Wedding in Jamaica

Blurmore

I have a relative through marriage who after finding out how much the resort photographer charges offered to pay my way to shoot her wedding (but not pay me). I'm not a resort person, and it is in July, but I'd love to help her out. Do you think it is worth it for just 3 or 4 nights in Negril? I talked to my wife about it, and she isn't particularly enthused about going south in summer, if she said yeah let's go let's do it I'd do it, but I'm not going to be a jerk and leave her here with 3 kids if I'm just going and not making bank. So peoples who have photographed in Jamaica, is it worth it?

tenoverthenose

FYI - a lot of resorts will not even allow an outside photographer to photograph a wedding on site.

Blurmore

I'm going on the assumption that they cleared this (I asked them how much they charge to bring in an outside person) or are just going to say I'm family. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it if they just said I'm family when I roll up with 2 bodies, 7 lenses and a lighting kit.

tenoverthenose

When I photographed a wedding at a resort, the wedding planner was onsite at the ceremony to make sure that no one with professional equipment would take photos. They asked us to wait outside. After explaining that we wanted to witness our clients marry for personal reasons, she finally let us in after locking our camera gear in her office. The good news was that we didn't have to waste time or energy taking family photos.

Hopefully your experience is different.

Blurmore

wow, that is wack...I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass on this, but I figured I'd throw it out there.

Blurmore

Wow...just checked out the stuff on the resort's website, I can see why they don't want to go with them. Besides the price being, just stupid. The work is horribly generic, and pre-fabricated. Why get married in paradise and have pictures taken if half of it could be done chromakey?

bnlearle

I've shot weddings all over the world in some of the best resort areas that are out there. If you aren't wanting to really go already, that is a sign to charge more than you would for a normal wedding at home (plus travel). If it were a dream location, maybe work with it to make it happen. But other than that, if you already don't care about going, I would never consider going only for travel.

Shima

I'm shooting a wedding in Aruba this November (11/11/11! yay) at the all inclusive Occidental Grand hotel there, my bride made sure to get that all approved but they have no problems with me shooting, and she's paying my way (hotel, airfare and such) as my trade for photographing her wedding, which I was more than happy to do because it gets me and my boyfriend to Aruba on a cheap vacation for 5 days...one of those days which will be the wedding I say cheap and not free since the deal was for her to pay for my expenses, so Terry and I had to pay for his flight. But still, a good deal!

But yeah definitely if you decide to agree I strongly recommend you talk to the resort and make sure they'll let you take her photos.