Destination Wedding Issues?

I just received an inquiry today about doing a destination wedding in Jamaica, not sure if I will even get a response as it will be quite costly for them on top of my normal package but I started wondering..... Are there issues with just showing up to a resort in another country and saying, "hey I'm here to photograph a wedding"? Are work permits needed?

Anyone who has done some destination weddings your input would be greatly appreciated.

Work permits are absolutely needed. You need proof your gear is your own coming back in or you may be charged tax/import fees. You may need a bodyguard. Resorts may ban outside photographers, and may have fees for you to be there. You need to cover airfare, rental car, taxes, hotel, meals at the hotel (you shouldn't have to go out of your way to eat), and incidentals like drinks. You need to fly in at least a day before the wedding in case of flight delays or customs problems, and you need to be there the night of the wedding. If you work with an assistant, double it.

All in all your travel fee will probably be many thousands of dollars. Some couples will try the "if we pay for your flights will you do it for free" thing. The answer should be "my usual package price (top package only) plus expenses if you want me there", and you may charge an additional fee for the extra hassle.

I tried to check out your website but smugmug wouldn't load for me.

tim wrote in post #15933508
Work permits are absolutely needed. You need proof your gear is your own coming back in or you may be charged tax/import fees. You may need a bodyguard. Resorts may ban outside photographers, and may have fees for you to be there. You need to cover airfare, rental car, taxes, hotel, meals at the hotel (you shouldn't have to go out of your way to eat), and incidentals like drinks. You need to fly in at least a day before the wedding in case of flight delays or customs problems, and you need to be there the night of the wedding. If you work with an assistant, double it.

All in all your travel fee will probably be many thousands of dollars. Some couples will try the "if we pay for your flights will you do it for free" thing. The answer should be "my usual package price (top package only) plus expenses if you want me there", and you may charge an additional fee for the extra hassle.

I tried to check out your website but smugmug wouldn't load for me.

Tim,

Thanks. That is kind of what I had figured. I have shot a few weddings within her group of friends and gave her a loose quote as how you mentioned. That it would still be standard rates as well as all traveling, lodging, and food expenses and mentioned that I would have to look into permitting which may also be an additional expense.

I have heard of photogs going out of country and trying to be "sly" about it and fly under the radar to shoot a wedding but I couldn't do that as I cannot imagine not being able to shoot after being flown down there and put up in a hotel by a client. Didn't even think about the proof of ownership for the way back....... All in all it seems like much more of a hassle than it is worth.

Website link should work, I tried it again this morning. If not you can check it out at www.215photography.com.

Thanks again for the info.

Way too many risks and problems. And they take up so much time which decreases the time per profit ratio. Basically, i pretty much stopped doing them 7 years ago because they are just too stressful, and it isn't even unique at all anymore to have tropical beach weddings in your port regardless of your location. Its a mess. I'll only do them if its off season, they pay my ridiculously high fee, and i REALLY like the couple. Photographers have had all their gear confiscated, targeted by local theives, harassed by the resort planners and local vigilante photographer groups, and even thrown in jail and denied re-entry into the country for the rest of their lives. What a mess.

Bets advice I can give is to find out what resort they are having the wedding at,, contact the resort manager and find out yourself what the restrictions are, have the information sent to you in writing......Find out all costs involved...Insure your gear through the wazooo.

Your Never gonna get on a resort like sandals and couples swept away.. most,,if not all will require the clients to use their photography staff. If you can get on,, there will be big time fees. The Mexican resorts are your best bet....But.. they also have fees.

Our destination weddings are to places in the states. Would love to go to Jamaica,St Lucia, or some of the other islands to cover some weddings But I would be extremely careful. Most of the Island resorts use photographers with very little experience, and they shoot with crops in P mode.. Really sad.

I wouldn't be so sure. There is a guild of Mexican photographers that have had US and Canadian photographers thrown in jail and their gear confiscated for shooting down there. If you ask a dozen different Mexican government officials what you have to do to shoot there legally, you are very likely to get a dozen different answers.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #15935332
I wouldn't be so sure. There is a guild of Mexican photographers that have had US and Canadian photographers thrown in jail and their gear confiscated for shooting down there. If you ask a dozen different Mexican government officials what you have to do to shoot there legally, you are very likely to get a dozen different answers.

Your probably right. I was thinking more about the Cancun area. I try to stay out of the rest of mexico... Ill go make a new plate of crow:p:o

Right now they were just inquiring if I would be willing to do it or not, I don't advertise or have any destination wedding packages I show anyone. They are thinking it will be in Jamaica though.

Appreciate all the input from everyone, starting to sound like it is definitely a lot more trouble than it is worth though. Wouldn't mind doing them within the CONUS but out of the country is sounding even iffier than I had already assumed it would be.

This question has been asked before and there were some fairly detailed responses, as I recall.
I've shot a fair number of weddings outside the US and have never applied for a work visa. Using the 'don't ask, don't tell' method isn't for everyone (and I've still made sure I reported all my income and expenses on my US taxes), but I honestly never had any issues at all. Lots of American tourists (and I assume you're from Philly, with that username; I grew up in Center City, btw) travel with tons of nice camera gear. Once you're at the venue, who's going to ask you for your work permit? It's simply never happened to me.

PhotoMatte wrote in post #15936244
This question has been asked before and there were some fairly detailed responses, as I recall.
I've shot a fair number of weddings outside the US and have never applied for a work visa. Using the 'don't ask, don't tell' method isn't for everyone (and I've still made sure I reported all my income and expenses on my US taxes), but I honestly never had any issues at all. Lots of American tourists (and I assume you're from Philly, with that username; I grew up in Center City, btw) travel with tons of nice camera gear. Once you're at the venue, who's going to ask you for your work permit? It's simply never happened to me.

There are countries where I would have that attitude. Mexico is not one of them. Especially since there are militant photographers that live there that are actively seeking to put US/Canadian photographers in Mexican prison for working illegally. Living in Texas, it cracks me up that there are Mexicans that are getting all uppity about Americans working illegally in Mexico, but I digress.

Who is going to ask? Probably the cop friend of the Mexican photographer that should have gotten that wedding and just lost out on a couple grand, but can make it up by seizing your gear or taking a cut of the money you pay to bail yourself out.

Like I said, there are places where it would be cool - I wouldn't **** around with mexico.

215-photography wrote in post #15934016
Website link should work, I tried it again this morning. If not you can check it out at www.215photography.com.

The website works now. It seems to be designed to stop people seeing your photos quickly though - all super slow slide shows, useless horizontal thumbnails, it really is pretty bad (not that mine is much better). I was interested to see your work, but I gave up after two photos. Customers with 1000 photographers to choose from will give up after one.

Plus you're hiding behind your camera in your about me photo. That's cheesy and makes people think you have something to hide, or are shy, or something. Get a decent photo taken.

tim wrote in post #15936808
The website works now. It seems to be designed to stop people seeing your photos quickly though - all super slow slide shows, useless horizontal thumbnails, it really is pretty bad (not that mine is much better). I was interested to see your work, but I gave up after two photos. Customers with 1000 photographers to choose from will give up after one.

Plus you're hiding behind your camera in your about me photo. That's cheesy and makes people think you have something to hide, or are shy, or something. Get a decent photo taken.

Not sure why it was running slow, haven't had that issue before but I'll have to try it on some other computers. Thank for letting me know though as if it is running slow for most people that isn't good.

Definitely need a new bio one done just been lazy about it which isn't really an excuse. Thanks for the feedback.

I know this is completely off topic but if some of you wouldn't mind checking out my website at the link in the sig or at www.215photography.com and let me know if you are having the same issues as Tim stated above with the photos not loading quickly.

I don't have problems on my computer but if even a few others here are having the issues obviously that is a big problem for me and I'll need to invest in yet another web designer.

Thanks everyone.

Same here...slow picture flips even with a 10 mbps connection.

Images load fast for me. No problems and nice photos.