Wedding Industry News: Navigating the Romance and Realities of Destination Weddings, and Protecting Precious Memories

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Welcome to the Wedding Planner Podcast brought to you by the Certified Wedding Planner Society.
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Welcome to the Wedding Industry News, where each episode covers something old, something new, something borrowed and some news.
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It's April 2024, and I'm your host, aisha Garnett, owner of Sharia Moore Weddings and Event Planning Master, Certified Wedding Planner and Certified Educator with the CWP Society and industry membership for planners, venues and pros.
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Let's get right into our first segment.
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When you think about France, greece, italy and Mexico, all of those are indeed exotic countries with a little something in common.
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They are among many countries that are attracting more and more couples, couples with their hearts set on saying I do, in hopes of planning the perfect destination wedding.
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Planning the perfect destination wedding.
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According to Research and Market's 2023 Destination Wedding Global Market Report, the destination wedding industry is in high demand, bringing in $27 billion last year, with an expectancy of $36 billion in 2024.
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Researchers attribute the surge in popularity for a destination wedding to couples wanting to provide an exclusive wedding experience for their guests.
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There's the influence of social media, with posts that are sparking more interest to plan the perfect wedding in paradise.
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There's the escalating number of international marriages, and then there's the eco-friendly weddings that create a more natural environment.
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Eco-friendly weddings that create a more natural environment these are just a few key factors that have the idea of destination weddings on the minds of the couples, and researchers forecast an exponential growth in the coming years, with the destination wedding industry reaching $78 billion by 2027 and bringing in nearly $105 billion by 2028.
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The destination wedding season starts in the late winter months and lasts until the end of summer.
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Whether couples are reaching their destination by flight, land or sea, they are simply seeking the most sought-after locations across the globe in hopes of choosing the perfect destination to create the most beautiful backdrop for their special day.
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Joining me to share a bit of insight on this topic is Courtney Justice, master Certified Wedding Planner and owner of Justice Weddings and Events.
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She's also a CWP Society educator specializing in destination weddings, and she's an award recipient of the CWP Society 2022 Wedding Planner of the Year.
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I am so glad to have you here, courtney.
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Welcome to the show.
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Thanks so much.
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I'm so excited to be here and chat with you on all things.
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Destination.
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Absolutely.
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Let's get into our first question.
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But before we get into the rise in Destination Weddings, can you share with our viewers and listeners a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in the world of Destination Weddings?
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Absolutely Well, just like you said, my name is Courtney Justice and I'm the owner of Justice Weddings and Events, which is a wedding planning, design and event production company that specializes specifically in destination wedding planning company that specializes specifically in destination wedding planning.
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Like you said, I also hold several certifications, such as a master certified wedding planner and a certified wedding educator.
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Through the society, I've been in the wedding industry for over 10 years now, which is still so wild to me.
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But the destination specific aspect came into the picture when I fell in love with my husband, who is an active duty Marine in the Marine Corps.
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And so, if you don't know or aren't really familiar with military life, service members have to move duty stations every two to three years, depending on their specific job and their their contract, so to speak.
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So with that in mind and you know wanting both my job or in my company and my husband I adapted my business to service couples planning destination events, given that I wouldn't be able to set hard routes down with my company in any specific area with us moving so frequently.
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So how that works is I plan with my couples entirely remotely over email, video and phone calls and along kind of with the support of some great cloud-based programs, and then I travel into the destination itself to run the wedding weekend when the time comes.
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Okay, all right.
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What are some key factors that couples need to consider when deciding on whether or not to have a destination wedding?
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Oh boy, there's a lot, I would say.
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I think, first and foremost, pricing, but not only.
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You know, in regards to the wedding festivities itself, you know.
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So the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony and reception is some of the most common.
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But realistically, what is going to cost your guest and if that cost is truly realistic, um, so keyword here is realistic.
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You know, couples are going to know their guests better than anyone, so they're going to know, you know, not necessarily income, but like lifestyle and how often they travel and things along those lines.
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But just because a couple might be willing to spend $10,000 per person to take them to the Caribbean and don't get me wrong, that sounds fantastic they really need to ask themselves if their loved ones are okay with that, even your close family or your immediate family.
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So really be sure they are having these conversations with kind of friends and family once they have some rough pay with that, even your close family or your immediate family.
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So really be sure they are having these conversations with kind of friends and family once they have some rough estimate before solidifying anything, and ask for those honest opinions and you know, whatever the pricing they're looking at, if it's really doable for them.
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You know, the last thing we want is for our family to resent us over what is supposed to be a really fun and loving celebration and experience.
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I think that another thing couples need to consider is how easy or how hard it is in regards to the travel journey.
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So you know, are we looking at one layover and maybe a complimentary shuttle from the airport to the resort, so to speak, or the destination?
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Or are we looking at 24 plus hours of travel, plus maybe a train ride and a shuttle from the train station to the destination?
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And if it's, you know something of the latter.
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How can you, as a host, make this easier on your guests?
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So examples could be like paying for that shuttle, for instance, or at a minimum in my professional opinion, hiring a travel planner to kind of take all of the guest work out of it for your guests.
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You know, maybe that also can include, you know, paying for the shuttle, so to speak.
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Again, things that you can do to help your guests.
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Now, even if it's a domestic destination wedding, something to think about is are guests going to have to rent a car to get to that destination on top of, let's say, a flight?
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So maybe you're the destination, so to speak, is three hours away from a major airport, and when I say major I mean, you know, maybe not necessarily regional, but it's going to be the most affordable for your guests to consider.
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You know, all of these things are really important and just to know what you're asking of your guests, for them to come and celebrate you, and really it also should be a part of your budgeting from the beginning.
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Also, I say another thing to consider is if you and your guests have the documentation or the medical requirements that might be needed to attend if you're going out of the country, especially if you're wanting kind of a shorter planning timeframe.
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New passports right now are taking, on average, up to 16 weeks to be processed, so that could cause some major problems if immediate family or some of your wedding parties, but let alone any loved ones that you're wanting to travel for you, you know if there are any like language barriers, traditions or customs or even restrictions with your destination, such as you know your guests having to dress a specific way in public because that's a country or the country's tradition, or you know their respect for religion in that sense, or if there's something that's going on like a religious holiday that could affect festivities or the services that you need or even availability.
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And I think, too, one of the last things a couple of needs to consider is is everything that you're wanting for your wedding actually doable from that location?
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And this I mean for a domestic example.
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I have a friend that's personally planning a wedding in Tennessee for this fall and when they initially kind of started talking to me about it because I know the area really well and kind of brainstorming, they said, court, we really want to party real late into the night, like we want our reception to go until like 2am, and I said, okay.
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I said, well, where are we looking at Like location and city and venue wise?
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And they said, well, we want to go here.
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And I was like it's not going to happen and I was like, no, I'm not going to.
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I'm not going to definitively say that it won't happen, but in knowing what I know about that area and that County, the liquor serving, you know restrictions and the ABC licensing as well as, again, like those noise restrictions and like quiet hours, so to speak, you will not or you know you're you're looking for a needle in a haystack.
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Essentially it's someone that's maybe stretching, maybe not so much doing it legally just to appease a client.
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Now I said, for you to get everything you really want, you should look at this city and doing it within those city limits, because they have a really hefty downtown culture.
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You know they're able to serve legally until three in the morning.
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You don't have to worry about noise in this venue.
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You know all of this type of stuff.
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So again, kind of going back and really analyzing the priorities that are important to us about our wedding day and our celebration are we really able to get those?
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And legally.
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You make a few good points there, and it just brings me to wanting to discuss a little bit about you know, aside from destination weddings being in different locations, are there any major differences between, you know, destination weddings versus the local weddings when it comes to the planning process, especially being a certified wedding planner?
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Could you speak a little bit to those differences on your end that you know it would take when planning a destination wedding versus a local wedding?
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Absolutely.
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I wouldn't say that there's a complete difference in what you're actually planning, but there's very much a difference in how you go about your planning.
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And then this is applicable to both planners and couples, meaning that you know whether it's a domestic or an international destination.
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Again, we could be looking at a language barrier or different traditions or work-life culture to consider.
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So, for example, let's say you're planning a wedding in France right, it's going to be stunning and beautiful and it's this great location.
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But it is very common for people in Europe to go on holiday or take vacation for a month or longer at a time, and when they do that, they have a great work-life culture.
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So they're not like us Americans that say, hey, you know, I know I'm out of the office, but, like, I'll email you back, don't worry, you know a lot in the European culture.
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You're going to take that vacation, you're not going to look at your email, you know, and all of that type of stuff.
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So you know having patience there and kind of giving yourself buffer time and knowing that not everyone works the way that you work or the way that your surrounding community works.
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Another example is if, let's say, you're living in the South and you're wanting to get married in the Midwest, for instance, there's a different way in how they structure things, and so an example is like with the reception, one of the first things that the Midwest kind of weddings like to do is have the cake cut first, where in the South, usually that's going to be reserved for after dinner.
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So things are just going to be different and, again, kind of depending on a destination, it also might be well worth your while and cheaper by a significant amount to hire a vendor that's willing to travel in for a wedding than it is to hire someone locally, and that could be because the local market is again like a destination, or it's known for being a destination market, and their pricing is a lot higher because they can capture that business.
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So really, kind of looking at all your options, not just locally, is a big thing.
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Again, not how or not in the what you plan, but how you go about your planning.
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I also think that couples and planners both could value from knowing that having patience will be critical when planning a destination wedding.
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So you know, in different locations have different busy seasons, also, again, different workplace balances, but allowing some patience and buffer time can't hurt a single thing.
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I couldn't agree with you more on that, courtney.
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Now to those wedding professionals who want to tap into the destination wedding market.
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What advice would you give them to better prepare themselves in business to take on those potential clients or to even attract those potential clients?
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I would first and foremost recommend reaching out, kind of researching the areas you, if there are specific areas, I should say that you want to work in and working to start creating relationships with venues and vendors.
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When you reach out, also, please, please, please, please, don't just like send a DM over social media.
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That's one way, at least for me personally, that I'm not even going to read it.
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I'm going to delete it.
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You know, when you reach out, do your research in this vendor beforehand.
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You know, don't send a basic copy and paste like template that you're sending to 10 out of, let's say, photographers like research them, look at their social media accounts, look at their website, make it a custom email so that they actually know that you took the time and are genuine about creating this conversation.
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And again, not just sending that copy and paste.
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Hey, I'd love to connect, let's schedule a copy, you know virtually type of thing.
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Cause then at least again from my personal experience, you it's it looks desperate in a sense and that's you know I work with and I know you're the same in your business the best of the best professionals, and that first impression makes a really big difference whether or not someone is going to actually want to connect, but let alone respond to you.
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Yeah.
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Another thing I think you should do kind of beforehand is, or before you have these couples to prepare for is to solidify your fees and determine how you want to charge for travel.
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And this could be, you know, whether you want to have a straight travel fee, so to speak.
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So maybe you have a thousand dollar fee that covers any and all travel that you need.
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So you know, maybe flights, transportation, if you need a rental car, your meals, parking at the airport, right, any of that kind of stuff.
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If you do that, I would just recommend being a little careful, because the market is changing so much, as well as the economy, of course, and that's all out of our control, right?
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Like I can't control how much a hotel room costs, no matter how early I book, or anything like that.
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Another option of how you can charge is for a la carte.
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So you know, having your couples reimburse you for things like your hotel with set parameters.
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So I'd recommend sending parameters for all these things.
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So, for instance, I fly a specific airline, I require that I have a specific kind of seat, I have to check bags, right.
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I have all of these requirements kind of listed in my contract, but they're predetermined so that I can confidently answer all of my couple's questions during their initial consultation.
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And there are some times where you're not going to know those fees, and that's fine.
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Maybe you don't know the location of where the wedding or where they're wanting it to be.
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You know before that consultation.
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But having these things predetermined can say hey, normally this is how I do things.
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Given this location, I'll need to do additional research to make sure that I'm covering kind of all of my basics here, but that's going to sound a lot better than you going oh, I need to kind of figure out what I want to do, right, it's just not as professional and not as put together.
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Another thing you can do is attend networking events, even virtually, you know, because so many are held virtually these days.
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If you can, in desired areas that you're kind of wanting, or markets, I should say that you're wanting to break into you can offer to host a styled shoot at a venue.
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So you really you know they can have their eyes on you, you can get your foot in the door and they can see how incredible you are so that they can recommend you.
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I'd say another thing with especially attracting those potential clients and if you've never kind of done traveler destination work before, whenever you travel personally, use it as a time to get content.
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whether you write a blog, let's say, on a weekend you spent in New York or create like a real about a day you spent in the Bahamas, or you know a day in the life with me on vacation, right, whatever it is, showing that you travel kind of helps ensure and build that credibility as a destination planner and you can use different posts over different avenues, so to speak.
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So if you post a reel about something on Instagram, turn that reel into a blog and post it on your website and use that to kind of drive SEO, which is search engine optimization, so that you're searchable as a destination planner.
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You know, tag all the vendors If you do those styled shoots, have them promote, you know, being a part of that shoot, but really just help build your credibility from the ground or from the very beginning.
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Those are all great ideas and some great pointers.
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Definitely has me wanting to go on a vacation right now, for sure.
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But thank you so much, Courtney, for joining me today and for sharing your expertise on the world of destination weddings.
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My pleasure.
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Thanks so much for having me Now switching gears to something borrowed.
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In this segment we feature information from an alternate source that sparked my interest and I'd like to share it with you.
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According to News 9, in Oklahoma, one newlywed couple is devastated after returning home from their honeymoon only to find out that their wedding photos were stolen from their photographer's vehicle.
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Wedding photographer Robert Jacobs says nearly $9,000 worth of equipment, which included cameras, drones, all of his gear and even the SD card that he used to capture Jeffrey and Cheyenne Henderson's wedding day, were all stolen from the back of his vehicle while he was parked at his Edmund apartment.
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The Henderson's celebrated their big day at the end of February, followed by their honeymoon, just as most couples do.
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However, upon returning, they received a call from Jacobs with the disheartening news.
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Jacobs mentioned that he filed a police report and even took the time to contact local pawn shops to see if they received any of the stolen items.
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However, he had no luck.
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Jacobs has since filed a police report with the Edmond Police Department and police are encouraging anyone with information to contact them.
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Joining me to discuss this a bit further is Lori Hartwell, founder and CEO of the CWP Society, and Chrissy Thomas, vice president of the CWP Society.
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Welcome back to the show, ladies.
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Well, hello, ms Aisha, hello.
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How are?
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you.
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Good, how are you too?
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I'm great.
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Okay, all right, so let's get into this here.
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I felt for this couple when reading this story and I am truly hoping that the alleged thieves returned the SD card at least.
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But after hearing about this story, do you think the photographer handled all of this well?
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Well, you know, my first question was why was everything left in his vehicle?
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You know, that's where my brain goes right away, but I also don't want to make any judgments or because I don't know the whole situation, so I want to give jacobs the benefit of the doubt here, but that's where my brain went right away.
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Um, so I'm glad that he filed a police report of.
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That is the most responsible thing to do.
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But unfortunately that doesn't bring those wedding pictures back and my heart is broken for this couple.
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Chrissy, I'm curious what your thoughts are here.
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My stomach honestly dropped.
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Reading this Like this makes me so sad, because we all know in the industry there really are no do-overs Like, granted, he could offer a session for them to get in their tux and their dress again and maybe have their florist create the bouquet and their boutonniere and kind of redo some of those moments.
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But in reality we can't recreate the wedding day.
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Well, I'm devastated for that, but my thought was very similar to yours, lori.
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It reminded me of my friend whose car got broken into at the gym.
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Her purse was in the front seat and I was like, well, that was a welcome, welcome to steal my purse invitation.
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So that I immediately thought about that was like, oh, it's just asking for it.
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Um, but I I do, honestly, I do appreciate that he waited for them to come back from their honeymoon because this would have ruined their honeymoon.
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Like, let's not ruin multiple wedding related things.
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But then, like you said, lori, filing the police report is helpful, but that can only do so much.
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That can't recreate their wedding day.
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Oh, this is makes my stomach hurt.
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But I know this is what photographers have nightmares about.
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I have photographers who this is what their nightmares are made of.
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Yeah, something happening to are made of.
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Yeah, there's something happening to that SD card right Like I don't know.
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Ayesha, what was your immediate thought to it?
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I cringed as well and, like you said, christy, my heart, just I was like oh no.
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And it reminded me of a personal experience that I had with a client myself.
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I had a bride who did a destination wedding and she was so adamant about bringing her own photographer with her.
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She had worked with him before, so she was really like you know, I want to bring him to this country, he's going to take the photos.
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And I vetted him and I'm like, okay, I see his work, he's good.
00:21:31.711 --> 00:21:33.683
Okay, all right, I can, I can deal with that.
00:21:34.826 --> 00:21:36.632
Fast forward, we get to the country.
00:21:36.632 --> 00:21:40.526
We have the wedding, beautiful wedding, everybody's taking pictures.
00:21:40.526 --> 00:21:43.769
Then fast forward, the wedding's over.
00:21:43.769 --> 00:21:49.569
We're back here in the US of A and I'm like I haven't seen these photos yet.
00:21:49.569 --> 00:21:52.789
So let me reach out to my bride and see if she's received them.
00:21:52.789 --> 00:21:58.384
Yeah, I reached out and I could feel that I triggered something in her.
00:21:58.384 --> 00:22:12.124
Emotions were stirring up, and that's when she told me that her photographer said, upon coming back to the US of A, his SD card went through the checkpoints and the security.
00:22:12.124 --> 00:22:18.981
And somehow, when he the magnetic, the checkpoints and the security.
00:22:18.981 --> 00:22:20.124
And somehow, when the magnetic.
00:22:20.124 --> 00:22:29.828
Yeah, the photos were gone and I was like, oh my, and granted, I felt a little little selfish inside because I'm like I don't have those pictures I wanted that wedding like.
00:22:30.990 --> 00:22:47.205
But then you know I brought myself back and I was just like oh no, you know, I really felt for her because she didn't have any memories aside from what the clients, what her guests, had sent her and you know what she took on her own phone, and it was just, it was devastating.
00:22:47.386 --> 00:22:48.891
Heartbreaking, heartbreaking.
00:22:48.971 --> 00:22:49.172
Yeah.
00:22:49.420 --> 00:22:49.560
That.
00:22:49.560 --> 00:22:50.567
Just it's so sad.
00:22:50.567 --> 00:22:57.614
I just I think a good moral to this story is never leave anything in your vehicle, right?
00:22:57.614 --> 00:23:06.461
I mean because I think that would have I know it would have prevented this problem that you're discussing from News 9.
00:23:06.461 --> 00:23:11.327
This never would have happened if he had not left that in the car.
00:23:11.327 --> 00:23:12.509
It's too valuable.
00:23:13.971 --> 00:23:18.512
I feel like this is also a good educational moment for our wedding photographers who are listening of.
00:23:18.512 --> 00:23:25.440
You know, if you're doing a destination wedding, think about those things like what's going to happen when your camera goes through security.
00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.674
How's that going to impact that?
00:23:26.674 --> 00:23:29.877
You know one of my favorite photographers.
00:23:29.877 --> 00:23:31.181
She's so paranoid about this.
00:23:31.181 --> 00:23:39.451
She has a safe in her vehicle that as soon as wedding's over with, she puts her cards in there and she keeps it in her home.
00:23:39.451 --> 00:23:45.335
It's in a safe and I remember she posted there was tornado warnings going on and she made sure that her safe was with her.
00:23:45.335 --> 00:23:46.257
I'm like what?
00:23:46.257 --> 00:23:48.602
That's how much she these?
00:23:48.602 --> 00:23:52.118
Because she knows these are memories and these are moments that my couples can't take back.
00:23:52.118 --> 00:23:56.599
So she takes it so seriously that she makes sure that these cards are taken care of.
00:23:56.599 --> 00:23:58.404
Yeah.
00:23:58.945 --> 00:24:04.719
Even in thinking about how my previous bride just did not have any photos.
00:24:04.719 --> 00:24:33.417
I know that some wedding professionals, wedding planners in particular they may bring in a third party photographer to take decor shots and maybe even shots of the couple on wedding day, and I know this, of course, is so that they, you know, can make sure they receive professional quality photos for their website and social media, of course, and, you know, simply because they don't want to worry about hunting down photos after the wedding is over from the couple or that hired photographer.
00:24:33.417 --> 00:24:38.076
But what is your thoughts around this move?
00:24:38.076 --> 00:24:45.753
Would you recommend, you know, wedding professionals may be bringing a third party not to stay there for the entire event, or what have you?
00:24:45.753 --> 00:24:52.778
Because I've seen it happen where a florist may have her own photographer come in and they'll take pictures and then they're out.
00:24:52.778 --> 00:24:54.471
What do you, ladies, think about that?
00:24:56.896 --> 00:25:18.957
I feel a little weird about this, and here's why my mindset behind this as a wedding planner at least from my planner's perspective is I am only recommending and working with people who are team players, and to me, part of being a team player as a photographer is taking the time to capture these detailed photos, taking the time to send it to me and, honestly, not just for me either.
00:25:18.957 --> 00:25:22.655
For me, these detailed photos go more than just me having a pretty Instagram feed.
00:25:22.655 --> 00:25:25.959
These detailed photos mean my couples pick these things out.
00:25:25.959 --> 00:25:29.700
We spent time selecting these linens.
00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:31.817
We spent time finding the perfect flower.
00:25:31.817 --> 00:25:35.656
We included this garden rose because that was her grandmother's favorite rose.
00:25:36.571 --> 00:25:44.910
All of the details of a wedding day are created for a reason, and I want my couples to have these photos so that way they can remember these moments.
00:25:44.910 --> 00:25:57.099
They can remember the decisions of how we recreated this space and why we chose this gorgeous linen, and why your crest was made the way it was, and how you're going to use that for all your other stuff when you get married and have your home.
00:25:57.099 --> 00:26:01.611
There's a reason why all of these details were created, and it's not just for me as the planner.
00:26:01.611 --> 00:26:03.557
These are for my couples also.
00:26:03.557 --> 00:26:13.071
So if I'm working with a photographer who doesn't understand that and doesn't want to take the time to take these detail photos, that will be the last wedding I work with this photographer.
00:26:13.993 --> 00:26:20.232
And another thing, too, that makes us a little iffy is the contracts that our clients have with these photographers.
00:26:20.232 --> 00:26:34.241
Sometimes there's a clause that states they are the only photographer allowed on site, so if we are bringing in an extra photographer, we're breaching our clients contracts, and that can open up a whole nother door of issues that we don't want to deal with.
00:26:34.241 --> 00:26:45.381
So I think you know my advice in this situation is if you find yourself working with photographers who aren't taking these detailed photos, who aren't including you in sending you the galleries, and it's time for you to find new photographers to work with.
00:26:46.190 --> 00:26:51.029
Yeah, that was immediately where my thought went is those contracts with those photographers.
00:26:51.029 --> 00:26:59.144
We have to make sure that we are reading that in depth to make sure that we're not putting our clients in a bad situation for sure.
00:26:59.144 --> 00:27:01.773
Yeah, so it's a hard call.
00:27:01.773 --> 00:27:12.932
But I understand the other point where we want to cover ourselves as much as possible, Right, and we don't want to be completely dependent on the one and only photographer that's there just in case situations like this do arise.
00:27:13.532 --> 00:27:35.887
But, um, but, because it is more on the rare side of things that this type of situation happens, I think we should probably err on the side of understanding that, since it doesn't happen too often, we should probably just not feel like we have to go and hire somebody else to come in and take those photos for us.
00:27:35.887 --> 00:27:37.412
Go and hire somebody else to come in and take those photos for us.
00:27:37.412 --> 00:27:51.199
Go ahead and rely on the hired photographer, especially if there was a certified wedding planner involved, because that certified wedding planner put a lot of thought and effort and time and investment into making sure that that particular photographer is on site and the one who was hired.
00:27:51.199 --> 00:27:55.115
That means that he is and she is very, very trusted.
00:27:55.115 --> 00:27:56.457
So you know.
00:27:56.457 --> 00:28:06.771
I think that we need to not take too big a steps of like oh no, well, we, we better redo everything and change the way we do things and bring all these extra people in.
00:28:06.771 --> 00:28:09.076
I think that could probably be an overreaction.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:12.384
Good, good point, very good point.
00:28:12.384 --> 00:28:26.114
What advice would you, ladies, give to photographers when it comes to making sure that they are able to provide their couples with professional quality photos, aside from guarding the footage with their lives, you know?
00:28:26.114 --> 00:28:32.823
Just not literally, but what advice would you give photographers to avoid this kind of situation?
00:28:32.823 --> 00:28:38.780
Or are there any other final tips that you'd like to share with photographers as it relates to these kinds of situations?
00:28:39.942 --> 00:28:40.564
You know it's funny.
00:28:40.564 --> 00:28:43.680
I had a photographer who quite literally guarded these with her life.
00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:48.093
She was involved in a car accident directly after the wedding Passed out.
00:28:48.093 --> 00:28:51.455
When she came to, her immediate reaction was where's my camera?
00:28:52.961 --> 00:28:53.181
See.
00:28:56.334 --> 00:28:59.224
She, literally her first reaction reaction was where's my camera?
00:28:59.224 --> 00:29:06.714
I think just kind of putting those safeguards in place um is going to help you in in making sure that you're putting these things away safely.
00:29:06.714 --> 00:29:12.280
Maybe have some sort of checklist of what you do after each wedding, to where you put your sim card.
00:29:12.280 --> 00:29:13.887
You go ahead and download your images right away.
00:29:13.887 --> 00:29:20.463
I have another photographer who, as soon as she gets it maybe one o'clock in the morning, but she immediately gets that off of the card and onto her computer.
00:29:20.463 --> 00:29:30.632
So doing things like that are going to make sure that you're protecting these images, Cause I I know people who love their job and the photographers who love what they do that they don't want this to happen.
00:29:30.632 --> 00:29:32.272
This is what keeps them up at night.
00:29:32.272 --> 00:29:37.798
Um, they they want to make sure their couples go home and have these images to be able to cherish for the rest of their lives.
00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:40.721
And there's usually a second shooter as well.
00:29:40.721 --> 00:30:03.715
So there's multiple pictures from different angles coming in and, yeah, so our advice is definitely to make sure that they are, um, all of those images are being uploaded as quickly as possible.
00:30:03.715 --> 00:30:07.352
Don't wait a few days, just get it done, get it in there.
00:30:07.352 --> 00:30:11.199
Um, I can't imagine the stress that photographers feel.
00:30:11.199 --> 00:30:24.538
Uh, you know, I kind of my brain goes to, you know, bakers too, because they're the ones traveling with this cake Like, oh, my heart would be in my you know throat, I would be worried the entire time.
00:30:25.410 --> 00:30:35.675
I, because photographers, especially great and elite wedding pros we have, we kind of carry this huge weight on our shoulders, the heavy responsibility.
00:30:35.675 --> 00:30:39.866
You know, we cannot ruin this.
00:30:39.866 --> 00:30:48.998
Like wedding planners, we go into going, okay, we have to be so on top of our game today, we have to make sure everything yes, perfect, it has to be perfect.
00:30:48.998 --> 00:30:53.019
Photographers are like nothing can happen to my camera, nothing can happen to my SD card.
00:30:53.019 --> 00:30:54.287
I need to get all of these pictures.
00:30:54.287 --> 00:30:56.051
I need to make sure everything is beautiful.
00:30:56.051 --> 00:31:01.163
The baker is constantly thinking to themselves just drive safe, just drive safe, just drive safe.
00:31:01.163 --> 00:31:06.531
Right, you know, it goes with everything, with our caterers and everything we take.
00:31:06.531 --> 00:31:14.190
The elite professionals take things so seriously, and that's why I'm so grateful I don't hear too many of these types of horror stories.
00:31:14.190 --> 00:31:27.000
Thank goodness that this is a rare situation, but when it does happen, making sure that you're dealing with and have already hired wedding professionals, these amazing people who are willing to go out of their way to make this right.
00:31:28.329 --> 00:31:42.380
Because even though it wasn't you know this Jacob's photographer, he obviously didn't hope that his stuff would get stolen right, but ultimately it's his responsibility.
00:31:42.380 --> 00:31:44.816
It was ultimately his fault.
00:31:44.816 --> 00:31:46.079
I hate that.
00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:49.509
I hate that he has that on his shoulders and on his conscience.
00:31:49.509 --> 00:31:55.179
That's very, very difficult to even comprehend, but he needs to make it right now.
00:31:55.179 --> 00:31:56.734
How can he make it right?
00:31:57.270 --> 00:31:59.541
Like Chrissy said, there are no do-overs with weddings.
00:31:59.541 --> 00:32:00.226
How can he make it right?
00:32:00.226 --> 00:32:03.012
He, like Chrissy, said there are no do overs with weddings.
00:32:03.012 --> 00:32:03.454
So how can he do that?
00:32:03.454 --> 00:32:08.614
And I think one of those things, uh, would be taking Chrissy's advice, which would be seeing if he can at least recreate some of these pictures.
00:32:08.614 --> 00:32:18.881
Let's go back to the venue, let's get a bouquet and have that photographer maybe pay for some of these things so that they can maybe recreate a couple of those moments that they're never going to get back again.
00:32:18.881 --> 00:32:22.511
They're never going to be this age again, right, they're never going to fit.
00:32:22.511 --> 00:32:27.454
You know, 10, 15 years from now, she's probably not going to fit in that dress and he won't have that same suit.
00:32:27.454 --> 00:32:28.457
It's going to be different.
00:32:28.457 --> 00:32:30.530
We're never going to get these moments back.
00:32:30.530 --> 00:32:31.291
We have to.
00:32:31.291 --> 00:32:32.054
We owe it.
00:32:32.054 --> 00:32:37.182
If anything goes wrong, we owe it to our couples to make it right in whatever form we can.
00:32:37.502 --> 00:32:39.231
I completely agree with you, lori.
00:32:39.231 --> 00:32:42.619
Thank you, this was a great discussion.
00:32:42.619 --> 00:32:50.390
You ladies provided some amazing tips and feedback for our photographers, so you can definitely make sure you have the memories for all of our couples.
00:32:50.390 --> 00:32:53.156
So thank you, ladies, for joining me.
00:32:53.156 --> 00:32:54.741
It's always a great time talking with you.
00:32:56.070 --> 00:32:58.900
Next up is our old and new segment.
00:32:58.900 --> 00:33:06.319
This is where I'll be discussing a few of the older trends we are familiar with and sharing insight on other options to share with your couples.
00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:18.016
We've already touched on destination weddings during this episode and we all know how the venue selections and choices away in paradise or in another part of the world can create the most magical day.
00:33:18.016 --> 00:33:22.582
But let's get into the trend of non-traditional wedding venues.
00:33:22.582 --> 00:33:42.442
Although the usual church weddings and banquet halls are great for some couples and they'll forever stick with those options, but some are becoming adventurous and opting to have their weddings in places that turn the imaginable into a reality, adding a sense of boldness and flair and a level up when it comes to the venue choice.
00:33:42.442 --> 00:33:53.363
Couples are looking for those distinct venues with less constraints that give them a lot more freedom to be creative and to share that vision that they've been dreaming of for months.
00:33:53.363 --> 00:34:00.132
Just visualize trying to help your couples pull together the best day of their lives from a mountaintop.
00:34:00.132 --> 00:34:08.862
Now, here in California, there are so many locations to make this happen, overlooking views that look and feel like you are part of a masterpiece.
00:34:08.862 --> 00:34:18.717
Couples are choosing art galleries and museums, bringing out their artistic personalities and giving guests the opportunity to see the creation of a wedding in a different light.
00:34:18.717 --> 00:34:19.820
Take it a step further.
00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:24.293
Couples are literally taking the plunge and saying I do underwater.
00:34:24.293 --> 00:34:35.963
Now, this will be a challenge for guests to be in attendance, so a more feasible option would include getting married in a zoo or an aquarium under a floor to ceiling glass tank.
00:34:35.963 --> 00:34:42.679
There's the rooftop venues, providing a view of the city that very well may have brought them together.
00:34:42.679 --> 00:34:53.132
Those diehard sports fanatic couples are taking it to the field or court of their favorite team during the off-season, of course, and they are renting out stadiums.
00:34:53.132 --> 00:35:00.525
And what about the campground venues, providing a full-on wedding weekend retreat surrounded by nature.
00:35:00.525 --> 00:35:09.684
Finally, some couples are taking the celebration to the harbor and sailing away at sea on a yacht, with a beautiful skyline and sunset.
00:35:10.610 --> 00:35:14.822
The possibilities of a non-traditional wedding venue they are endless.
00:35:14.822 --> 00:35:23.081
Whatever your couples decide, be sure to listen to their vision, bring their personalities to life and assist them in choosing the perfect location.
00:35:23.081 --> 00:35:30.313
Now, as the wedding professionals that we are, please remember to do your due diligence and research those venues.
00:35:30.313 --> 00:35:35.704
Make sure all permits, requirements and rules are followed and in place.
00:35:35.704 --> 00:35:52.802
As professionals, sure we can pull off a wedding celebration and provide our services, adjusting and adapting to just about any environment, but make sure you are educating your couple when it comes to your level of expertise and how you'll be able to provide your service in that space.
00:35:52.802 --> 00:36:09.545
And remember, when your couples choose a non-traditional venue, throw the word basic out the window, because they've already thought outside the box and it's up to you, the wedding pro, to take the ordinary event and turn it into an extraordinary experience.
00:36:09.889 --> 00:36:18.831
Wedding pros, as we bring this month's episode to a close, I'd like to leave you with an inspirational quote to keep you all encouraged in this demanding wedding industry.
00:36:18.831 --> 00:36:27.697
It's a quote by businessman and entrepreneur James Cash Penny, also known as JC Penny, and it reads growth is never by mere chance.
00:36:27.697 --> 00:36:30.364
It's the result of forces working together.
00:36:30.364 --> 00:36:37.052
Wedding pros, we are that force, so let's continue to work together and take this industry by storm.
00:36:37.052 --> 00:36:40.362
That wraps up our April 2024 Wedding Industry News.
00:36:40.362 --> 00:36:47.038
As always, we appreciate you joining us, whether you are listening via a streaming platform or tuned in on our YouTube channel.
00:36:47.038 --> 00:36:51.251
We look forward to you joining us here next month on the Wedding Pro Podcast.
00:36:51.251 --> 00:36:58.735
Thank you.