The Best Way to Remember Your Destination Wedding is with Stunning Photography

Bride and Groom standing on rocks at a destination wedding

How do you choose the right wedding photographer for your destination wedding? With so many photographers out there, how do you know who to choose? I’m going to outline the benefits of hiring a destination wedding photographer and how they can help you create amazing photos that will last a lifetime. First, let’s talk about the benefits of bringing a destination wedding photographer.

The benefits of hiring a destination wedding photographer?

Hiring a destination wedding photographer ensures you love the look of the photos and their quality. With many destination wedding packages, the resort will offer photography as part of the wedding package. While this may seem like a great option, you rarely know the quality and style of the photographer who will be photographing your special day. With destination weddings, you want to hire a photographer who you know and trust.

By researching photographers ahead of time, you understand their style, get to meet them ahead of your wedding day, and can trust in the quality of their work based on their portfolio and meeting. Bringing a destination wedding photographer with you ensures you receive top quality photos as you have already researched and found the photographer that best matches the style you love. This is much more preferrable than relying on whomever is working in the resort photo office that day.

Bringing your wedding photographer with you also ensures you get full day coverage. Covering the getting ready, quiet times of reflection, the ceremony, formals, and of course, the party, your photographer is with you for the day. Meeting the photographer ahead of time over coffee, having an engagement session also creates the level of familiarity with them. You no longer have a stranger lurking around photographing you during the wedding, but a familiar and happy face who is there to capture every special moment.

Inveremere wedding along the cliffs
Inveremere wedding along the cliffs at destination wedding

Picking the Right Photographer

Choosing the best destination wedding photographer for your wedding can be a daunting task. With so many options in and around Calgary, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. There are three main points you should consider when looking for a photographer: 1) their style, 2) their experience, and 3) what they offer.

The first point on your list is probably the most important, if the photographer has great experience and price but you don’t like the style of the photos…well….you are just not going to be happy with your photos. If you are looking for a light and airy style, or ones that are a little more dramatic, or perhaps you want to find someone that can do both, it is important to find the photographer that is right for you.

Next, take into consideration how much experience the photographer has shooting weddings like yours. The more experienced photographers will have an easier time getting perfect photos while dealing with any challenges that may arise during the day. Being able to adapt to changing situations is critical. You’ll want to make sure you cover all of your bases before finalizing your decision.

Finally, find out what is included in the package. Does the photographer offer only water-marked images? Do they limit how many photos you receive from your wedding day? Do they have a minimum number of days they require to be on site for? All these factors can play an important part in determining the actual cost of the photographer.

A great way to remember your wedding is by hiring a wedding photographer who knows exactly what they’re doing and captures each moment from the big moments, like the vows and cake cutting, to the smaller ones, like laughing with your friends or dancing with your spouse. It’s worth spending a little extra money up front for amazing photographs that will last forever!

It’s important to find the right wedding photographer to fit your needs – there are many photographers who specialize in different types of weddings (destination weddings, formal weddings, elopement weddings). Find one whose style you love.

Be sure to take a peek at the portfolios before booking, ensure they have shot multiple couples in different environments and lighting. You may want to consider it a red flag if the same wedding couple are in all of the portfolio photos. You’ll be able to see the look of the images under all the different conditions and locations from each wedding shoot. It’s important not just for them but also for you too since it’s such an emotional day that should be preserved in every way possible!

Destination wedding Mexico wedding reception
Destination wedding Mexico wedding reception

Tips for Working with Your Photographer

Choosing a Calgary wedding photographer can be an intimidating process, but the first step is to find one that you connect with. An engagement session before your wedding day will help get everyone more comfortable in front of the camera and capture candid moments. We spend time during your engagement session teaching you some of the little intricacies about posing so you are comfortable throughout the day. We use the time to find out the style you love best, and of course some time to laugh and have fun with it.

Once you’ve chosen your photographer, be sure to maintain open communication with them. Tell them the style of photos you most prefer, if there are any “must-have” photos. Always feel that you can talk with the photographer if you have a suggestion or a question.

Hire a professional so that all your memories live on forever ! Make sure you hire someone who has experience photographing weddings. Take some time to go through portfolios online or ask friends if they have any recommendations. When meeting with potential photographers, make sure to ask questions like How many weddings have you photographed? or What’s your photography style? A reputable wedding photographer should provide detailed pricing information without hesitation and won’t pressure you into making a quick decision. It’s also helpful if the wedding photographer has been highly recommended by others or even recommended by vendors such as hair stylists, makeup artists, videographers etc…

Wedding photographer at destination wedding
Wedding photographer at destination wedding in Central Alberta

Questions to Ask Potential Photographers

Before you hire your wedding photographer, it’s important to ask them all of the questions that are going through your head. Here are some questions you may want to consider:

Before you hire your wedding photographer, it’s important to ask them all of the questions that are going through your head. Here are some questions you may want to consider:

  • What type of camera do you use?
    • Your photographer should be using professional series equipment. Shooting a full-frame camera in RAW mode allows greater detail and adjustment opportunities. Here at Patton Photography we utilize a Canon R5 along with multiple lenses and lights. We also utilize a professional series Canon camera as a back-up. Just in case anything were to happen to the main camera, we can immediately switch to our back-up.
  • What style of photography do you specialize in?
    • Our favorite style is modern and dramatic, however, there are times when light and airy is a better fit for the image. Utilizing our strobe light system, allows us to create dramatic images, then by pressing a single button on the camera, we switch to a natural light look. This ensures that we capture the best image for the situation and can adapt quickly to any situation
  • Do you have any photos on your website that were taken at a destination wedding?
    • We have photos from Mexico, helicopter weddings, as well as weddings in British Columbia and Central Alberta. Prior to travelling to the location, we utilize satellite imagery to get an overall idea of layout. We then locate the best locations and angles for your photos. We ensure we take into account high / low tides. wind direction, etc to ensure we try and eliminate any surprises
  • How many weddings have you photographed per year?
    • We limit how many weddings we shoot each year, typically keeping it under 10 weddings. We do this to ensure that we do not get behind or exhausted from weddings and can provide each couple the best possible service. We also photograph families, headshots, and product photography which keep our schedules full. These additional specialties allow us to bring those techniques to your wedding day.
  • How long will it take until I receive my images and other printed products from the wedding?
    • Our contract lists the images will be returned within eight weeks. We are typically well under this however. Printed images, metal prints, canvases, etc all have different delivery times depending on the item. Some items may be days while some of our other higher end products are actually shipped to us from Italy.
  • Are you insured for wedding work?
    • We carry full licenses and business insurance to cover anywhere we are working. We strongly encourage all our clients to talk with their photographers to ensure they are fully licensed and insured. If your photographer isn’t willing to invest in proper licensing and insurance, you should wonder how serious they take their business.



Patton Photography is a professional photography studio based out of Calgary, Alberta. Our signature style offers a clean and modern look to your photographs while maintaining a professional photograph.  Contact us anytime to sit down over coffee for a stress-free conversation.

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