What is the reveal? We take the groom off to a photogenic location, have him face away from the path, and then the bride walks up to him and he turns around to see her for the first time! I know, some people worry that it takes all the magic away from seeing her walk down the aisle to him – but it really doesn’t. Instead it gives them a chance to have some private alone time, an opportunity for him to tell her how gorgeous she looks, for the nerves to settle down. I never pressure people in to doing it (my husband didn’t see me before our wedding), but I have to confess that I love it when they do.

Doing a reveal then meant that we had more time for portraits before the ceremony as well!

Since the wedding was in Bermuda, which is part of the United Kingdom, EricaLynn, Stephen, and their witnesses all signed the registry and the marriage certificate – just like Ann & Karl’s destination wedding in Bristol, England.

Click here to view part 1 (Bermuda & the Rehearsal Cocktail Reception), and click here to view part 2 (the beach and getting ready) of EricaLynn & Stephen’s Bermuda Destination Wedding photographs! I can’t wait to share more from the reception!

(Side note: if you read my post on my personal blog about the lessons I learned while almost drowning, the rock that we were swimming with our snorkel gear out to the day after the wedding is just to the right of this frame.)

Kelly went down to the beach to photograph it for me while I was with EricaLynn & her bridesmaids getting ready at the hotel spa. Talk about a pampering place! These ladies took such great care of us!

Then we all headed upstairs so that EricaLynn could have her makeup done and get into her wedding dress! I loved her dress, her shoes, and all the details!

Meanwhile, Kelly was with Stephen & the groomsmen as they were getting ready. It is obvious that things are always a little bit different in the guy’s room!

Be sure to check out the first part of EricaLynn & Stephen’s Bermuda Destination Wedding. Next up, the reveal and the ceremony!

To start this off – here are some photos of the island, the plants & the hotel – all so lovely!

On Friday night, the night before the wedding, after a rehearsal on the Lawn where the wedding was going to take place on Saturday, we all headed up to the patio where we had a private cocktail hour. It was so fabulous! The staff took such amazing care of us. I really can’t say enough great things about the Fairmont Southampton!

A cocktail hour or other activity like this is so wonderful at a destination wedding. Sure, a lot of your guests probably already know each other – but this was a wonderful way to get to meet everyone else. As destination weddings are more intimate by their nature, it makes the rest of the weekend more fun as everyone gets to hang out together, see each other around the hotel, and things like that. Plus it gives the couple a chance to catch up with everyone as well!

Stephen walked up to the bar & ordered a Dark & Stormy, a Bermuda specialty drink made with local rum & Ginger Beer. The bartender asked him if he preferred it more dark, or more stormy. Stephen wasn’t sure what he meant, so the bartender demonstrated. More stormy? More Ginger Beer. More dark? More rum. I’ll let you guess which one Stephen picked!

I loved that some of Stephen & EricaLynn’s guests really got into the Bermuda spirit with the dress socks & shorts! (I don’t think it had anything to do with the rum…)

It was so very awesome getting to meet EricaLynn & Stephen in person at last! I can’t wait to share their wedding day with you!

You can check out EricaLynn’s 5 Star Review (whoo hoo!!!) of working with us here.

While every wedding is as unique as the couple and all of their family & friends, every wedding seems to divide itself natural among three parts of the day – getting ready, the ceremony, and the reception. The emotions that flow through these three portions are very distinctive as well, differing levels of joy, happiness, nerves, relief, and pure bliss. You never sense the joy as much though as those first minutes after the ceremony. Everyone just wants to congratulate the couple – and the happiness in the room rises to an amazing, palatable point.

As we did some brief family photographs, Karl’s mum & his grandmum had to take a moment to check out his brand new ring.

Meanwhile, in another part of the room, some of Ann’s knitting friends actually MADE her a garter during the ceremony! I saw them finishing it up – they crocheted their masterpiece, which was faster than knitting it, in colors to compliment her wedding dress. Ann was suitably surprised! Karl was kind enough to tie it on for her. Brilliant!

Ann’s wedding bouquet was so stunning – and so perfect. Thistles to represent her Scottish heritage, and roses to represent Karl’s English heritage.

The wedding was on Guy Fawke’s Day, which is celebrated traditionally with fireworks. As such, Ann & Karl had mini-sparklers in the vases filled with favors on the tables, along with what we refer to as champagne poppers – the little plastic bottles that when you pull the string, streamers fly out. Everyone had fun with them as we enjoyed the delicious food the Byzantium served.

It is my understanding that the toasts at weddings in the UK have a more set order than they do in the US, and they are normally started by the bride’s father or oldest relative. Ann’s father passed away several years ago, after my husband Mike & I had met her. Her mum & her sister both are not keen on public speaking. While talking about who she would ask to do the speech, we realized that Mike was the friend at the wedding that had known Ann the longest, and when Ann asked if he would step in and fill the role, he happily obliged.

After Mike’s toast, Karl gave one as well, followed by his younger brother. There was laughter and tears throughout.

After the toasts, the Byzantium served their famous Lanterns – these lovely dessert trays full of sweets. They were a big hit!

After dessert, we all headed downstairs so that Ann & Karl could cut the cake – with more fireworks!

Then it was time to get the party started! The dance floor was open, and people danced until 2am — a few hours later than most Houston weddings go! It was fantastic fun, we all had such a great time!

As the party went on downstairs, upstairs the cake was served – along with pizza, french fries, and bacon butty sandwiches. Yum! Also, the finest Scotch was brought out and served by Karl to some of his closest friends who were there. I heard that was quite yummy as well…

The dancing continued, and before we knew it the night was over. One last huge dance that all the remaining guests joined in to send Ann & Karl off, and then they departed to return to our hotel and recover from one long and AMAZING, wonderful day!

Thank you again a million times over to Ann & Karl for including us as a part of your wedding. Every wedding is special to me, but Ann & I have been friends since our single days, and I credit her for introducing me to my fabulous husband (while he was in London & I was in Houston and it was many months before we actually met). It was such joy watching your families & friends come to celebrate the two of you. We love you!

See more posts about Ann & Karl’s Destination Wedding here: Getting ready and the Ceremony.

The Details:
Wedding & Ceremony – Byzantium in Bristol
Ann’s Perfect Wedding Dress – College Green Bridal in Bristol
Ann’s Hair – MeMe Salon in Bristol
Wedding Cake – Waitrose in London
Invitations & Menu Cards – designed & made by Ann

I shared the history of my friendship with Ann & Karl in my first post about their destination wedding in Bristol, so you can just imagine what a moving moment for me it was to see the love that they have for each other and the emotions during their wedding ceremony.

I’m a sap and I cry at almost every wedding, but this one? This was different. Ann & I have been friends for 10 years now, and it was just incredible to witness first-hand how much Karl loves her, and how much she loves him!

Their wedding ceremony was held at the Byzantium in Bristol, England. Ann’s beautiful wedding dress was purchased at a shop in Bristol as well, and was perfect with her stunning, sparkly Jimmy Choo’s. She knit her wedding shawl herself. (For the knitters, her Ravelry details are here.) Her hair was done at MeMe’s Salon in Bristol, and she did her makeup herself.

The British wedding ceremony is different than it is in the United States. Parts of it are the same, but the order is changed up. Fortunately, I’m pretty big on photographing everything that happens, no matter when it happens! I just find different cultural traditions so fascinating!

Oh, and the hats!?! Why do we not wear amazing fascinators and hats to our weddings in the US? I think someone needs to start this tradition up again!

After Ann & Karl exchanged rings, Ann read the second reading which was a poem about marriage to Karl.

Now we get into the part that was a first for me – since they had a civil ceremony, they had to sign the registry during the ceremony. I was informed before the ceremony by the registrar that I could photograph them signing the registry from far away, as long as you couldn’t see the paper that they were actually signing. After they signed, he would allow them to pose as if they were signing for me, and then he would invite other guest up to photograph them as well. Obviously, signing this is a BIG deal!

The above photograph was what I took when the registrar invited me to come forward during the ceremony to get the posed photograph. Then this happened…

One last story about the day … Ann & Karl wanted something slow & somewhat “traditional” for the recessional of their ceremony. But Ann is a HUGE Formula 1 racing fan. Seriously, HUGE. So she also wanted to include the theme song from the BBC’s televised coverage of Formula 1. After all, the wedding day is just the start of the race of life! So after Ann & Karl selected the music, my husband Mike spliced together the opening and first chorus of “We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters with the BBC Formula 1 song, with a smooth transition and everything. It was AWESOME. This was the moment that the song changed over to the Formula 1 theme, and Ann was just giddy. Loved it!

You might want to go grab something to drink – this is going to be a long post!

When I headed to London last November for Ann & Karl’s Destination Wedding in Bristol, UK, it was not my usual wedding trip. I’ve known Ann thanks to blogging since 2000, and we met because of our shared love of photography. That has always been the most beautiful thing about blogging for me – the ability to meet people thousands of miles away who love the same things that you do. We met in person in 2004 while Mike & I were on our honeymoon in London, I visited her again in June 2006 when I returned to London with Mike on a business trip and stayed a few days at her flat, and we got to spend time with her in 2007 when she came to Austin, Texas for her first adult trip to the USA to visit SXSWi. By 2007 she was already dating Karl, and my wedding photography business was underway. She hesitantly mused at one point that he might be “the one” – but it was still early. As the years passed, she told me that someday, she wanted me to photograph her wedding.

Then while I was in Belize photographing Melissa & Brandon’s wedding, I got the call! In July of 2009, Karl brought Ann to San Francisco, and after fireworks (fitting, since they met on Guy Fawke’s Day) and time spent visiting wine country, he proposed! YAY!!! I was over the moon thrilled for them! So once the date was set – Guy Fawke’s Day 2010 – we made plans for Mike & I to head back to London for their wedding in Bristol, England!

(I wrote a lot more about how we met and shared photos from my past trips to London & time spent with Ann on this post back in November, written while I was in London.)

I wanted a bit of time to spend with Ann before the wedding – plus time to get over dealing with jet lag – so Mike & I flew in the Saturday before the wedding. I’m so glad we did, because then we got to spend time getting to know Karl better, enjoying a proper Sunday Roast, Halloween in the UK, British television, an afternoon shopping & visiting Susannah, and a wonderful dinner with several of the London knitters where Ann & Natalie of The Yarn Yard presented me with the most amazing lot of yarn. Most importantly? I got to put my years in the wedding industry to use as I helped Ann finalize timelines, details, shopping lists, packing everything to get it from London to Bristol for the wedding, and a whole lot more. It was absolutely splendid, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world! I joked that I was making myself an honourary bridesmaid for the week so we could get everything done. Brilliant!

We finally had everything loaded up and we headed from London over to Bristol, on the western side of England. I had been to Cardiff, Wales back in 2006, but that was via train. I’ve never driven across England, so it was wonderful to get to see England from a new perspective, and to visit another city. That is always one of my favorite things about destination weddings – I love the opportunity to see new places and get to truly know the wedding guests as we spent several days with Ann & Karl’s family & friends.

One thing I learned on this trip is that I can be the master of lists. Every day I would start us off with a list of what we needed to get done & prepared. The lists definitely helped, and we were amazingly efficient in getting it all done! The one list I didn’t keep a copy of that I wish I had still? The instructions that Ann had me write out the night before the wedding on how to put on a kilt! I had no idea it was such a complicated process, but it turns out that a kilt is really heavy, so it is essential to do things in order!

Mike assisted me with photographing the wedding & reception. He will say he isn’t a photographer, but what I always find fascinating when he assists me is how much he has watched my work over the years and how he has a keen eye for capturing images in a similar style. He stayed with Karl & Dan as they got ready & captured the images of them getting dressed.

On the day of the wedding, I went to meet up with Ann at Me:Me Salon where she was having her hair done. As she waited for her turn, she spent time checking in on Twitter where she had her very own hashtag going of #pixnups which we later displayed on the wall at the reception. She also prepared her locket that she had purchased with a photograph of her Dad and a lock of her mother’s hair so she could wear it at the wedding. (That is the photo above.)

Oh yes, we are geeks. Our very own wedding hashtag for the day – I loved it!

When Ann told me she had found *the* dress, I couldn’t wait to see it. I knew that Ann just wasn’t the traditional white dress type of bride. I’m so glad she held out for the most perfect dress ever! How beautiful! A lovely burgundy wine color, with layers of black netting underneath, a variety of fabrics & textures, and the bodice with the embroidery was so perfect! It was just SO Ann!

Things in the UK are different than they are in the US when it comes to weddings. For example, Ann & Karl ordered their wedding cake at Waitrose in London and we picked it up to delivery it ourselves to the Byzantium in Bristol. Also, their cake was two layers of fruitcake and one layer of sponge cake. The fruitcake is not a cake we normally see at weddings in the US, so it was interesting to learn just how common it is in the UK. Throughout the wedding, there were little things like that. So much fun for us to talk about all the differences!

Karl likes cars a lot, and has a collection of these electric cars and tracks. Ann, while trying to think of a way to label the tables so that the guests could find themselves on the seating chart, came up with the idea to get a different car for each table and use that instead of table numbers. What a fantastic way to incorporate more things that they love into the details! For their table, they had a car that reminded them of the Alpina that Karl drives and a small Fiat for Ann. So cute! They also had their toasting flutes, candles, and my favorite part? Large vases full of party favors! Mini sparklers, champagne poppers, noisemakers – all perfect things for celebrating Guy Fawkes Night!

In honour of Ann being from Scotland (the Thistle) and Karl being from England (the Rose), their centerpieces consisted of one rose & one thistle in a small vase. Her wedding bouquet was also roses & thistles, along with his boutonniere. I loved the nod to their respective countries & their history!

Ann loves shoes, so a pair of glittery Jimmy Choo shoes were perfect for her to wear for the wedding day! They are sooooo swoon-worthy! Aren’t they gorgeous?!?

Karl wore a kilt as a guest at a wedding earlier in the year, and Ann thought he was quite fetching in it, so she asked that he wear one for their wedding day as well. Another nod to her being Scottish, which was just lovely. This series of photos with the guys are Mike’s photographs. Love them! So glad he was there to back me up, since it is impossible to be in two places at once.

Ann’s niece Aylabeth is the cutest 4 year old ever. She was just a delight to spend time with all weekend! Those blue eyes and her Scottish accent? Most precious thing ever!

One last kiss to blot the lips – the next kiss will be for Karl!

Another one of those things that is different in the UK than what I am used to – the Registrar came and interviewed both Karl & Ann separately to ask them all sorts of questions verifying who they are and going over signing the registry during the ceremony. Also, you can see below the sign that the Registrar put on the door notifying the public that a wedding was taking place. Not something I see every day!

Ann knit her own shawl for the wedding day. The yarn, Handmaiden Fine Yarn Sea Silk in Gray, was the perfect choice, and she took the Lady’s Circular Cape in Shell Pattern from Victorian Lace Today and modified it to make it just what she needed. Do you knit? You can see Ann’s notes about the project and all the other details on Ravelry here.

More to come soon – the ceremony & the reception! I can’t wait to share! Thank you a million times over to Ann & Karl for allowing us to be a part of their special day!

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue – Byzantium in Bristol, UK
Hair: MeMe Salon, Bristol UK
Cake: Waitrose, London UK

It just seems like it wouldn’t be right to wrap up 2010 and kick off 2011 without a post to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were great, wonderful, and amazing! I kicked off 2010 photographing Tiffany & Romeo’s wedding, and I ended 2010 with Cheryl & Dev. I sort of think that was the perfect way to bookend an awesome year for my business!

I truly have to thank my family, Brittany, Elaine, Kelly & Regina from the bottom of my heart. I could NOT do what I do without your love & support. You carry me, and I truly thank you all for that!

I photographed 30 boudoir sessions this year, and I discovered that my superpower (thanks for the name, Karen!) is showing women how beautiful they truly are, allowing them to see what I see. Every woman – EVERY woman – is sexy, beautiful, gorgeous, and fabulous. The most beautiful of all are those hot mamas! I am looking forward to making boudoir a HUGE part of my business in 2011! BIG big big plans ahead! If you’re a Hot Mama, you’ll definitely want to come back & check it out!

This year I photographed 27 weddings, including destination weddings in Mexico & England. One of these incorporated Vietnamese, Cambodian & Chinese traditions, and three were Indian weddings. The list of weddings also included an emergency wedding for my friends Jessica & JD when their son Finn decided he wanted to be born several weeks early, and second shooting for Regina Holder in Asheville, North Carolina (at the Biltmore Estate!), D. Jones Photography and Kelly Niemann. There were also sessions for two newborns of past clients, and my SLGT Photo Project sessions as well. Thanks to the SLGT Photo Project, we had some wonderful speakers come to the monthly photographer meetup that I host at the studio and we passed our one year anniversary last August!

Somehow, among all of the weddings and portrait sessions, I managed to visit Seattle for our friend Mandy’s wedding and to visit family & friends, Las Vegas for WPPI, Taos & Angel Fire, New Mexico for a roadtrip with Brittany & Kelly, Asheville to shoot with Regina, Oaxaca and Huatulco Mexico, London and Bristol England, Denver for the Biz Clarity workshop that is where all those big plans coming up came together, San Antonio, Lexington for Christmas, and New Orleans last week on our road trip home. (I should point out that Mexico, England, Denver, San Antonio, Lexington & New Orleans were all in the last quarter of the year. WHEW!)

I started off this year (you know, 6 days ago) trying to pull together favorite images from all of my 2010 weddings and boudoir sessions. This is a bit tricky, because I shot a LOT this year, and many of them aren’t on the blog. So instead, I’m going to be sharing them here and there over the next few weeks & months. The boudoir posts take a bit more time because I actually go through and contact each client and get their ok on every image I’m considering. Hang on for the ride though – there are some super gorgeous posts heading your way!

Made it all the way to the end? Awesome! Come back tomorrow! I’ll be launching a Valentine’s Day version of the Special Special, which means an extra $50-200 off of your boudoir session if you book by January 24. This will be the last time you’ll see these prices, so if you want to lock in these rates you need to do it right away!

Thank you a zillion times over to our 2010 couples for allowing us to be a part of such a special time in your lives!!!
- Tiffany & Romeo, wedding & reception at The Woodlands Resort
- Naurin & Michael, wedding & reception at Agave Road in Katy
- Sarom & Minh, wedding in a private ceremony, reception at Kim Son in Bellaire
- Kim & Ken, wedding & reception at M2 Gallery in the Heights
- Emily & Michael, wedding & reception at a Bed & Breakfast in the Montrose area
- Andrea & Lee, wedding at West Houston Chinese Church, reception at the Downtown Club at One Shell Plaza (and our very first Marry-thon!)
- Megan & Cruz, wedding & reception at The Woodlands Resort
- Hailey & Tyson (photographed by Elaine & Kari – my son’s graduation day!), married at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, reception at Houston National Golf Club
- Priscilla & Bill, wedding & reception at The Woodlands Resort
- Betsy & Robert, wedding & reception at The Woodlands Resort
- Jessica & Jay, wedding & reception at The Petroleum Club in downtown Houston
- Melinda & Kyle, married at the St. Joseph Church Museum, reception at The Tremont House in Galveston, Texas
- Melissa & Kurt (second photographer for Regina Holder), married & reception at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina
- Alyssa & Christopher (second photographer for Regina Holder), married & reception at the Biltmore Estate’s Champagne Cellar in Asheville, North Carolina
- Heather & Matt (photographed by Kelly & Chris while Elaine & I were in Galveston), married & reception at Hotel Zaza
- Holly & Philip, married at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, reception at Hotel Zaza
- Valeria & Omid, married at St. Paul Catholic Church, Nassau Bay, reception on the FantaSea Yacht Charters at South Shore Harbor
- Missy & Jonathan, married at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church, reception in Katy
- Melissa & John, married & reception at a private residence in River Oaks
- Kate & Walker, married & reception at a private residence near Huatulco, Mexico
- Rachel & Alex (photographed by Kelly & Chris while Elaine & I were in Mexico), married & reception at Rockefeller Hall
- Emily & Allen (second photographer for Laura Burlton of D. Jones Photography), married & reception at The Junior League
- Ann & Karl, married & reception at Byzantium in Bristol, England
- Emily & Charlie (second photographer for Kelly Niemann), wedding at Lakewood United Methodist Church, reception at Raveneaux Country Club
- Cheryl & Dev, married & reception at The Houstonian

We’re in London for the wedding of Ann and Karl this weekend in Bristol, England. Ann & I met years ago (2000? 2001?) thanks to the blogosphere and the fact that we were both photographers. I discovered her incredible work online, and over time we talked via email and instant messaging. We shared a love of photography and all good things geek. Eventually, she started to tell me how I really must meet this Mike guy that she had met at a London blogger meetup. He was from Houston, but working in London. He returned to Houston frequently though. She told him that he should meet me. Then Mike moved back to Houston, and organized a coffee hour at (the now defunct) Kaveh Kane’s in downtown Houston. I went because Ann had insisted I really, really needed to meet him. Within weeks we were dating, and we’ve been married now for over 6 years. I might have met him anyways as our paths would have crossed thanks to H-Town blogs, but I made a point to meet him and talk to him – all because of Ann’s recommendation. To say I owe her a lot would be an understatement.

I finally got to meet Ann in person when we were on our honeymoon in London in 2004. We walked from Trafalgar Square to Parliament, passing Big Ben, across the Westminster Bridge, and eventually took a ride on the London Eye. Ann & I were like two kids in a candy shop, taking hundreds of photos of the skyline at sunset and dusk. It was WONDERFUL. Then we walked across Hungerford Bridge, and eventually picked a spot for dinner. Even though Mike knows a lot of people in London, we agreed beforehand that Ann was the only person that we would meet up with while we were on our honeymoon. It was a fabulous, fun filled night.

In 2006 I returned with Mike to London. He had a business trip for work, and since we had some airline miles available for a flight for me, and a “free” hotel room, I tagged along. The last 3-4 days, he had to go over to The Hague for meetings, so I stayed with Ann in her flat. It was my first taste of what “real” London is like for people that live here, and I was even more in love. It was nice having a few days alone with her, visiting yarn shops, going to her knitting group at the pub and meeting her friends (that is Nikki below on the right), and of course taking photos.

Ann & Karl met on the 4th of November, 2006 and started dating on the 5th of November. This Friday will be their 4 year anniversary of that first date, and the perfect date for a wedding! Remember, remember the fifth of November… (Yes, there will be sparklers and other fireworks for Guy Fawkes Night!)

Ann made her first trip to the USA for SXSWi in 2007, and it was so much fun getting a chance to show her my side of the pond while she was there. She is still wondering why they don’t have Chicken Fried Steak in England, because it is the best food ever. She would also love it if a Target was to open nearby in London.

Mike to London returned for another business trip in 2007 and Ann spent a Sunday afternoon teaching him how to knit too. I could have taught him, but realized I might try to stab him with my knitting needles in the process if I got frustrated, so it was better having a neutral party involved. On another business trips to London he had the chance to meet Karl as he went to their flat for dinner a few different times. I had heard so much about him over the past 4 years I felt like I knew him, but didn’t actually get to meet him until we arrived on Saturday. He is absolutely delightful, and I could not have picked a better man for Ann. They are so wonderful together, and I’m so happy for them!

Ann told me when I started photographing weddings that someday if she & Karl got married, she wanted me to come and photograph it. When he proposed, I was in Belize for Melissa & Brandon’s wedding – and I was SO excited when I got the text from Ann that Karl had popped the question and she said yes! I was beyond thrilled when she asked me if I would share in their joy by photographing the big day. I’m sure I’ll be crying tears of joy more than once on Friday!

Today is our production day here at their house in East Dulwich. (Part of London, southeast of the river.) After I finish this post and set up the holiday boudoir collection options, I’ll be helping with menus, placecards, “Yay!” flags for the guests to wave at the end of the ceremony (my personal contribution), and whatever else is needed. Most importantly, Mike & I will be keeping Ann company. I can’t think of a better place to be. Tomorrow it is off to Bristol. I can’t believe the big day is almost here!

All photos in this post were taken by Elaine, because this continues my series of “My computer is still sick” posts. It is currently with the Geniuses at Apple, they got the part in yesterday, and it should be ready tomorrow, hopefully. Maybe Friday. Either way, we’re going on two weeks without my machine, and it has been hard to deal with. I’m missing my album software and templates, Lightroom presets, and Photoshop actions that I use constantly. Ugh. But that is also what inspired this post.

You see, everyone thinks being a Destination Wedding Photographer is so awesome. Ok, who am I kidding? It *IS* awesome. But it isn’t always as easy as it looks. There are a LOT of things you have to take into consideration. It is not your typical vacation, and you must have respect for the responsibilities you are taking on. The wedding last week in Belize was our biggest Destination Wedding to date, in part because Caye Caulker is so remote – an island that you can walk from one end to the other in probably 20 minutes or so, and it is only about 5 blocks wide. This lead to some realizations over the months of planning. I’m hoping if I share some of this wisdom here, it will help someone else along the way. If you’re planning a destination wedding, be sure to discuss these things with your photographer to make sure they are prepared for what you need from them – I’m hoping this will help you out with your own planning as well!

• Part of your trip may be vacation-like, but you’re still working. Behave accordingly.
• You have to bring *everything* you need with you. There is no Best Buy down the road to grab something if you forgot it when you’re at a remote location.
• You have to bring backups of everything critical with you as well.
• Be sure to bring all of your chargers for batteries, phones & laptops, an extension cord for when outlets are hard to find, and any converters and transformers as needed.
• You might have to carry all of this a long way, and the conditions might not always be optimal. Plan accordingly. I had to take a 45 minute water taxi ride in a boat that didn’t have a roof. I have always been a huge fan of my Think Tank bag (Airport International, in case you wondered), but even more so knowing it has rain gear just in case I needed it. I didn’t, but I was still glad.
• Talk to your clients about every last detail of the trip. For example, mine told me about the cab ride and water taxi ride in advance, so I knew to prepare to possibly get wet. I’m glad I had that information so I was able to plan.
• Verify some of the key details on your own as well – for example, does your destination require a visa? Not a work visa, just a visa to visit. How about shots? Do you need anything special? (Brazil requires a travel visa, and most people get shots before going to India.)
• Be sure to negotiate who pays for what when you write up your contract. I like to handle my own flight & room reservations normally, and include the price in the total amount. Also take into account any food and other travel allowance you might need and want your clients to cover – taxis, buses, trains – they all add up! (Personally, I pay for my own food. I would be eating at home anyways.)
• Estimate travel costs, especially plane tickets, based on the average price, not the cheapest fare. That fare may not be available when you go to book, and you also don’t want to get stuck flying a red-eye that will leave you tired when you arrive. Have a provision in your contract to cover fare adjustments if you feel it is necessary.
• Arrive at least 24 hours before you need to be there, if not more. If you’re shooting a wedding on Saturday, fly in on Thursday to give yourself a buffer in case there are any flight delays or anything unusual comes up.
• Be sure to have an emergency fund – cash, savings or an emergency credit card with a balance – in case something crazy happens and you suddenly need to access a lot of cash. Airlines can close down (it happened last year) or a disaster might reroute you, and you might suddenly have to book a $2000 plane ticket to get to the wedding or to make it home.
• Consider what type of plane you will be flying in as you plan your trip. Rolling bags will not fit into the overhead of a Continental Express Jet, and they will make you gate check it when you get on the plane. It is not optional. I always try to avoid the Express Jet flights for that reason, and when I can’t avoid them I pack all my gear (or at least the most essential stuff) in a backpack that I will be allowed to put under the seat. I use the Surge backpack by The North Face, placing my lenses in my ShootSac and then placing the ShootSac into the main compartment of the bag. (Props to this post for tipping me off to the Surge – just look at what all he packs in it!.)
• Keep all of your gear in your carry on bags. Don’t check your gear.
• Talk to your insurance agent about your coverage on your gear. Verify that if something was stolen by baggage handlers, they would pay the claim. Some companies will insist that the airline should cover it, and the airline will point out that they take no responsibility for your bags. If you’re leaving the country, make sure they will pay on losses from outside of the country as well.
• Have a backup plan in case something happens to you and you can’t shoot. (Yes, I worry about these things.) When I shoot in the US, I know people in most areas where I’ve worked, so if something happened to me on a trip that Elaine wasn’t on with me, I could call them for backup. Uhm, not the case in Caye Caulker, Belize. Originally, I was going alone – but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense for Elaine to come along too. I was so glad she was able to do it! And I did fall on the boat dock and banged my knee up pretty bad the day before the wedding — I was ok, but what if I hadn’t been? Having Elaine there meant that if something had happened to me, I had a backup plan. Important when you’re going somewhere off the beaten path!
• Think about what you are going to do to back up those photos before you head home. I made a point of keeping my cards full of the photos when we left, plus backing them up to two external drives. I then packed the cards with my gear, one external drive in my other carry-on bag, and one external drive in Elaine’s carry-on bag. You can never be too safe.
• My latest lesson – think about what you’re going to do as far as a computer as well. Bring *lots* of memory cards – several more then you think you will need. I’m also considering a Netbook or an Epson 5000 type of device for backing up cards. Since Elaine was there, we had her laptop along so fortunately, I was able to use hers to backup our memory cards. For the rest of the trip, with the exception of posting photos to Flickr and the blog posts, I did everything else using WiFi and my iPhone, and I was fine. If she hadn’t been there, I could have had a problem, since in the end I used every last memory card I have, and I would have been nervous traveling without backing up the images before my flight.
• To use your iPhone and WiFi without all the crazy fees for data roaming, set it up so you can get online, check email, Twitter, the day to day things. If you have an iPhone, turn off Data Roaming by placing the phone in Airplane mode so it won’t ring, turning on WiFi, and turning off Data Roaming (under Network in General Settings). Works perfectly!
• Remember to take it all in and enjoy it. Then take photos of it all for your clients.
• You will end up being involved in a lot more things then at a normal wedding, almost like you’re another guest – it is a huge honor to be a part of a destination event because of that! Don’t be a stick in the mud and distant, hiding in your room when you’re not shooting – spend time mingling with them and getting to know the other people on the trip. (Of course, still be professional.)
• At the same time, do be mindful of your own needs – if you’re like me and you like an hour of quiet time before you go to shoot, explain that you’re off to prepare, and leave. You were hired to do your best.
• Think about who will keep an eye on things for you at home while you are gone? Do you have someone that will check your messages and make return calls for you? Mike was willing to check my voicemail, send me emails about messages, and call people back for me. Brittany kept other things running smoothly for me. Having a team at home that you can rely on is really important.
• Be prepared for something to fail. Some part of your plan won’t work out perfectly. For me, not only was my laptop down, but Skype doesn’t work in Belize. While I had planned to be able to call home daily through Skype, I couldn’t even connect. Thank goodness for Twitter and email!

All of this is, of course, just my opinion. What do you think? Do you have any tips or advice to share? Anything I’m overlooking here?

I want to give props to Gene Higa, Ann Hamilton, Tomas Flint, Regina Holder and Jose Villa for all of the information & wisdom they have shared with me about destination weddings – it has truly helped me at each one along the way. I’m so blessed to have such supportive friends!

Also a wonderful resource – and the inspiration behind several of these tips – check out Flying with Fish. “Steven Frischling, aka: Fish, is a self employed photographer, and founder of The Travel Strategist, who has flown approximately 1,000,000 miles since he began to track his mileage 2005.” Yeah, he knows his stuff.

Todd Todderson was a fantastic traveling companion, but he wasn’t willing to carry any of our gear for us and he was completely worthless behind the camera. Thank goodness he is so cute in front of it!

We went for an all day boat cruise with Ras Creek off of Caye Caulker, Belize on Monday and had a chance to swim with the stingrays among the coral. It was AMAZING! I don’t own a waterproof camera, but Brandon (the groom whose wedding we were here to photograph) was nice enough to loan me his for a bit and these are the photos I took. It was hard to get photos under water – it has such a high salt content, you are super buoyant! This is where my shooting “from the hip” skills really came in handy!

We were so grateful that Melissa, Brandon & their family and friends included us on their adventures this week – it has been so much fun for Elaine & me!

It was so cool going out with Ras Creek because back in the early 1990s he was the one to develop Stingray Alley – going out there to teach about nature to the tourists and giving people a better appreciation of the world around him. Normally you can see nurse sharks there too, but it is mating season so they were off doing their thing. *wink*

We even saw a lobster while we were out there – if you look just below the rock, you can see it peeking out from there!