Wedding Blog
We regularly receive emails from photographers trying to branch out into destination weddings, asking us to post about their free DW photography services. Couples have to cover airfare and hotel expenses, but all photography services and images are provided free of charge.
I was chatting with Mr. Bee about whether we should post such offers, and he mentioned that it sounded like a great way for a photographer to get a free vacation. If he were building his portfolio, that’s the way he’d do it. 
While we’d love to help up and coming photographers as well as brides who might benefit from free photography services, we also can’t bear responsiblity for the quality of photos or services rendered. So we’d like to hear your thoughts. Why do you think so many photographers are offering free destination wedding photography? And should we post these offers?
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I think you should post them because some brides could benefit just as much as the photographer would. But post a disclaimer with each free offer post that absolves you of responsibility for the quality of images and that you have not checked out the vendor or some such thing.
As with any photographer a bride & groom might book, I believe the onus is on them to check out the photographer’s portfolio & style, make sure you get along with them before signing any contract and agreeing to any costs. I wouldn’t hold you responsible for a store’s product if you had posted about them having a sale on Weddingbee, so I don’t see why it should be any different for photography services.
I love this! I definitely think it’s a great way to build a portfolio and get a fun trip for the photographer - and I think us brides are smart enough to research whether we like their style. You could include a little disclaimer re: you not vouching for quality at the top of any such posts. (Maybe you could do a weekly roundup of these and/or post them somewhere like the sample sales?)
My fiance is actually doing this right now. He is a professional photographer but does not have a wedding portfolio yet. So, he is doing a few weddings free to build one. He is using craigslist and getting lots of responses. So, I’m not sure that weddingbee would be offering something brides can’t find in other places. And I like that Weddingbee does not have lots of vendor ads.
On the other hand, besides craigslist, I don’t know anywhere else my fiance could offer his free photography services, and I’m sure there are more brides who would benefit from them. Maybe you could create a separate section of weddingbee for this kind of thing? But then, there are also other items that maybe then should get similar space- past brides selling used wedding accessories, leftover decorations, etc. cheap?
Post them. Free photogs as well as pay ones have portfolios that people can look at before they decide if they want to enter contests.
I am doing a DW and we are helping a photog build his portfolio. We met the photog at a wedding in Indiana, loved his work and the slideshow he did of the ceremony at the reception. We asked if he had a passport at the reception.
I had been around him for a couple of days with other wedding events and hit it off with him. Now he had his wife are coming to our DW in exchange for air and lodging. We are also paying $500 and getting a week of coverage, yes a WEEK of coverage. We get a photog we like and are helping him build his portfolio in Costa Rica. He and his wife get to leave the U. S. for the first time and travel with our guests, this acts as a safety net for them and they get to build their portfolio.
It is win-win. I know not all photogs are of a high caliber. Brides should look at galleries and ask to see a full set of photos submitted to a recent couple just like they would with any photog they are considering. Then proceed with the contest if they want.
I kind’a think offers like these are half-assed (excuse my French). If a photographer really wants to build their portfolio, why not offer a free package without the destination wedding component? Or offer free photography with optional packages for the prints/albums for sale? It just seems like more like a gimmic to get a free vacation. However, if you do post these, I would caution brides to reimburse the travel fees upon receipt of the pictures or at least not pay 100% of the travel fees up front in case it turns out to be a ruse. JMO.
I agree w/ Red.
I can see both ways - on one hand it seems a little fishy that they’re getting a free trip out of it, but the photogs also have material costs that they’re covering (the prints, albums, labor), so it’s not like they’re taking full advantage of a bride. But I think it could potentially look like a conflict of interest. Maybe you can put them in the ‘More’ section with a disclaimer that previous posts have mentioned.
I think you should post them. I’m sure it’s looks wierd outside of the DW world, but it’s 100% common AND appreciated in the destination wedding world. It’s not a “free vacation.” It’s compensation in the FORM of a vacation. 
And like the PP said–most brides aren’t dumb enough to not do research on the photog they are paying, no matter if they are paying travel expenses or paying a standard fee at a standard wedding.
HTH!
I am having a destination wedding in Las Vegas early next year. Many of the photographers that I have contacted would not charge an extra fee for the travel expenses as they are tax write offs. I think that photographers such as the ones you are concerned about are trying to get a free vacation.
I think this would be another great reason to create a message board feature. You could have one giant disclaimer (maybe that pops up when you click on that link) at the top of the board that says you are doing no advocating, just providing a service. Very similar to the reasons we discussed a few months ago about not being able to be sued because you provide the avenue, not the content.
What about OTHER vendors wanting to break into the wedding industry? Personally, I think you should post the information/ads but I think you should do the same for some who wants to get into wedding coordination industry- LIKE ME!!!
Anyone need a day of coordinator for their wedding in Orange County? If so email me @ jaimebb@yahoo.com.
Mrs. Bee- I’ll send YOU and email later!! Maybe you can help me by posting my ad.
i personally think its the photog’s way of getting a free all expensed vacay. if they really want to build up their portfolio, do it from your hometown. you don’t necessarily have to travel far away to take pictures.
also, i understand planning a wedding is very expensive, (we’re all planning one) but if the quality of the pictures come out bad, who’s to blame?
I should add–I think it’s also important to note and realize that these are not usually vacations. Most photographers ask for four nights of accomodations–one of which would be arrival at the location to scout lighting etc, one of which would be rehearsal and rehearsal dinner coverage, one of which would be full coverage on the wedding day, and one of which would be departure.
I’m not sure it’s much of a vacation for them, but it IS a way to have beautiful and unique pictures in their portfolio.
please, please do! if not as posting, at least as an e-mail to me 
i’ve just started planning a DW and one of the most addictive activities is browsing photographer websites. i’ve found so many photogs that i’d love to have for my wedding, but i just can’t bear the idea of paying for both the fees AND the travel. so, every great photographer i find is bittersweet, because i probably won’t be able to use him or her. i really, really don’t want to “settle” for the small pool of photographers located at the destination.
as for your concern about the quality of the referrals, i don’t think your readers would be so silly as to blindly follow whatever offers you post without doing some checking of the photographer’s portfolio and references.
I agree with Red –
Brides should make sure to have a contract written up before hand, and maybe check some references, so you actually have some photos after the fact. (So you don’t pay all expenses for photog. then get crappy or no pics).
I think there is a big difference between a regular photog building a portfolio and a DW photog. DW photogs should already have experience with conventional weddings. They should have a portfolio. Photogs building those type of portfolios should stay home.
Aspiring DW photogs seem to already have a handle on weddings at home. They just need a DW break to get into that side of the business.
I personally don’t like ads. I read weddingbee for the content. Like any other business, they should have to pay for advertising. When a business is opening up, what do they do? Take out an ad in the local paper. This may just be the ‘journalist’ in me, but I think that should be paid for, not just given out. While I’m sure it is a great opportunity to build up a portfolio, do it by actually paying for advertising. If you do it for photogs, then eventually you’ll be expected to do it for everyone (see post above about coordinator).
I guess I would want to make sure these were established photographers, not newbies trying to start their portfolio on a destination wedding…newbies should first try to assist/apprentice a professional photographer in their area before moving onto something like a destination wedding.
I’m with marvil. I’d rather not read through advertising or promotional stuff - I want to read about you bees!
Now, if you were thinking about doing a message board thing, then I’d say give them a thread there.
What would be the point of having sponsors if vendors advertise themselves simply by sending an email? Wouldn’t you lose funding?
I say no– I love that I can read Wedding Bee uninterrupted by vendor ads. I think having these would really ruin the flow.
As a photog myself, I have to interject. A portfolio of DW weddings is very different than one of “conventional” weddings. There are so many additional factors that play into a DW wedding and how to capture it well. Getting one under your belt and having the results to show others is very key. Getting that first one to book it is hard, and that is why photogs are offering this up. It is work, they won’t be able to do what they like while there, they will be working. Any great photog is more concerned with getting great images than a free vacation, and a DW can offer that because the location is so different from what they are used to.
Apple - check out my website. I would love to consider your DW.
I’m a photographer and I can tell you that destination weddings are not at all “vacations.” It really is alot of work. More so than home weddings. However, what makes DW so appealing is getting the chance to shoot at a different environment than what can be found at home. It’s just like with any job that travels - travel expenses gets paid by your employer - and you get the chance to go out and experience a new city/country that you may not get the opportunity to go otherwise. But any professional know that you’re still there to do a job.
Another photog chiming in! Like mthreestudio stated, DW photography and “hometown” photography ARE two different niches. Many people offering these may already be established photogs in their hometown and may want to branch out to DW weddings. And getting that *first* DW wedding is hard if you have never done one before. So people do offer things like this to get their foot in the door. But yes, there probably are photogs out there who may do it “just as a free vacation” - when in reality, it’s NOT a vacation at all. It may be in where you might stay somewhere exotic and fun for a few days, but the stress of traveling (it is STRESSFUL traveling with all your equipment and being far away from a “comfort zone”) and etc.
Why not make a compromise?
Ask the photographers to post their links to del.icio.us with the tag DW_photographers_weddingbee (or something like that). That way, it’s not on the blog to dilute the amazing content and work on the site but those who are interested can peruse the sites at their leisure.
Another method I’ve seen that worked great to share images for a content was to ask all photographers to post their images on flickr and tag them with destination_wedding, photography, and weddingbee. Again, users can then look their, see the portfolio images and contact the photographers there.
I think that would be enough “editorial separation” from weddingbee. I assume most brides who visit this site are vested in fully researching their vendors to make sure they’ve made the best choice!
As a DW gal, I have been hunting for 1+ year (!) to find a quality DW photog that can fit into my budget. Most photogs charge normal fees + travel. With the wedding in Anguilla, the travel alone can easily go upwards of $3K, and with a service fee, etc. etc. the cost is hugely prohibitive for my budget.
Thanks!
i don’t think it’s such a great idea. like many of the previous comments, DW require a certain experience as different situations and problems will arise. let them test on friends and family, not loyal readers of the bee that might see this as an endorsement of the company and heaven forbid the results are poor, the blog will suffer from it. photos are the single most important thing you can pay for when it comes to your big day, to spend the money and take an experienced photog with you or hire a skilled company locally at the destination. i also agree with an earlier comment, if you do this for photographers, you open a can of worms for all vendor categories wanting the same platform and ultimately the bee with become a place for the once-wed brides to start event planning businesses, etc…thus changing the scope of your site. but i love that you do what the readers want, so there is still something to be said for the majority regardless. good luck with the decision!!
I absolutely think you should post these types of offers. I am having a DW in Jamaica and our photog is offering his services free of charge in exchange for travel expenses. It is a win-win for both of us. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be using the resort photographer and have so-so photos. I know that it won’t be a vacation for him. The day of his arrival, he’ll be meeting with us and scouting the resort for great photo location, during his 2nd day he’ll be photographing our rehearsal and dinner, his 3rd day will be entirely spent on wedding activity, and his 4th day he’ll be doing a “day after” shoot before his flight home. The only day of relaxation he might receive is during day 2, which is fine with me as I’m getting a great photographer at a steep discount.
i’m kind of split on this one. i see both sides……
nississima - anguilla is sooooooooooooooo beautiful! i LOVE it there! we were in cap juluca for our honeymoon, and i cant wait until we’re able to go back. i have never seen beaches so beautiful….
I think it’s a wonderful idea to get these offers out there, although I agree with some of the posts that say it should be separated from the main content. Planning a DW in Jamaica, I know how difficult it is to find a good photographer who we can actually afford to bring down. We ended up splurging for this. And skimped on other parts. With all expenses we are paying close to 10K for photography alone. I imagine not everyone could pay this and could really benefit from the offers. Needless to say, every bride and groom should do their research on any photographer they are selecting.
Hi y’all. As a professional wedding photographer myself, I give a whole hearted “yes.” But only to established wedding photographers who want to break into the DW market, not novice photographers. Many photographers, like myself, really enjoy traveling to new locations, which is why I would consider doing this. It’s fun, it’s exciting, but it’s also a big responsibilty that I take very seriously. Like jambride2b113 says, it can be a great way to be sure to get an excellent photographer. Please pick your photographer carefully. Your memories are priceless!
As a wedding photog who did email WeddingBee with an offer like this I can say this is DEFINITELY not a want for a free vacation. It’s going to be way more stress for me (than a “local wedding”) but I want to build a DW portfolio and how else can I do it?
So….I’m still looking for 1-2 couples — outside the US. Email me!
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Mrs. Bee, New York
Age and Occupation: 29, Weddingbee Publisher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Internet
Engagement Date: May 7, 2004
Wedding Date: March 5, 2005
Venue: Westside Loft, New York
About Me: Yes, my name really is Bee! I love my blogging, wikis, and tabasco sauce!
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