Planning a destination wedding can appear a little daunting. You’ve booked the venue – so whats next?
Venue – check. Date – check. Someone to marry?? – check (hopefully). The next step is book your suppliers including your destination wedding hair and makeup artist.
It can be tough to decide who to book – especially if you are not getting married in the country that you live in. Do you want to book someone local to the venue and risk a language barrier or perhaps not having a trial until the day before, or would you prefer to have someone from your country so that you know if you need another trial, it is much easier to do so. There’s no right or wrong answer here. Its totally personal preference.
Costs
Obviously, costs are something to consider when booking anything to do with your wedding. When clients come to me and we discuss the price of photographers, venues and bands, I really do believe that you get what you pay for. For example, paying for a really good photographer is much better in the long run. A friend of mine had a very low budget for his wedding at the beginning of the year and hired someone for next to nothing and unfortunately, he really did get what he paid for.
Bear in mind that when flying someone out to your destination wedding venue will of course be more expensive – you need to budget for the flights and accommodation. Most suppliers will need to be flown out the night before and perhaps fly back the day after. As a wedding makeup artist, I need to arrive at the venue early in the morning so require a flight the day before. If you venue is in a fairly remote location then transport will also be required – such as a car or a bus. If you are hiring me – I don’t mind what form of transport I am on as long as I am there safe and sound, but its definitely something to include in to your budget.
Photographer
Most good suppliers will book up at least a year in advance – sometimes more. Its really a good idea to start looking around as soon as you get engaged.
There are so many photographers to choose from for a destination wedding so it can seem a little daunting to know who to go for.
Looking at their portfolio is obviously the best way to start. Have a search on Instagram to see if they have shot any weddings at your venue or any similar venues. Are you looking for images that are light and sunny or something a little darker? Do you want images that are posed or photographs that capture key moments of your day? Bear in mind that the photographer will be spending the entire day with you – book in a Skype call or coffee with them to make sure that you are all on the same page. That way you can feel knowing that your ideas of what you would like captured, match perfectly to theirs.
My favourite destination wedding photographer can be found here
Floristry
For obvious reasons, I really recommend getting a supplier that is local to your destination wedding venue 😉
Live music
There are so many bands and DJs out there that it can be overwhelming to pick. A lot of bands have online portfolios where you can hear some of their music. Most will allow you to pick from a long list of songs. When I was in a covers band, we used to let the couple choose 3 songs that mean a lot to them. We would make sure to incorporate them in to the set list. It’s a really good idea to make a trip to go and see them perform live.
Hair and makeup
Being totally biased means that you should definitely hire me for your destination wedding 😉 I am experienced, great with other languages and know exactly how to tailor your look for various climates. You can read about some of my weddings here
But seriously, as with all of the other suppliers there are so many of us to choose from. Check their portfolios and see if their style fits yours. I have a very distinct style and I like to stick to it. It’s nice to build a rapport with the people I am working with and to spend the time creating a style that is unique to them.
I would say that a lot of venues do have a recommended supplier list, of course, check these out. But do your own research on who would be best as your destination wedding makeup artist.
Final thoughts
Hire me 😉 I speak French – pretty well. My Spanish is spoken to a decent level and of course, English (though through learning languages I have noticed how shocking my knowledge of the English language really is!).