Your Picture Perfect Wedding - 5 reasons to choose a Sedona wedding photographer
Your wedding day – more than just a single day. There are the days leading up to it, anticipating, planning, dreaming. Then the day itself, nervous and excited, thrilled to say your vows and officially commit to your beloved. And then the days after, your married life, anniversaries… reliving the excitement, the emotion, the love. For most couples getting married in Sedona, having wedding day photos not only adds another layer of joy that lasts a lifetime, it allows them to share their day with family and loved ones not in attendance. Most people coming to Sedona are seeking the “wow” factor, either of the physical beauty of the Sedona landscape, or the feeling that being in nature gives them. The right wedding photos can help couples lock in the memories of their time here, and give them an easy-access pass down memory lane once they return home.
Not surprisingly, Sedona, Arizona is known for its population rich in artists. One of our greatest joys as Sedona wedding officiants is to work with Sedona creatives - from flowers to makeup and hair, from musicians to bakeries, we delight in seeing the joy these artists create for our wedding couples. And nowhere is this joy more apparent than when we get to work with a Sedona wedding photographer. Through our years as wedding officiants, we have been blessed to work - and form friendships - with several area photographers. Below are some of the reasons we urge couples to draw from Sedona’s experienced wedding photographers to capture the magic of their Sedona wedding day.
1) They know the trail system/different restrictions
While one of our duties as your Sedona wedding officiant is to guide you in choosing the ceremony location best for you, you may also want to capture photos of your celebration beyond the ceremony itself. For some of our favorite site combinations, see our January 9, 2023 Wedding Blog. When planning additional time with you photographer, it is important to have a photographer familiar with the area. Sometimes couples see dramatic locations/images they want to re-create, and a photographer new to Sedona might not be able to make that happen. For instance, certain locations here now require shuttle services, and some are simple unpleasant to be at during the busier tourist season. Depending on the season and time of day, a seemingly remote and private location, like the Cathedral Rock saddle shown in this pic by the beyond-talented Shannon from Stratus Adventure Photography, could be swarming with hikers. A seasoned Sedona photographer knows what is realistic so that you don’t wind up disappointed on your photo shoot.
2) They understand the Sedona lighting
The same bright blue sky and amazing red rock colors that draw couples to Sedona can also provide challenging for photographers. At the same time, sudden changes in weather, especially during monsoon season, can require a quick pivot in terms of light compensation. Sedona photographers like the magical Bon Miller understand how to work with our unique lighting, and how to compensate for the reddish glow that can come off the rocks.
3) They won’t get lost their way to your wedding
This is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but it is nonetheless true (and NOT funny if it happens on your wedding day!) that photographers from out of the area can get lost on their way to your wedding. Maybe it’s a Sedona vortex thing? Or they may not understand the need to arrive very early at certain locations in order to get parking, or they may follow Google and wind up at the wrong trailhead. Our Sedona photographers like the gifted Stacy Burk know all the locations and like to be (like your Earth Elopements wedding officiant!) nice and early for your special day.
4) Your Picture Perfect TEAM
We ADORE the photographers that we work with, and it shows. We hear time and time again how much fun it is to have a wedding officiant and photographer that work as a team. That love each other’s company, and can anticipate the needs of the other.
Whenever possible, we stay after the ceremony to lend a hand to the photographer if needed. We have built our relationships with our Sedona photographer partners over time, and are forever grateful for what they have taught us in terms of creating the best pictures during your ceremony, and for ALWAYS treating our couples like royalty. And they typically give us a price break for our Picture Perfect Package.
5) It’s simple - Sedona wedding photographers ROCK
See for yourself - we have links to all of our partner photographers on our Vendors page. They differ in style and price, giving you a chance to choose who best fits your style.
