Wedding Photographer’s Blood Boils Over Bride’s Destination Wedding Request
Weddings create beautiful memories for family and friends.
A wedding photographer can get to be pretty expensive. A wedding photographer was not too pleased with a recent request that she received to come and shoot a destination wedding.
AJ The Wedding Photographer
![Wedding Photographer Woman holding up camera.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Wedding-Photographer-93236.jpg?width=800&height=916)
AJ is a wedding photographer who is based out of Chicago.
She travels all across the country and shoots weddings for a living. This year alone she will be traveling to nine different states for weddings.
Request That Made Her Blood Boil
![Photographer Woman pointing at camera.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-45578.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
AJ was pretty fired up over a recent message she received.
The message was for a request for her to come and work a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. The request made her blood boil!
The Request
![Photographer Email of a destination wedding request](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-26754.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
She shared a full screenshot of the message in the video.
The person was looking for her to come and shoot the wedding along with a videographer in exchange for travel and hotel while she was there.
What It Boiled Down To
![Photographer Woman holding up three fingers to camera.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-90229.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
There were many different elements to the request, but what it came down to was rather simple.
The bride was asking her to come to Cancun for three days in exchange for three days of her services.
Multiple Days Of Shooting
![Photographer Woman looking surprised at camera.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-18006.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
They were not only looking for her to come and shoot the full wedding day.
They were also wanting her to shoot four hours of a catamaran ride the day after the wedding.
Breaking Down The Offer
![Photographer Woman holding up hand with an unimpressed face.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-49173.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
At the bottom of the message, she breaks down the offer of the costs.
In exchange for the three days of services, the couple would be paying her and her second shooter a combined $4,700 for flights and accommodations.
Trying To Avoid Extra Fees
![Photographer Woman small on screen with text behind her.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-89808.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
They are looking for them to stay for three nights to try to avoid extra vendor fees charged by the resort.
Having her stay for three nights would help save possibly $2,000 in additional vendor fees.
She's Not On Vacation
![Photographer Woman holding hand to her chest with an unimpressed look on her face.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-72972.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
AJ was rather offended by the offer and said that the three days in Cancun would only be a vacation for the couple getting married.
Even though she is working somewhere beautiful, she is still working.
Doubling Up To Save Money
![Photographer Woman with an incredulous look on her face.](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-87345.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
AJ was also very taken aback by the part where they were looking for her and her second shooter to share a bed.
If they didn't want to share a bed, then they would offer them a cot.
Not How It Works
![Photographer Woman holding hand to her chest](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-99065.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
She said that what it comes down to is that this is not how hiring a photographer who is coming from out of state works.
The typical practice is that you would pay for their travel and services. The starting fee for AJ's services is $6,000.
Other Professions Wouldn't Do That
![Photographer Woman holding up one finger](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-61585.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
She goes on to say that non-creative services do not get offers to exchange services.
She said that you wouldn't offer to take your dentist out to lunch in exchange for the filling they gave you.
Can't Pay? Then Don't Do It
![Photographer Woman holding hand up to her face as if whispering](https://www.thisiswhyimsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Photographer-93119.jpg?width=800&height=1423)
AJ says that offering something like this is disrespectful and is urging people not to do it.
She says if you can't pay for your destination wedding then maybe you shouldn't have one.