How to Choose Your Destination Wedding Photographer

Choosing a photographer for your destination wedding is different from hiring someone local. You're trusting a person you may have never met in person to capture one of the most important days of your life, in a place far from home. The stakes feel higher because they are.

After photographing over 400 weddings in Tuscany, I've seen what works and what doesn't. Here's my honest advice on how to choose a destination wedding photographer, whether you end up working with me or someone else.

Local Photographer vs. Flying Someone In

This is the first big decision. You might have a photographer back home whose work you love. Should you fly them to Italy, or hire someone local?

Both can work, but local photographers offer real advantages. We know the light at specific venues throughout the seasons. We know where the sun sets in September versus June. We speak Italian, which helps with venue staff and vendors. We have relationships with local planners and know how weddings flow here. And if something goes wrong with equipment, we have backup gear nearby.

Flying in a photographer also adds costs: flights, accommodation, meals, and sometimes an extra travel day fee. That money could go toward more coverage hours or a second photographer instead.

How to Evaluate a Photographer's Style

Every photographer shows their best work on their website. That's normal. But the highlight reel doesn't tell the whole story. Here's what to look for:

Ask to see full wedding galleries. Not just 20 images, but 200. Is there consistency throughout? Do the candid moments look natural? How are the difficult lighting situations handled? The dinner reception often reveals a lot.

Look for weddings similar to yours. Similar venue type, similar size, similar time of year. This shows how the photographer handles conditions like yours.

Check the editing style. Do you like the colors, the contrast, the overall mood? Editing is part of a photographer's artistic signature, and it's applied to all your images.

Questions to Ask Before Booking a Destination Wedding Photographer

A video call before booking tells you a lot. Beyond the practical details, you're trying to understand if you'll feel comfortable with this person on your wedding day. Here are questions worth asking:

• How many weddings have you photographed at my venue or in this region?

• What happens if you're ill or have an emergency on my wedding day?

• How do you handle challenging lighting conditions?

• What's your approach: mostly candid, mostly directed, or a mix?

• How long until we receive our photos, and in what format?

• Do you help with timeline planning for photography?

Red Flags When Choosing a Destination Wedding Photographer

Slow or vague communication. If they take weeks to respond before you've booked, imagine how it might be after.

Unwillingness to show full galleries. Everyone has strong individual shots. Consistency across a full day is what matters.

No backup plan. Professional photographers have backup equipment and a plan if they can't make it.

Pressure to book immediately. Good photographers are busy, but they give you reasonable time to decide.

Trust Your Instincts

Beyond all the practical considerations, trust your gut. You'll spend significant time with your photographer on one of the most emotional days of your life. If the video call feels awkward, if something doesn't quite click, that matters.

The right destination wedding photographer should feel like a trusted guide, someone who understands your vision and has the experience to deliver it, even when things don't go as planned.

If you're planning a wedding in Tuscany and would like to see if we're a good fit, I'd love to hear from you. No pressure, just a conversation.

Let's see if we're a good fit.