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Why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding

Canada scene

Why you should bring your photographer

As some of you may know, I’ve just got back from Greece to cover a destination wedding on the lovely island of Santorini, complete with iconic blue domed churches and blindingly white architecture on the top of cliffs surrounding a caldera of an anciently erupted volcano.

It’s obvious why the bridal couple selected such a spot for their wedding ceremony, despite the fact they had to travel halfway around the globe to hold it! Hosting a destination wedding like this simply allows you to hold your wedding in your perfect location, and not having to settle for something mediocre by comparison.

It’s usually not a cheap exercise however and should only be contemplated by those super keen on hosting the most perfect wedding ever! Which is why I’m writing this article about why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding.

Santorini destination wedding

Think about it, you’re hoping to host the wedding of the century in such a stunning location, and you’re willing to trust your photos and/or video to someone your wedding venue sorted for you? One of the drawbacks of hosting a destination wedding is that many venues or local wedding planners would bundle people like your wedding photographer or videographer in with the package deals they present you, meaning they are looking to make as much profit as possible.

It’s sometimes the case that they will find local ‘friends with a camera’ or cheap photographers to save themselves as much money as possible when sorting out your wedding.

If you can’t control other aspects of your wedding, at the very least try to control the one thing that will remain after the day is over – your photography and/or video, which is why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding!

No wedding ever goes off without some small hitch or problem. There’s just so many things being organised and planned, it’s only natural for some small issue to arise. This is magnified when you’re hosting a destination wedding where you’ll be placing your faith in the venue or wedding planner to handle all of your vendors and set up for the most part.

Some things are definitely minor and able to get over them quickly – like the flowers being the wrong shade, or the chairs being a few short, but your photography? That’s not getting done again and is why you should use someone you trust, despite having to fly them around the world to your destination wedding!

Santorini destination wedding

Why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding

Bringing your own photographer to your destination wedding offers you assurance of being able to research and select the exact photographer you want! You can perfectly link their style, personality, experience and packages to what you like, rather than relying on what your venue or planner say you want 🙂 Then the photos you that they capture from your day will be as memorable as you hope them to be.

As you probably know, your photographer and videographer (if you choose to have one) will be spending more time with you on your big day than anyone else; it’s important to select someone you know will do a good job on your day. This is true for any wedding, but especially true for a destination wedding – any wedding photographer that travels for destination weddings are super passionate in what they do and will go above and beyond to capture the day in a way they are sure you’ll enjoy while also being a huge opportunity for them to travel and see the world – which as being a photographer that’s pretty much our thing!

Photographers that you bring with you will most likely offer an uninterrupted full days coverage (not so with most resort photo packages) – although I do this anyway.

You may be reading this and agreeing with my points, but also in the back of your mind you’d be thinking the cost of bringing someone with you would include airfares, accomodation and then the usual rate your photographer charges so wouldn’t be overly cost effective – which to be honest would be mostly true, but hopefully the understanding and trust you have with the photographer you’ve brought would stretch beyond the cost.

Selecting a photographer for your dream wedding shouldn’t be able cost, and cutting costs on a photographer is one of the most common regrets from couples after their day.

That said however, if you love a photographer you have found and what them, and only them to travel with you to cover your wedding, much of the time they will cut a deal just for the opportunity.

For example in my case, the recent wedding I covered in Santorini, I covered in exchange for a lovely holiday – and yet another wedding I’m covering in Fiji next year I wanted to have in my portfolio, so I made my rates similar to what a local photographer would charge. Chances are bringing your own photographer could be more cost effective than you think! Another reason why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding.

Santorini destination wedding

When it comes right down to it, planning and pulling off a destination wedding takes a lot of time, effort, money and stress – much like any wedding really, but when you hold it overseas or someplace your guests usually can’t access easily, it makes it even more so! It makes sense to surround yourself with vendors you trust, however the cake, flowers, DJ etc. will be gone… great photographs will always be there offering you a return to that special time in that amazing setting!

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Odorgraphy – A new way to experience your wedding photos

Bride and groom in Chateau Yaldara cellar

Odorgraphy – A new way to experience your wedding photography

I’m super pleased to announce – exclusive to SvenStudios – a new paradigm in wedding photography immersion! Odorgraphy is a patented approach to recording your photography on your wedding day while also, simultaneously recording the smell of the moment! This means you’re able to relive that moment the photograph was taken while also experiencing the most intense sensation from your sense of smell!

Experts agree that when combining your sense of smell with a visual stimuli, the memory of that moment is enhanced several fold, allowing you to relive your day in the most remarkable way! When combined with the SvenStudios guest360 virtual reality service, you’re able to relive your day using all 5 of your senses – aside from touch. The sense of smell is possibly the most underused of senses when used to record and relive an event such as a wedding, so we felt it was high time that trend was reversed. Having the odor of your day wafting from the pages of your wedding album, or from framed prints on your walls will transport you back to the time the photograph was taken and bring a flood of memories back to brighten your day!

At SvenStudios we pride ourselves in our ability to transport you back to the most important moments in your lives through our imagery, and with the development of odorgraphy, this is just another step to better fulfill that goal. In the past we have developed wedding satellite imagery, and wedding x-ray photography, and when combined with our drone and virtual reality services, you’d be hard pressed in finding another wedding photographer that is this dedicated in bringing technology to your wedding day with the sole goal of allowing you to relive your day in the most incredible way!

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Preparation Wedding Photography

Bride leaning on door

Preparation wedding Photography

One of my favourite times of day on a wedding day is the preparation time, the time of day when the bride and groom are getting ready for their big moment in front of family and friends, which allows for some incredible moments of emotion and nerves to show through, painting a story of the personalities of the couple through Preparation Wedding Photography. Capturing the individual moments of personality of the bride and groom before they become an ‘item’ so to speak is a primary goal of taking photos during this time of day. This is the last moments of their lives where they aren’t sharing a family with a significant other. I feel it’s important to make use of this time to paint a portrait with my photography of the lives and personality traits the bride and groom exhibit as an individual. The lovey dovey moments when they are together come later.

If you consider a wedding album as a photographic story, then the preparation photos are the beginning of the story, the coming together of these two individuals would be the ceremony, and the happily ever after the glamour photos and reception.

Groom preparation wedding photography

When photographing the preparation of the groom and his groomsmen, it’s important to recognise the atmosphere of the situation, by gauging the nerves, and/or playful (or lack of) nature of the party getting ready. One is able as a photographer to guide the party through a series of unposed photos while getting dressed, while also focussing on small things like wedding rings and shoes. When having as many weddings as I do under my belt, I’m able to read when would be appropriate to also transition into a more traditional, formal shoot after the more photojournalistic scenes.

Ring Box
Groomsmen being monkeys
Groom and his groomsmen
Boys walking together
Smiling groom
All together
groomsmen preparation glenelg
Getting ready
Smiling groom

Bridal preparation wedding photography

When heading over to the girls and the bridal party, the approach to preparation photos is largely similar. There are still nerves, emotions and drama occurring all around, with the difference being that there’s an additional process (usually) considering makeup and putting on much more complicated clothing (bridal dresses). Once again it’s important to capture the small things, like jewellery and shoes while also being photojournalistic leading up to the point where the ladies are putting on their dresses. Preparation wedding photography also tends to become highly traditional in parts with the bridal party, with shots of the bridal party fussing around the bride, and other scenes such as putting on the garter which are very traditional scenes.

Having fun in the veil
Lacing up
Smiles all round
Smiling Mum
Flower Girl in Window
Putting on the dress
Wedding Dress
Engagement ring
Dress
Looking in mirror

Overcoming Challenges in Preparation Wedding Photography

Here are common challenges in groom photography preparation, along with simple ways to handle them:

  • Cluttered rooms: We suggest decluttering early or using one tidy corner for key shots.
  • Poor lighting: Our team identifies naturally lit spots or uses discreet lighting tools to maintain ambience.
  • Tight schedules: We add buffer time to ensure no moments feel rushed, allowing you to enjoy every part of your day without stress.
  • Camera shyness: A calm, friendly approach helps everyone relax and act naturally.
  • Distractions and movement: We guide the couple and bridal party gently to ensure focus without interrupting real moments.

These steps help us capture genuine, stress-free memories during your preparation. They also apply to bridal photography preparation.

Must-Have Equipment for Preparation Wedding Photography

Capturing the quiet excitement before the ceremony takes both skill and the right tools. For groom preparation photography, a fast prime lens and off-camera flash help capture sharp, candid moments in low light. For bridal preparation photography, reflectors and macro lenses highlight accessories, while a silent shutter preserves the mood.

At SvenStudios, we carefully select our equipment to suit each setting—whether it’s a bustling groom’s room or a serene bridal suite. Our approach ensures every glance, laugh, and heartfelt moment is preserved beautifully, setting the tone for timeless wedding memories right from the start.

I strongly believe however, particularly with preparation wedding photography that it’s far better to be as invisible as possible when being a wedding photographer as I feel that there would be nothing worse than having someone with a huge camera taking shots of you while you’re getting dresses on the most emotionally charged day of your life. As a result, I tend to stay primarily photojournalistic in having the bridal parties get ready as usual and take photos of that,m and then once they’re used to me being there, join in a little for more constructed photos. I tend to hate turning people into mannequins 😀

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Announcing X-ray Wedding Photography

X-ray Wedding Photography

Since the dawn of photography, it has always been the photographer’s goal to capture the inner soul of their subject in photographic form. Capturing the emotions of the moment and telling a story as it happens in a split second of time is the essence of the goal that many wedding photographers set out to achieve – myself included. With this mindset, it’s with great excitement that I am announcing a new service I’m providing to all my wedding photography clients; X-ray Wedding Photography.

X-Ray Wedding Photography

Photography has always had the goal of capturing pure emotion, beyond the outer appearance of the subject being photographed, so using x-rays I’m able to pierce the upper levels of your skin, allowing me to photograph your inner beauty and emotions – literally. My portable x-ray camera (pictured below) allows for seamless integration of X-ray wedding photography to your special day, and the result would be a highly unique keepsake.

In keeping with my mantra of keeping up with the cutting edge in photographic technology, I’m always keen on providing my clients with that absolute best technology has to offer. With my rollout of satellite wedding photography last year, and of course my drone and 360 Virtual Reality services, no other photographers in Australia offer this kind of service.

Portable X-Ray Machine

As with many of my new services, I like to roll out my new offerings for free to already booked wedding clients, and I’ve developed my X-ray Wedding Photography process over the last few months – with the amazing results pictured below. As this is still a fledgeling service, I will still be offering this service for free, at least for the foreseeable future – just because I believe every angle of a wedding should be captured at the best of my ability.

X-Ray couple
X-Ray Love

I anticipate the demand for this kind of service will inundate me with bookings for the next 5 years at least, much in the same way as my super popular satellite wedding photography rollout last year. So get in touch now in order to secure my services and you too can have a unique memento of the inside of your bodies from your wedding day!

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Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

Have you ever wondered what the meaning and the origin behind this famous bridal poem  was? Well as a wedding photographer, I too was intrigued, as I am with any aspect of the wedding tradition and I did a little research. It’s a poem that’s synonymous with modern weddings, it’s a tradition that is still fiercely followed to this day, despite it’s meaning mostly being lost upon many of the brides I’ve talked to about it.

If I see a bride getting these items ready, I generally try to take a photo of the set before they are worn for posterity’s sake, so I figured it might be interesting to find out why the tradition exists in the first place.  Turns out the poem is actually simply a rhyming list of varying other traditions that were in place prior to the poem for various different ways to grant good luck to the bride and her marriage.

Something blue

The poem dates back to Victorian times, and as I wrote earlier, links a number of older traditions that brides adhere to for good luck. All 4 traditions of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue are purely superstitious in nature with the minor exception that the ‘something blue’ part could relate to the religious colours of the Virgin Mary.

However in Victorian times, brides would choose the colour blue to symbolise faithfulness and loyalty, and was actually the preferred colour of wedding dresses at the time, but that’s another story.

‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’

Something old

Incorporating something old into a bride’s attire was meant to symbolise her connection to her roots, her family and where she grew up. Carrying this with her into her future so that she may draw from her family’s strength in whatever the future has in store for her. Many brides choose to wear a piece of antique family jewelry or a piece of clothing handed down through the generations. In modern times this idea that the ‘something old’ has some connection to family is often forgotten in lieu of some old possession, often shoes or even underwear.

Something new

Just as the ‘something old’ was supposed to link her with her past, the ‘something new’ part of the poem was supposed to symbolise the new life she will have wedded to her new husband. One marketing technique bridal boutiques use when selling their customers wedding gowns is that the ‘something new’ should represent good fortune and success in the bride’s new life, and therefore should be the most expensive thing she’s wearing. Quite often though, aside from the wedding dress the ‘new’ item is the engagement ring, or her shoes.

Bridal jewellery

Something borrowed

Getting ‘something borrowed’ in modern times is often misunderstood as simply ‘borrowing’ something from anyone, be it perfume or some earrings. Often brides accidentally get it right however by borrowing something from their mother or Matron of honour as traditionally the ‘borrowed’ item should be something borrowed from an already happily wedded wife so as to bring a little bit of the good luck she has had in her life into this new marriage. The borrowed item is also there to remind the bride that friends and family are there to support her.

Something blue

Having something blue in the Victorian era symbolised faithfulness, loyalty and purity. All the things the white wedding dress these days represents. The colour blue however relates to the colour of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus in the Christian faith, thereby being the only tradition in the list directly related to organised religion, the rest being a secular tradition. That said however, the colour blue represents these things purely by the nature of its hue, just as red represents danger and gold, wealth.

Bridal Affects

And a silver sixpence in my shoe

An often forgotten part of the poem ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in my shoe’ is the last of the five traditions which was to place a silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe to ensure wealth in the future. Obviously we no longer use sixpences anywhere outside of the UK, and therefore have largely forgotten this part of the rhyme, but it was there and it may be something you brides out there might like to consider if you’re following the rhyme 🙂

Creative Modern Takes on a Timeless Wedding Traditions

When it comes to wedding traditions that have stood the test of time, “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” is one of the most beloved. Alongside this classic rhyme, another tradition is the act of tying the knot during the ceremony.

Tying the knot traditionally involved binding the couple’s hands with ribbon, fabric or cord to represent unity and commitment. Today, this gesture is being creatively reimagined in modern ceremonies, blending symbolism with personal touches.

Couples are now using this ritual to incorporate meaningful elements from the rhyme:

  • Something old – A vintage ribbon passed down through generations
  • Something new – A newly crafted cord in the couple’s wedding colours
  • Something borrowed – A fabric or sash borrowed from a close family member or friend
  • Something blue – A subtle blue thread, charm or detail woven into the knot

This modern interpretation of an age-old practice creates a deeply emotional moment during the ceremony. At SvenStudios, we specialise in capturing these moments in a way that tells your unique story. From the details of the knot to the expressions on your faces, our goal is to preserve your memories with heart and artistry.

If you are looking for inspiration on how to blend traditional elements like “Something Borrowed Something Blue” with meaningful wedding rituals, SvenStudios is here to help turn those ideas into timeless memories.

In addition to the bride carrying Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe; nestled all over her body would be bunches of herbs to ward off bad spirits. This tradition has been almost completely replaced by the carrying of a bridal bouquet, which has it’s own sets of traditions associated with it.

FAQs

Who gives the bride something old, new, borrowed, and blue?

These special items are usually gifted by close family or friends. Grandparents, siblings, or the bride’s best friend might offer a meaningful token, like a vintage piece of jewellery for something old or a blue ribbon for something blue. Some brides also choose their own items, selecting things that are personal and symbolic.

What are the four things a bride needs?

The traditional rhyme lists the four things a bride should carry on her wedding day:

  • Something old – A symbol of continuity and family connection
  • Something new – Representing optimism for the future
  • Something borrowed – A token from someone happily married to pass on good luck
  • Something blue – Signifying purity, love, and fidelity

Sometimes, a silver sixpence in the shoe is also included to bring prosperity and joy.

Can you combine something borrowed and something blue?

Yes, absolutely. A single item can fulfil both roles. For instance, borrowing a blue bracelet, hairpin, or scarf from a loved one is a thoughtful and practical way to honour the tradition. It’s a lovely way to make your wedding day feel both personal and connected to others.

What can I use as something old at my wedding?

Something old can be anything that links you to your family, heritage, or personal past. Brides often choose:

  • Heirloom jewellery
  • A parent or grandparent’s wedding veil
  • A vintage hair accessory or locket
  • A piece of fabric from a family wedding dress
  • An old ring box or antique keepsake
  • Even a classic car or cherished family recipe can carry that beautiful sense of history.

What can a bride have for something old?

From vintage accessories to family treasures, the options are endless. A bride might wear her grandmother’s earrings, wrap her bouquet with a strip of her mother’s dress, or carry a keepsake that holds deep meaning. The best choice is something that feels heartfelt and reflective of your personal story.