Portraits in Paradise

Words by Sharon Naylor

Some of the most gorgeous photos from your destination wedding might not be taken on your big day. You might not even be in them.

The hottest trend in destination wedding photography is having your professional photographer capture the shining moments of your entire wedding weekend, such as when you and your guests are at play in the surf or looking out over a spectacular sunset on a catamaran ride. It is these types of candid moments around the wedding celebration itself that capture the beauty and the soul of your getaway wedding trip.

“The best part about casual destination photos is the story behind each photo,” says Jefferson Todd of Jefferson Todd Photography. “The images capture the excitement of visiting a new place with friends and family and the wonderful experiences along the way. I still look back at these photos from Greece and remember the great times we had as a group around the dinner table each night as we tried a new local wine and shared our favorite part of that day. It's the photos that help hold onto these memories.” www.jeffersontodd.com

Celebration photography. Your professional photographer blends into your circle of guests to capture the thrill of their arrival at your colorful welcome cocktail party or climbs aboard your champagne cruise for the rehearsal dinner and catches the elated look in your eyes when you spot dolphins off the starboard side. You can even get magazine-worthy images of your wedding morning, such as fun photos of you and your girls painting your toenails ocean blue.

Family portraits. The scenic wonders all around make fabulous backdrops for your guests to pose for family and solo portraits.

The scenery. “The choice to have a destination wedding is very specific, so images that explore why that location was selected are key. Were you attracted to the local food? The festive local culture? Maybe the white sand beaches? These images can be easily incorporated into your photography collection,” says Parris Whittingham of Parris Whittingham Photography, www.fromparriswithlove.com. A plus: grand, arching photos of the landscape not only capture the breathtaking beauty of your location, they can return you to it in the future.

“A photographer who comes to the site with you can schedule these shoots and conduct a day-after shoot for just the two of you,” says Grant Oakes of Images by Grant Oakes, www.grantoakes.com. “And you may arrange to have your photographer come down a day early, or stay the next day, to take these additional photos.”