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

Woman holding up camera.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok

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.

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Request That Made Her Blood Boil

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Woman pointing at camera.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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AJ was pretty fired up over a recent message she received.

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The message was for a request for her to come and work a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. The request made her blood boil!

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The Request

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Email of a destination wedding request
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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She shared a full screenshot of the message in the video.

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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.

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What It Boiled Down To

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Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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There were many different elements to the request, but what it came down to was rather simple.

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The bride was asking her to come to Cancun for three days in exchange for three days of her services.

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Multiple Days Of Shooting

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Woman looking surprised at camera.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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They were not only looking for her to come and shoot the full wedding day.

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They were also wanting her to shoot four hours of a catamaran ride the day after the wedding.

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Breaking Down The Offer

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Woman holding up hand with an unimpressed face.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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At the bottom of the message, she breaks down the offer of the costs.

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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.

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Trying To Avoid Extra Fees

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Woman small on screen with text behind her.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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They are looking for them to stay for three nights to try to avoid extra vendor fees charged by the resort.

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Having her stay for three nights would help save possibly $2,000 in additional vendor fees.

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She's Not On Vacation

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Woman holding hand to her chest with an unimpressed look on her face.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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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.

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Even though she is working somewhere beautiful, she is still working.

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Doubling Up To Save Money

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Woman with an incredulous look on her face.
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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AJ was also very taken aback by the part where they were looking for her and her second shooter to share a bed.

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If they didn't want to share a bed, then they would offer them a cot.

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Not How It Works

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Woman holding hand to her chest
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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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.

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The typical practice is that you would pay for their travel and services. The starting fee for AJ's services is $6,000.

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Other Professions Wouldn't Do That

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Woman holding up one finger
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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She goes on to say that non-creative services do not get offers to exchange services.

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She said that you wouldn't offer to take your dentist out to lunch in exchange for the filling they gave you.

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Can't Pay? Then Don't Do It

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Woman holding hand up to her face as if whispering
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
Photo Credit: @ajdoesweddings / TikTok
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AJ says that offering something like this is disrespectful and is urging people not to do it.

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She says if you can't pay for your destination wedding then maybe you shouldn't have one.