This destination wedding photographer is located in Bermuda, but photographs all over the world. And, she's from the DC area! Find out all about how her island life inspired her to open a destination photography business and what a destination wedding entails.

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YOUR BUSINESS

Melanie Fiander, Fiander Foto

How long have you been in business?

16 years

What areas do you serve?

Destination; based in Bermuda & DMV area; usually serving Bermuda, DMV, New England, Italy, and UK

Why did you decide to start your own business?

I wouldn't necessarily say I "made a decision" per se - or at least, it was not a decision that was made overnight or even over the course of a year. Running my own photography business has been a series of continuous decisions I've made over the past 16 years.

Prior to starting a business: art and photography have always been a part of my life. It was always something that was taught at home and the schools I went to as a young girl placed an importance on the arts. My education in the arts continued through high school and this is when I started to get a little more serious about photography. As an undergrad student at Lynchburg College in Virginia - now called Lynchburg University - I majored in Art with an emphasis in Photography and English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. From there, I went on to study at Maine College of Art in Portland and completed my MFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Photography and Video. My experience with higher education was a positive one. Not only was I learning about the history of these topics, learning my craft, and finding my vision - this really opened my mind up to the business and marketing side of running a business. Even as an artist, you have to have an understanding of business and ethics in order to be successful. After grad school, I slowly built up my business while working as a photography professor and a NUMBER of other part-time jobs.

What's the coolest thing about owning your own business?

Well, I do love rolling out of bed and walking over to my computer to "start the workday"; that beats sitting in traffic on Rt. 50 any day! (haha) Running my own business allows me to direct the path of my own life. Meaning, I decide which clients I take on, the terms of the contract, scheduling, when my day starts and when my day ends, and when I can take a vacation. Those are the cool parts of the business. There are, of course, also downsides to all of these "cool parts".

What is a topic that you feel you could offer a unique perspective in — either to engaged couples or wedding professionals?

Engaged Couples: consider your wedding invite list carefully... and consider which photography you book very carefully.

Wedding Professionals: I really enjoy working with other wedding professionals because it means everyone comes together and works as a team. When you're working in the wedding industry, it's really important to remember that it's all based on teamwork.

What insight would you like to offer about this topic?

ENGAGED COUPLES - WEDDING INVITE LIST: when my husband and I got engaged, deciding who to invite was a very difficult decision. Our initial list had almost everyone we had ever met on it - haha - but that was not at all realistic because the wedding would be too expensive. The tough part is keeping those closest to you happy with the invite list; meaning, if your parents have some people they'd like to invite or if one of your friends has a longterm boyfriend or girlfriend but they aren't married... do you follow the "no ring, no bring" rule or not? Although at the end of the day, the decision lies with the couple on who they invite and how they will celebrate.

ENGAGED COUPLES - PHOTOGRAPHERS: picking a photographer is like deciding where you want to go to college. The decision that you make will reflect the style and quality of the wedding photos you'll look at for the rest of your life. When you're considering a photographer - look at their style - meaning the way they use and manipulate light, colour, how they compose their images, etc. Check out if the photographer produces images that are "light and airy" or "dark and moody" or "vibrant" vs. based in "realism". Don't book a photographer and then expect the photographer to edit the images based on your preference. Find a photographer that already works within your stylistic preference. It's also important to consider the professionalism of that photographer: how's their online web and social media presence? Do they shoot often and work on their craft often? Check out their online reviews; pay attention to how long it takes for them to respond to your emails.

WEDDING PROFESSIONALS: try to stick to the timeline that's provided by either the planner, photographer, or catering company. Chances are good one wedding will have a few different timelines, although they should all co-inside with one another. Meaning, I provide my clients a timeline that's centered on photographs and I share this same timeline with the hair and make-up artists, the videographers, and the planner. The planner will typically provide a different timeline that's centered on the transportation of the couple to the ceremony location, the start of cocktail hour, serving of dinner, etc. In order for the day to be successful, teamwork and communication amongst vendors is key.

FUN BUSINESS INFO

What challenges have you had to overcome?

A few challenges: Knowing when to say no. Knowing when to take a break from work

What advice could you offer to someone starting a business like yours?

Slowly build your business up; don't turn down steady income (from working another job) to jump into a photography business until you're financially ready.

What's the craziest thing you've seen happen at a wedding?

I've had a groom pass out at the altar just as the bride's father was about to hand off the bride. I've also seen a guest puke on another guest at the bar during a cocktail hour. Classy.

Any funny stories to share?!

I was photographing a wedding at Errol Park Estate - which is located in a small village in Scotland - about an hour and a half north of Edinburgh. The day before the wedding, I photographed all the details: the dress, shoes, invite, etc. I got a little too "caught up" in the moment of photographing everything that I didn't realize the owner had locked myself and my husband in the venue. My initial thought was to see if I could lift a very large window and jump a few feet down onto the grass - but - that seemed impossible to lift the window (without setting off an alarm) and possibly dangerous. The last thing I wanted to do was to twist or break my ankle the day before I had to shoot a big wedding. I ended up calling the bride, who came over and released us. Never did I think I would have to be rescued by my bride - haha!

YOUR WEDDING

How did you choose your wedding vendors?

I used to work for my wedding photographer's husband, Thatcher Cook, as his assistant. Thatcher is photojournalist and documentary photographer and his girlfriend at the time - now wife - Corbin Gurkin is a wedding photographer. Thatcher and Corbin were (and still are) a big influence on my own photography work; Thatcher, in particular, serving as a mentor to me for several years. Jim and I have always thought both of their photography styles were awesome and unique. With all of this in mind, selecting our photographers for the wedding was an easy vendor decision for us to make. We selected our band - Working Title - after seeing them play at a birthday party. The lead singer brought so much energy to the party - we knew they were the band for us. I found our wedding planner on Style Me Pretty - Bermuda Event Solutions. After meeting Kathleen Dodewell - who I've since worked with professionally for the past 7 years - I knew she would be a great fit for helping us with the wedding. And - my lovely mother - found our venue online; we got married at a historic house in Bermuda called, Verdmont. The house is not traditionally used for weddings, but they do hold functions there. For the most part, it's a muesum and the house dates back to 1710.

What was the most important decision you made about your wedding?

My choice of the groom!

SOCIAL MEDIA

I work side-by-side with my husband, Jim West. He runs his own business, Early Bird Charters; this is a fishing and boating charter business in Bermuda. I also work for him; mostly admin work but I also fish with him from time to time. He is my "go to" for helping me with my gear and is typically the one running the photo booth at weddings. He is also the one making sure I eat and drink water during a wedding day! @earlybirdchartersbermuda

Instagram Handle @fianderfoto

Facebook Handle @fianderfotophotography

You'll Find this Photog in the Tropics or DC — Dealer's Choice