Thursday, April 17, 2008

PLANNING DESTINATION WEDDINGS

Destination weddings offer stunning scenery and exotic atmosphere, providing the conditions needed to enhance those fabulous memories. However, since these types of weddings are often at resort locations in foreign countries, they're subject to the unusual and the unexpected, creating logistical and scheduling factors that can affect your entire agenda, including the photography. One of our most traveled award-winners have weighed in with their own experiences and advice for ensuring a smooth and wonderful event.

POLITICAL UNREST

It's hard to imagine a more picture postcard-perfect wedding location than Haiti. Few islands in the Caribbean rival its beautiful beaches, mountains, rain forests, rich culture…or political upheaval. Even though the present government is stable, two centuries of bloodshed over politics and power should make you cautious about making wedding arrangements there.

No matter what idyllic wedding location you might choose anywhere in the world, popular attitude and local politics can shift. So when you plan your destination wedding, Miguel Pola of Orange County Ca, suggests you scan the news to make sure the country you choose isn't experiencing instability. The last thing you need on your wedding day is to be rescued from a political revolution.

Miguel Pola, says if he is going to photograph a wedding in a country unfamiliar to him, he researches it on the Internet and in travel books. 

Pola Thinks that it's also important to have a contingency plan for any potential disaster. That's especially true if you are planning on getting married during the Atlantic hurricane season (June through November), but it can be a lifesaver when a rainy day washes out your outdoor ceremony.

OMINOUS CLOUDS


Miguel Pola caught a cloudy moment at an outdoor beach ceremony cancun.  When he got to the beach for the ceremony, the rain had stopped and the guests closed their umbrellas, except one. 

 "It's hot and it can be humid, in the Caribbean" says miguel. "I strongly suggest that couples wear comfortable clothing. It's also a good idea to give yourself a couple of days to get acclimated to the climate and the area. Get to know the staff at the hotel and make sure they know you. And stay a few extra days so you can really enjoy it."

A couple Miguel photographed on the mayan riviera just south of Cancun definitely got into the island spirit when they kicked off their shoes after the ceremony. "I'm always looking to shoot something different," says miguel about photographing the couple's feet. 


wedding photojounalists are charged with recording the day's events, of course, but they also strive to visually represent a wedding's atmosphere. Pola captured the mood during a reception held at the exclusive resort of La Loma in Cuixmala, Mexico, on the Pacific coast. Originally built as a familial compound by the late British billionaire Sir James Goldsmith and surrounded by the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, La Loma has a sophisticated elegance in an all-natural environment. "The reception was held on a thatched-roof patio overlooking the ocean," Miguel remembers. His warm, sunset photo beautifully represents the peaceful, private affair.

KNOW THE LAW

Even though the couple Pola photographed was married at a resort, they still had to adhere to Mexico's marriage laws. "In Mexico you must have two witnesses, and blood tests for the couple are required," says Elena Lynch, supervisor of destination weddings with The Wedding Experience, a Miami-based wedding consulting company. Laws vary from country to country, she says, so those couples that want destination weddings should know the marriage requirements well in advance to avoid last minute scrambling.

Some countries have laws against using photographers and other professionals who aren't locally based. It's not a problem in Mexico, Lynch notes, and it isn't typically a concern in other Caribbean countries either. However, she advises keeping your hired photographer's presence low-key, a tip Miguel also recommends. "I skirted the issue once in Anguilla," he recalls. "When I arrived on the island and was asked by an official the reason for my visit, he hesitated when I told him I was photographing a wedding. So I hastily added that the bride and groom were friends of mine, which made it OK with him. When I go to Mexico to photograph a wedding, I take only two cameras and try not to appear like anything other than a tourist."

LANGUAGE, INSURANCE AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

It's helpful if you know a little of the language where you intend to marry, especially in remote locations. Miguel recommends working with an independent consultant rather than a coordinator at the resort where you plan to marry. "For resort wedding coordinators, it's just a job," he says. "You are just wedding number three or four on a single day. But an independent professional wedding coordinator can help create an exclusive, easy-going wedding tailored to you."

Miguel Pola also advocates purchasing traveler's insurance. In fact, Lynch advises couples to invest specifically in wedding insurance, which typically covers such unforeseen events as severe weather, illness or no-show vendors.

"Good insurance is a must because strange things can happen during special events," says Pola. In Mexico his assistant nearly died because of an incorrect diagnosis.  The total bill was $60,000! Medical care can be critical, even in a beautiful, exotic paradise."

Taking these kinds of precautions, whether purchasing wedding insurance, or familiarizing yourself with a country's customs, laws and climate, will increase your chances for a successful, stress-free wedding, no matter where in the world the ceremony takes place.


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