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Choosing your wedding vendors can be one of the most challenging parts of planning your destination wedding. It’s also a topic that hugely divides people working in the industry. Is it better to hire local vs non-local vendors for your destination wedding?
Destination weddings and elopements have long been the holy grail of bookings for those working in the industry. Something that almost every wedding vendor aspires to at some point in their career. And whilst we have our own opinions on this, we wanted to try and create a more objective article outlining the pros and cons of both options.
We also want to stress that for both the pros and cons, these are not universal to all locals or non-local vendors. Our lists are simply made up of common threads we see discussed within the European wedding community. There are exceptions to each and every one of these points. So at the end of this post, we’ll share our tips for choosing the best vendors for you.
Let’s start with looking at why you might want to consider local vendors over out-of-towners:
The Pros of Working With Local Vendors
Understanding of local customs and traditions
You might think that since you’re getting married in Europe, there aren’t so many local customs and traditions that you need to be aware of. But that’s not always the case.
For example, the Dolomites are technically in Italy, but there are certain areas of the Dolomites where the local communities don’t identify as Italian but rather as South Tyrolian or Ladin. This is due to the complex history of this region.
Some areas in Europe are still quite religious and conservative and certain styles of clothing (especially more revealing ones) may be frowned upon.
Maybe you want to include some local customs in your ceremony. A local is more likely to have a better understanding of these customs and can help you incorporate aspects in a culturally respectful way.
Navigating Language Barriers
Having someone who speaks the local language and understands the local culture can be helpful, both during the planning stages and on your wedding day.
Respecting Local Rules & Regulations
Whilst it’s not fair to say that locals respect rules and regulations, and non-locals don’t, there are countless examples of where out-of-town vendors have shown a blatant disregard for the places they are shooting in, and they have come under criticism from locals. Local vendors are more likely to follow these rules and regulations since the repercussions of not following them directly affect them – such as tightened restrictions, location closures, fines or tensions within the community.
Familiarity with Location-specific challenges and Alternatives
Locals know your elopement location inside-out. They will be able to explain to you how the seasonality in your area affects how you might plan your elopement timeline, and which locations may or may not be accessible at certain times of day or year.
They may also have more knowledge about any challenges around accessibility and safety, and be able to suggest suitable alternatives should you need them.
Understanding Seasonality
Some locations are accessible year-round whereas others may be seasonal. Locations may look completely different at different times of year, have different accessibility challenges or be more or less crowded at certain times.
Locals understand the seasonality of locations in their areas and can help you choose the best location for when you’re visiting, or help you choose the best time to visit based on your location preferences.
Last spring I got a message on Instagram from a bride who wasn’t a client of mine. It was just days before her elopement, and she was really worried about the location her photographer had chosen for her Dolomites elopement. The location was not accessible due to snow, which was pretty normal for that time of year. A local photographer would have known that. However, she told me her photographer was flying in from Arizona (!). I explained that the location they had suggested wasn’t safe or accessible at that time of year, and offered some seasonally appropriate alternatives (without sharing my top secret spots).
I personally find it irresponsible of photographers to suggest locations, especially in the mountains where safety is paramount, without understanding the seasonality of the area. That photographer was putting their clients at risk, and that’s not cool.
Cat – EEG Editor & Elopement Photographer
Help You Avoid The Tourist Traps
Popular locations are easy to find online. They are the ones you’ll see time and time again on social media or “top 10 locations in …” lists. Of course, they are popular for a reason. Local vendors can often paint a more realistic view of these locations, give you the information to decide whether it’s right for you or not, and suggest lesser-known alternatives that you might not find online.
They may also suggest local restaurants for truly authentic local cuisine (rather than the tourist traps) or experiences that you shouldn’t miss whilst in the area.
A Little Black Book of Local Contacts
One of the most valuable reasons to hire a local planner is their little black book of local contacts. Not only does this save you from scouring the internet looking for vendors (whose websites may not be in English and hard to find), but they can become invaluable if things don’t go to plan.
Skye elopement photographer Rosie told us of a couple who were coming to Skye for their elopement, only to find themselves diverted and without their luggage. Rosie reached out to the local community, and within hours, the couple had a wedding dress and suit:
'Knowing Skye and knowing the people who live here, I knew that people would want to reach out and help them.'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 28, 2022
Rosie explains how the community offered 8 dresses for Amanda to choose from after she put out a late-night request. pic.twitter.com/yxU8RpFfc4
Supporting Sustainability
Couples who choose local vendors for their destination weddings can reduce their event’s carbon footprint by up to 30% compared to flying them in! Amazing, right? But that’s not the only way that you’re being more sustainable by hiring a local.
Travel is a privilege, and when you visit another area, you’re being welcomed into someone else’s home. For many popular destinations around Europe (and around the world), locals are being forced out of these areas due to rising costs of living, housing shortages (due to increases in short-term rentals like Airbnb), and cheaper out-of-town vendors coming in and undercutting the market.
One of the biggest reasons for choosing local vendors is to give back to the region where you’re travelling. Working with local vendors directly contributes to the livelihood of local families and businesses, supports economic growth in your chosen destination and creates a ripple effect of positive economic impact.
Generally speaking, local vendors are invested in their local communities. As such, they are also more aware of tensions between locals and tourists, especially in areas where tourism is popular, and they can help navigate your wishes whilst making sure the local community is respected.
When might you want A Non-local Vendor instead?
While we wholeheartedly believe in supporting local communities by hiring local vendors, we understand that sometimes the best option for you isn’t necessarily a local.
Being local doesn’t guarantee someone is reliable or good at their job. Sometimes you might find a non-local vendor whose values or style resonates with you more than anyone local.
Here are some of the reasons you might choose NOT to hire local vendors, and bring people in from further afield instead:
A Fresh Set of Eyes
Destination vendors can bring a fresh perspective to a location and may notice things that a photographer who shoots in the same locations regularly doesn’t (or thinks isn’t worth photographing).
At one point I got a compliment from a groom for photographing a street sign in a small Italian town (it was literally a sign that tells the name of the street), because it completed the story. A local probably wouldn’t dream of photographing that, but to us (the couple and me) Dutch people we thought the old signs were beautiful.
Renata – WIT Photography
Technical Knowledge vs Local Knowledge
You might have local vendors who have grown up in the mountains, but that doesn’t automatically mean that they know how to conduct their work in the mountains or how to keep you safe. Sometimes you may be better off hiring people who aren’t possibly aren’t local, but are experienced and qualified to work in alpine environments.
Not all Swiss photographers have enough outdoor or mountain experience to do an elopement in the mountains in a safe way. Many couples dont know this unfortunatelly. I’ve seen photographers & planners (and their clients) in sneakers in dangerous areas in the snow, because they simply didn’t know better. This is not a safe way of operating a business.
Malin – Wild Souls United
LGBTQIA+ Vendors & Allies
Wedding planning for LGBTQIA+ folk can add another level of worry that many cis, hetero people will never experience. You may want to prioritize hiring vendors who are also from the LGBTQIA+ community, or who are publicly showing themselves to be allies, to make sure that you feel safe and supported on your wedding day. It might be that none of the local vendors for your destination wedding feel like a safe and comfortable choice, so considering bringing in a vendor from further afield might be the best choice for you.
Vendors Supporting Diversity
Similar to the above point, if you find that the local vendors don’t have very diverse portfolios, and you want someone who has a more diverse portfolio and experience, you may want to consider vendors from further afield. Whether that’s a makeup artist who has experience with Asian facial features, a planner who understands your disability needs or a photographer who knows how to capture darker skin tones correctly, it’s important you find people who will make you feel comfortable and safe.
Lower Rates
Different countries have different economies, and that means the cost of vendors may vary a lot between them. In general, vendors in Europe are cheaper than they would be in the USA, but can be more expensive than those in UK. Between European countries there can also be quite big differences in cost, simply because of higher/lower taxes and costs of living.
If the budget is tight, bringing in vendors from a different country/region might help your budget stretch further.
Someone who speaks your language
Perhaps having someone who speaks the local language is less important to you than someone who speaks your language. If you know you feel more comfortable and more relaxed speaking in your native language, or you are worried about something getting lost in translation, then you may want vendors who speak the same language as you.
Someone Who Understands your religion or culture
Perhaps you’re including some cultural or religious elements from your own background (which may be different to the local one) and you want vendors who understand and can be sensitive to these.
The Portfolio-Building Pitfall: Why “Free” Isn’t Always Better
Sometimes you’ll see vendors offering almost too-good-to-be-true deals for destination weddings for locations they really want to visit. We’ve even seen people offering to work for free or just for travel expenses to build their portfolio and get more destination wedding content, especially in popular destinations.
Whether you’re on a tight budget or not, we understand how tempting these offers can be. Sometimes that can mean a saving of thousands. But are you really getting a great deal when you choose a vendor who is willing to do it cheaply in return for being able to use it in their portfolio? We’re not fans of this approach. Having been in the industry for many years, we’ve seen the positives (couples saving money and vendors building portfolios) but also the downsides, such as:
Inexperience – Sometimes vendors who are heavily discounting to get more portfolio examples can be inexperienced. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the quality of their work.
Lack of Flexibility – Someone who is travelling to the area specifically for your wedding might not have as much flexibility, should you need to make any schedule changes (which can regularly occur with elopements). There may be conflicts between their travel agenda and your wedding needs
Privacy – Some couples prefer for their wedding images to be kept private and not shared online. For vendors who are building their portfolios, their primary goal is to get images for their marketing, and this is why they are offering the discount.
Lack of Backup Plans & Equipment – Any destination wedding that requires vendors to fly in usually means vendors bring a “stripped-down” version of their normal kit. This is to comply with baggage restrictions and also customs fees. This means they may be sacrificing some of their usual backup kit.
Limited understanding of local logistics and timing – Some areas and locations might be more complex than outside vendors realise.
I was booked to shoot a destination wedding in Italy at Lake Como. I usually speak with my couples and help them plan a timeline, but they had booked a local planner and I’m so glad they did. The planner had scheduled the ceremony at 5pm, and since I was not from the area, I thought it was too late. The planner explained that earlier would be too hot for everyone. On the day it was baking hot. I’m so glad they had the planner there to advise, because I probably would have suggested they have it earlier and everyone would have passed-out from the heat!
Cat – European Elopement Guide Editor
Their Portfolio is Their Priority – If a vendor is giving a significant discount, or even doing it for free, they are doing it because they want to get something out of it. In most cases it’s not about a “free holiday” but rather to get something they can use for their destination portfolio. They may come into your wedding with pre-concieved ideas about what they want to get from it. This can result in them treating your wedding day like a photo shoot, and pressuring you into making choices that will look good in their portfolio rather than empowering you to do what makes you happy. We believe the priority should always be YOU and YOUR EXPERIENCE over their portfolio expectations.
Conclusion
At the European Elopement Guide, we believe that if you’re travelling to a destination for your wedding or elopement, working with local vendors is not only the most sustainable option, but it can also really enhance the whole overall experience. However, sometimes the local vendors may not be what you’re looking for, and sometimes bringing someone in from further afield means working with vendors who align better with you.
Whatever, and whoever you choose, we hope you find your dream team and have the most incredible wedding in Europe!
Want to find local vendors in your destination? Check out our members directory:
