to book an experienced, professional photographer. This is not the time to cut corners. The ideal destination wedding photographer will work with you on timing your photos when the natural light is just right for the location and time of year you have chosen. There is actually a perfect time called “the golden hour” or “the magic hour” that falls just before the sun sets. This is the ideal time to capture outdoor images.

Host a pre-wedding get-together

A great way to ensure all of your guests have a memorable time at your wedding is to hold a pre-wedding get-together. You can choose to have a cook out, luau, or more formal dinner party that will give your wedding party and VIP guests a chance to mingle and get to know one another before the big day. Not only will this help your guests feel more comfortable, it will give you an opportunity to focus on your friends and family and enjoy the moment rather than getting caught up in wedding details and feeling stressed out.

 

After a fun afternoon in snow with Aniket and Melissa we headed down the road for their Mammoth Village engagement photos.  One of the cutest places in Mammoth year round is The Village.  But in the winter time it is just magical.  The christmas lights twinkle and you can see your breath on the chilly air. We just loved wandering The Village with Aniket and Melissa finding cozy seats for them to cuddle up on and views to dazzle the eye.  These two love birds are just so much fun!Mammoth Village Engagement photosMammoth Village Engagement photosfun winter engagement photosfun winter engagement photosMammoth Village Engagement photosMammoth Village Engagement photosMammoth Village Engagement photoswinter mammoth engagement shootwinter pinecone engagement photomammoth engagement shootMammoth Village Engagement photos_11mammoth engagement shootwinter mammoth engagement shootwinter mammoth engagement shootmammoth engagement shootwinter mammoth engagement shootMammoth Village Engagement photos_17

Aniket and Melissa had the cutest snow engagement shoot up in Mammoth California.  They arrived with a well styled wardrobe for their engagement photos and we just couldn’t wait to get into the snow.  We found a beautiful forest with pristine white snow half way up to the Mammoth Lodge.  We kept calling it our Pinterest snow because it was untouched and perfect.  They brought a plaid blanket to wrap up in and stay warm after they had a snowball fight.   It was great traipsing through the wilderness with Aniket and Melissa, they are just such a cute couple.  Always holding hands and smiling at one another.  They just made our job so easy!  This was a really fun engagement shoot with a really fun couple! We can’t wait to share more from the second half of their shoot in Mammoth Village.

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Rehana and Mark with the help of their amazing planner Geneene Thornton combined Indian and American traditions for their Dana on Mission Bay Wedding.   The bridesmaids donned beautiful purple saris and  Rehana wore a delicate lace keyhole wedding dress.  Mark got to relax with his groomsmen and when it was time he put on is black tux and went down to the gardens to meet Rehana for a special moment before their ceremony.  They really wanted a few minutes together but also didn’t want to ruin the surprise of seeing one another walking down the aisle, so we positioned them back to back in a little corner of the Dana’s gardens and they were able to hold hands and whisper encouraging words.  Mark even brought a little handmade gift to surprise Rehana.

Rehana and Mark’s wedding ceremony was held in the Dana Courtyard, a lush tropical garden nestled in the heart of the property.  Colorful flowers were brought in to adorn the ceremony aisle and a beautiful wedding arch was draped in small orange flowers.  Rehana and Mark’s ceremony was full of friends from all over and one of their best friends officiated the wedding for them.  It was the best kind of wedding with lots of laughing and happy tears.

While we wandered  down to the marina and Sunset Park with Rehana and Mark for some fun portraits the guests enjoyed a cocktail hour with live music.  The reception kicked off with the bride and groom changing into traditional Indian Wedding attire and jumping straight into the dancing.  The evening got more exciting from there with a band, bollywood dancers and single serve cups of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.  Rehana and Mark truly had a fantastic wedding day.

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Vendors

Wedding Planner | Geneene Thornton

Venue | The Dana on Mission Bay