Destination Wedding = Huge learning curve
I had become very good friends with the fine porcelain in the batthroom of room 3524 at the Majestic Elegance resort just outside of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It was 4:30am the night before the wedding and I was finally able to fall asleep after the most intense abdominal workout I have ever had. Four straight hours of heave hoe. I awoke at 8:00am knowing that I had a grooms breakfast to attend by 9:00am needless to say as I sauntered into the restaurant people looked at me thinking “the dominican rum is good but maybe you should have stayed off of it a little buddy, you have a big job to do today!” I looked like crap and was moving about as fast a city worker cleaning it up.
I will correct two things you are probably thinking right now. 1) I was sick from food poisoning and 2) I was not photographing the wedding as i was the best man.
My little brother was getting married and I couldn’t be more excited and happy for the both of them.
The excitement did increase as we were able to get out of the cold minnesota weather for some r & r…. or so we thought
Even though I ended up on bed rest after pushing it to hard the day of the wedding, overall it was an amazing experience. I could have a lot to complain about but as in life we can take two roads. I have taken this experience and learned from it. I will indulge you with some of my thoughts and give you some tips when it comes to successfully pulling off shooting a destination wedding as I know I would not have pulled this one off very well had I been photographing it.
TRANSPORTATION: Getting the gear to its destination
Most of us are going to be flying if we are shooting a destination wedding, and the thought of sending all our camera gear below the plane just doesn’t cut it. So we carry on, my favorite bag for my camera gear is the Tamarac Pro 13 and that is what I brought
Not only can this hold all of your lenses, bodies, and flashes, it even has a pocket for a laptop. Before I left I thought, awesome everything in one bag (minus the lighting stands and reflectors which I opted to check) But as our flight transfers wore on and we we walked around the air port my shoulder was beyond sore.
Tip #1 – Bring a camera bag that can double as a backpack or has wheels, next time I am going to bring my Lowepro phototrekker, big bag, fits like a backpack. 
TIMELINE: When should you show up and when should you shoot?
I had the opportunity from learning quite a bit about photography and travel photography from world renown photographers Nels and Anna Akerlund you can find their blog here
They are from Rockford, Il but most of what they do is travel photography so they really know their stuff.
As I watched them work the day of the wedding they knew exactly what they wanted to do and when they wanted to do it. Nothing was haphazard.
After talking with them about their process, one huge aspect they highlighted was location scouting. Not just for a cool spot to take photos but at what time to take those photos as well.
Tip #2: Allow yourself at least a full day to not only scout out locations but also the best time to shoot those locations
I’ll jump right into tip #3: Make a time to do just photos of the couple, a After the day session
If you are going all the way to a tropical or any destination, chances are you will have an opportunity to shoot something different, unique. This will also take more time. On the wedding day you have timelines and certain expectations to meet. When planning out your photography with a couple make sure to schedule a seperate photo session for only the wedding couple. No bridesmaid/grooms man wants to stand around for hours while pictures of the bride and groom are being taken. Something to consider is to do the photos not the day after the wedding but two days after if you have the option. Timelines are less crunched as many people leave to go back to life the day after the wedding whereas the couple tends to stick around a couple more days.
Here is a beautiful example of a shot from an “after the day session” it allows you to be more relaxed and only the wedding couple needs to go into the jungle, while the rest of the wedding party can play on the beach and consume beverages.
FOOD: IMPORTANT****
As you read in the first paragraph, I was treated to the experience of being “that guy” who got food poisoning. When I talked to Nels about it, he said it plain and clear
Tip #4- You have to eat your normal food!
Stepping outside of your typical diet might be what you envision when you go to a tropical location but that also opens your bodies up to more risks. My opp’s came from a lobster tail.
To say the least in all of the weddings that Nels has shot he had never had anyone throw up during grooms pictures. So I was a first. I guess I had to be number one in something.
MEDICINE/TREATMENT OPTIONS:
A little preparation will go a long, long, long way. If you get sick you need to have a quick solution so you can do what you were hired to do.
Tip #5- Get your drugs ahead of time
You should talk to your Dr. about things that you might need when traveling to a certain destination and get them. These items may (should include)
- General Antibiotic
- Pepto
- Gatoraid powder (if you end up puking you need to replace those electrolites)
- Allergy meds (different location different allergens)
- and any of your personal medications
Something to consider is the fact that you may not get sick but someone in the wedding party may and if you are the one that can deliver them the pepto they need but can’t find you will be looked upon as a god (thanks Nels and Anna)
When it comes down to it, taking on shooting a destination anything increases the complexity of the task of being a photographer. It opens the doors to more risk but also more options. If you plan ahead and give yourself enough time to put the proper footsteps in place you can not only provide your clients with amazing images but you can also enjoy a little vacation for yourself.
For Me in 50 Days I will be traveling to Westport Ireland to shoot a wedding. It will prove to be an adventure (especially driving on the opposite side of the road) but you will be pleased with the results 
Here is one image of my wife and I from the dominican Republic
and yes we are expecting!!!!!!!!!
