As most folks know, my transition from full time photojournalist to wedding photojournalist began with destination weddings. After so much time in overseas countries covering gritty stories in incredibly remote and harsh locations… a wedding in Europe, Central America or Asia was an absolute dream!
They’re still some of my favorite venues if for no other reason that they usually span several days, and as a professional “storyteller,” there’s ample opportunity to get to know everyone and cover every element of the weekend. Here’s an example of one such wedding I shot at The One and Only Palmilla in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was named “Favorite Destination Wedding” by theknot.com:
Luckily, many of the great clients I work with create wedding weekends in that same spirit regardless of location. Their “destination” weddings may be a few states away from where they live, or in their adopted home city. The same elements of celebration, thoughtful activities and beautiful locations apply.
It’s a wonderful trend that I’ve delighted in noticing. Families are increasingly spread all over the globe and the weekend wedding celebrates not only the wedding day, but the friends and relatives that make the couple who they are. When I shoot in Maine, a schooner cruise, lobsterbake or sea kayaking trip is common. In Napa, it’s wine tasting, horseback riding and hot air ballooning.
Wherever your wedding is and whatever your interests are, taking the time to share your special place with those you love goes a long way to solidifying your location as a destination… regardless of the distance. Even if your wedding isn’t far from home, check out a recent book we collaborated on that features our work. It’s filled with ideas that are sure to inspire!
Sarah Grammer - Brian,
You have a real gift for putting people at ease while creatively capturing EVERYTHING. Our destination wedding was amazing because of you and Christine. Amazing preparation, amazing process, amazing results… just amazing.
Your “past life” as a guide is so evident. We NEVER expected to have you fly to Puerto Rico to help take care of us in such a complete way. I mean we thought we were getting this really cool, really creative guy who would be wonderful to have with us, and who could also take these awesome photos. But we never expected to have you be so wonderful dealing with all the changes, all the weather and my crazy family with ease.
I mean how many destination photographers need to (and can) speak French, Japanese, English and a little Spanish all in one day? That was amazing, and it saved our butts.
You have a gift for this stuff, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that you’ve now written the book on it. If I were to ever plan some complex event in a foreign country again, I would have you with us again in a heartbeat. The fact that you’re so unobtrusive and calm in the face of all the craziness is incredible.
THANK YOU. We saw the book in Borders yesterday. You’re work is the best and so are you. We’re lucky we found you!
Sarah and Chris
brianwedge - Sarah and Chris,
Thanks for having us! The truth is that your wedding was amazing. Your families were so welcoming to us, and we really appreciate the kind words.
We’re so lucky to have captured your week of festivities and are psyched that you loved the process and the final images so much.
We expect you at the annual lobsterbake this September!!!
Bri and Christine