I cant believe that we are quickly approaching a MONTH since I have been home from UNITED 2014. How is that possible!?!? Time, please slow down. I still have at least 10 blog posts to share from this incredible conference….so as long as you are willing to read, I am willing to share!

One of the classes I attended was Kenny Kim’s class on HOW to book more destination weddings and the facts behind what they really entail/require of you as a photographer.

Kenny Kim is such an amazing role model, person and photographer. If you do not know who he is or have not had an opportunity to look at his work, click here to check him out. I always told my husband that if we ever made it to Chicago…we would be taking an hour to have our photos done by him. I love all the vast talent photographers have all over the globe and I only hope to experience their talents everywhere I go.

This class was PACKED. I am talking, bodies leaning against the walls, sprawled out on the floors (me being one of them I might add) and every seat filled with photographers taking furious notes. I admit, I did take quite a few notes, but my new bff and room mate Kristi has to be the fastest note taker alive….she is like a human typewriter! Love you girl : P!

Here are some wonderful things I learned and took away from the class as a photographer that is already CURRENTLY shooting destination weddings:

1. According to Kenny….25% of ALL weddings are destination. What a huge market that is in the grand scheme of things right!?!?! Destination does NOT just mean white sands, crystal clear waters or needing a passport to get there!

2. In fact, the top 5 destination locations in the United States are Florida, Nevada, North Carolin, South Carolina and the lovely California.

3. Of that 25% of destination brides and grooms….roughly 40% OVER spend on their budgets and of those budgets, photographers are roughly $2,300 + expenses/accommodations. (Kenny, however is quite a bit more, notably so)

 

After going over the general facts and numbers associated with Destination weddings, Kenny went on to give some GREAT information on what the PRO’S and CON’S are of taking on or getting into destination wedding photography.

Here are a few I took down:

PROS

• Quality vs Quantity (This is in reference to, you can SHOOT less due to the time it takes to travel, but the QUALITY of the work you are producing is greater than shooting the same type of wedding, over and over again. I believe he was also referencing to the fact that destination weddings don’t often follow the same rules/expectations of standard weddings in that they do not always have vast bridal parties, a vast amount of guests, or typical time line of events. They are more intimate and laid back which allows you the time to have QUALITY time with your clients without being rushed from one mark to the other by coordinators, etc)
• Amazing Imagery/Travel (You get to travel to places you may have never been able to go or see before….and when you are somewhere new…everything is gorgeous….exciting and fresh which promotes gorgeous, passion driven imagery)
• Low Overhead
• An Education (Traveling builds knowledge…its builds character. It promotes a well rounded and educated person that attracts others in life…and possibly, new clients…ever hear the expression “They are so “well traveled”? : P)
• Skyping/Emailing is Easy! (Your bride and groom may not be booking you from a place that is convenient to meet….OR they may be booking you from the location in which they are getting married so although it may be destination to you…its HOME to them. Today’s technology makes it easy to connect with clients via skype and stay in touch with email, etc. No more barriers or reasons to fear you won’t connect or get along. Make time to connect this way…go down a day earlier than the wedding to meet their friends and family….its all about the effort made. You could also speak to a local wedding photographer to get some tips for that location, as they will know it best. For example, a friend of a friend recently got married in Belfast as that’s where her hubby is from. Apparently, she took her own photographer over, but they regularly spoke to this Wedding Photographer in Belfast for tips and advice.)

 

CONS

• Travel is physically demanding. It does take a lot more effort in planning and carving out time to be away…especially if you have children/pets/ family you tend after. Having a sturdy support system at home really helps! You also need to consider that you can only take on one wedding during the duration of your trip, so your fee needs to reflect the time spent traveling and the time spent keeping you from booking two weddings in a weekend, rather than one wedding and 2 separate days of travel. Basically, is it WORTH it to you and your business?
• What else could be a CON here….you are TRAVELING this amazing world to shoot weddings…win…win! : )

 

Now….let’s talk pricing. This and contracts are my LEAST favorite part of the business….but the irony is…you need both to BE IN and RUN a business. Some recommendations have been to HIDE the travel fees/build them into your destination wedding collections and when you receive an inquiry for a destination wedding, present that couple with that set of pricing/collections. Others will present their current collections, but instead come to a negotiation of sorts that balance time spent shooting/traveling, etc. Kenny recommends to negotiate your TIME over monetary value because if you are already OUT there…offer to shoot a bridal or day after session before offering to take costs off the collections. We ALL have our own ways to handle destination weddings and Kenny’s tips were amazing for anyone and everyone out there.

For those that wonder how I charge for destination, this is how I go about pricing:

1. Set base price for Out of Country and In Country.

2. Charge separately for flights, checked bags, parking fee for car and commute to airport (covers tolls, gas, 1 1/2 hours of driving to airport).

3. Additional fees can include (if not inclusive), rental car fee, meal allowance, etc.

4. Second shooter would incur all of the same fees plus a flat rate for shooting should they decide to have one join me. (But best news…to the super tropical places…Jamaica, Cancun and Hawaii…I bring my hubby along…teach him a few tricks…give him my back up camera with a 70-200 attached and say SHOOT!- No, he is not a paid second shooter…so any images he produces are considered bonus…and if you ask my Jamaica bride from last year….3 of his shots were in her album AND was part of her profile pictures on Facebook. HE pays his own way and stays in the room my clients booked me, in case you were wondering about that. My hubby is so multi-talented!! : P )

5. Extra tips/advice of how I personally run things: 50% of the flat rate for myself and the second are due up front at booking. Book your OWN flights and send a receipt to the bride and groom for reimbursement unless otherwise discussed. Buy cancellation insurance GOD forbid the wedding is cancelled…everyone is covered. Have a clause in your contract going over insurance related to traveling with your gear, etc.

Before Kenny concluded his speech he gave us some great tips on how to be a savvy traveler. Here is what he shared:

1. Do not say that you are there to shoot a wedding and be CAREFUL whom you talk to on the plane or in the airport about what your true purpose for the trip is.
2. Book your own flights, have the bride and groom book your hotel under a room block, near the airport, or with the rest of the guests.
3. ALWAYS have a secondary form of ID!!!!
4. When shooting destination, arrive a day early to look around and scout out locations. Shoot with a purpose….set locations and formulated plans. (i.e. If they are getting married in Paris…chances are the Eiffel Tower will be a point of interest and a shooting location)
5. Recommend doing a first look with your bride and groom or TREAT them to a session the day before (even rehearsal dinner + mini portrait session) to help relax them before the big day.
6. GET TO KNOW the hotel/venue. Offer to send them portraits free of charge from the wedding…make/send an album…anything to get them to remember you in a positive and non self-serving light.

What to Pack and Bring:

(Remember, staying under the radar when shooting in different countries is important…you may be detained or worse…deported IF it appears that you are there to WORK and steal money out of the pockets of those who want work in that country)

1. Less is more with traveling. Especially in terms of gear. Don’t over pack on suitcases either, you focus should be on your gear, not your separate bag for just make up and shoes (ladies….that was for you! lol)

2. BACK UPS! Make sure you have back ups of EVERYTHING! Mainly camera bodies…but maybe rent a duplicate lens that you shoot with the MOST that can be a work horse lens for you. For most, that is the 24-70L , but for me…its the 35! BRING LOTS of CF cards and an external hard drive that you can dump cards onto to either mail home PRIOR to your flight home, or small enough to keep on your person ALONG with the memory cards. Lexapro makes awesome small carrying cases for them! (DO NOT ERASE MEMORY CARDS UNTIL YOU GET HOME AND THEY ARE BACKED UP IN MORE THAN ONE LOCATION!)

3. Bring a foldable/collapsible bag in your carry on in case they make you check your bag, you will be able to pull out some gear so that you will have the most important/valuable pieces with you at all times. For me, I keep one and a shoot sac in the front of my think tank so I can put lenses in to it…the camera body is already in my KELLY MOORE bag that I use in place of a personal item/purse.

And lastly, here is what Kenny said that he likes to travel with for Destination weddings:

1. 3 Camera Lenses, 1 Body

2. Light Diffuser ( Gary Fong)

3. Portable lighting studio

4. 3 flashes

5. 1 Reflector

 

I think Kenny did an amazing job educating those that have NEVER shot a destination wedding in regards to everything that goes into. From the planning to travel, traveling, shooting, traveling home….AND every thing that happens in between. I agree with A LOT of what he said in this class that I wrote above, but again, the more you do it…the more you will figure out what works for you and doesn’t. One lesson I would like to pass on is that having a NETWORK of photographers you trust to be there in case you need them (God forbid weather wont let you fly out…you do get deported, something awful happens that keeps you from making that wedding)…you know another photographer can swoop in and fill your spot with your clients in GREAT hands. It will make your clients feel better and you…I promise.

As always…if you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact me, I am always here to help! Thank you again Kenny…this was a joy to attend and you are a true talent. I really enjoyed our time at UNITED 2014!

XOXO, Kaitlin Noel