Hiring a wedding photographer, when there isn’t anyone in your immediate area who specializes in the kind of photography you like (perhaps the moody, artistic stuff you keep seeing here on the interwebs), is no picnic. You’re stuck dealing with travel policies, and extra logistics, not to mention the fear that maybe the photographer you love just isn’t equipped to shoot the kind of wedding you’re having. And while lots of photographers offer travel packages, not all of them are real-deal destination wedding photographers. But today we’ve got the antidote to all those ailments: Ash Carr Photography. Ash Carr is a bona fide destination wedding photographer (and not in the “but I only shoot million dollar weddings” kind of way). And her specialty is shooting weddings in places she’s never been before and then turning out images that look like she spent months thinking about them.
In fact, Ash Carr prefers shooting in unfamiliar spaces so much that there are no travel feels ever, and she custom tailors her coverage to the specific wedding you’re having. No one size fits all packages here (plus on top of that, there are discounts for spots she’s excited about—more on that below). Says Ash:
Travel is a super important part of my business. Ideally, I’d never shoot at the same venue twice. It forces me to see the couple more truly, to use them as the biggest source of my inspiration, and to never fall into tropes of shooting what I know works, or trying to somehow fit a couple into the same photos I made last weekend at the same space with a different couple. I try to make booking super simple, and really clear. I never want anyone to feel hoodwinked or swindled or tricked. Stuff is laid out super plainly so you know how I work and what to expect. Travel is always included. Flat out.
But Ash Carr is way more than just another photographer who specializes in destination weddings. She’s a fierce feminist with a BFA in photography and film (no surprise there, just look at the photos) and a recently married APW reader herself. But the thing I love most about Ash’s business is how she approaches working with her clients. Her philosophy there? She’s not here to put you in a box:
I want your photos to be a direct reflection of you. They will always be through my eye, I can only shoot authentically to my own vibe, but I want you to feel like you see yourself in the images, and not some mannequin pose that pops up in a portfolio over and over. Because of this each wedding may feel slightly different, as it honestly portrays the energy of the day, the light of the situation, the emotions of the people, and the connection of the couple. I don’t want to make an introverted and intimate couple take photos that have them laughing raucously and buzzing with motion, and vice versa, I don’t want that giggly and goofy couple to pose for quiet soft moments. I want to photograph the realest you you’ll let me see, and hopefully because I treat my couples like friends and try to get to know them as much as possible, they’ll feel comfortable being vulnerable and being seen for photos.
Since Ash Carr treats all weddings differently, there are no packages here. But there are some guidelines to help you figure things out. While each booking requires a custom quote, for most dates, elopments are around $2,000 and full weekend weddings start at $3,900. However, since Ash’s heart lies with intimate weddings, small ceremonies, unique destinations, and elopements are often discounted too. All bookings include:
- 8 hours of coverage
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High res, color corrected files delivered digitally
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Shared print rights
Right now, Ash has the following weekend dates still available for 2017: September 16, October 28, November 18, November 25, December 2, and December 9, and 2018 is starting to book up.
So if you’re really excited about where you’re getting married, but haven’t found the photographer who can capture the magic of that place yet, then you can’t be in better hands than Ash Carr Photography. She will show up anywhere in the world, pull bobby pins out of her pocket for your loose hairs, use a multi tool to help your mom cut the awkward hanger straps off her dress, make sure the timing of your sparkler exit is perfect, and somehow, with all that, document your wedding so that every still is worthy of framing. So, book her for one of those 2017 dates now, or get a jump on your 2018 wedding before her weekends are all gone. And then you know the drill (cough, send us those pictures).
click here to BROWSE ASH’S PORTFOLIO, check out where she’s headed for the rest of 2017, and then MAKE HER YOURS.
