Bryan Morris - Aruba’s Premier Wedding Photographer

I don’t know where the ideology of a wedding being a bargain on Aruba compared to the US or Europe was conceived. I’ve heard this terminology both from couples planning on getting married on Aruba as well as the local wedding planners.

This thought, never cease to bewilder me. It really used to make me think that maybe I’m amiss in my ideals. I was compelled to analyze this thought from a variety of perspectives, mine as well as the wedding couple’s and the local wedding planners.

What I’ve concluded left me stupefied.

Aruba opened up for destination weddings in 2002, the hotels jumped at this opportunity. Keep in mind a hotel’s business is rooms. The hotels started offering wedding planning. This was a way to attract the wedding couple to their respective hotels. Of course, the couple is coming with their guests to get married on the island and they would eventually have to stay somewhere.

Much effort wasn’t made to research the wedding industry. Someone just drafted up a few packages and everyone followed. Destination weddings were birthed here on the island of Aruba.

The bargain basement prices that are offered here by the hotels are because their business is not wedding planning but rooms and F&B. Notice how you’re charged for rooms and F&B and the rest is just so cheap, a steal of a deal. The bargain basement price they charge could cover a salary of the wedding planner, which in turn would constitute to rooms and F&B.

Because the wedding market is already this way the independent wedding planners conform to the hotels pricing to remain competitive, hence, my conclusion.

Independent wedding planners are currently working for the love of the industry. Many if not all of the independent wedding planners on the island would soon expire, if they don’t adjust or they’ll resort to non-professionals, which they would not have to pay as much as a professional.

You might question, why I make such a bold statement. I rather speak the truth; someone might read this and understand as the entire industry seems to be comatose up till this point.

This information might not be favorable to a couple preparing to get married in Aruba, but I must be heard.

Up till last year I’ve done an average of 40 to 50 weddings per year at $200 per wedding on the high side it would mean that I’ve grossed $10.000 per year. The thought might cross your mind “Can you not do more weddings than 50? Because, I’m an optimist, maybe…….. Doubling the amount of weddings would still gross me $20.000 and I’m convinced, not one local photographer shoots 100 weddings a year.

I’ve had to supplement it with other odd end jobs that are not wedding photography to survive.

The argument of the wedding planners is that the wedding couple comes to the island because they don’t want to have to exhaust a great deal of their savings on their wedding. I agree to a certain point.

I understand the part of conserving funds, but the way you would economize on a destination wedding is that you wouldn’t have as much guests at your wedding, instead of 400 guests, you might have 40. This equates to a major decrease in your expense since you’ve chosen for a destination wedding. You and I are both aware of the price of F&B.

Newsflash! Everything other than the drastic savings that you’ve just accumulated from F/B is equal to or even more expensive to back home. Whatever equipment or material used to provide our service be it flowers, cameras, convection ovens, instrument or sound equipment they’re all shipped. In most cases they don’t even stock the professional equipment we need. This causes us to have to purchase our equipment and material ourselves from the US, paying the same price that a US service provider would pay. In order to get it to us we have to have our order shipped, which costs us more than it would a vendor back in the US. We have the same expense or in most cases even more than a vendor in your hometown. Why think that services would be cheaper?

One slice of cake goes on average for 5-7 dollars back in the US and most cakes are not even created from scratch. Why is it expected to pay $100 for a cake that will feed 40 people?

On average a bridal bouquet would cost you a couple hundred dollars in the US. Why do some brides expect that it is OK to pay less on Aruba? We do live on a pretty much developed island one of the most developed, so lifestyle would evidently be elevated compared to the other islands.

I’m certainly persuaded that you’ll be able to get the prices below average but in that case, you’ll get what you paid for and besides these vendors would not be able to stand the test of time as when the reality of running a business strikes, they’ll just fold.

I don’t blame the bride to be for expecting these prices as these are the prices that are being widely promoted. Our businesses, doesn’t matter our overhead, is being governed by the wedding planners.

I’ve entered into this business knowing that the local market is not set up right; I’ve been into photography since age 9. For the love of the art, I’ve decided that I’ll hang around and try to alter a few idiosyncrasies. My cries were falling on deaf ears; people were not willing to stand up collectively, much less independently to this injustice.

I’ve had a few options before me; quit, continue and be stressed or going with the battle single-handedly. I’m a fighter so I won’t quit and besides the love for the art that I create would not allow me to quit either. So I’ve opted to go on with the battle.

My business would no longer be runned by wedding planners and I’ll promote my business in such a way that I would attract my clients direct. I’ve been busy with this approach for just a few months, and to my surprise I’m already reaping its fruits.

We pay exactly what you pay for the Aruba Aloe products if/when we use them, We do have a refinery on the island and you might think as much as we’ve hoped to get a break in the fuel prices, NO, it ain’t happening. It is common practice in production, the more your clients buy the less they pay for the product, guess what, we are in Aruba, it’s the other way around. Beer, I’m not a beer drinker but I would guess that the beer is good, so, if you want good quality you’ll pay for it.

In order to bring clarity, I would reiterate; we import everything that we have on island, things are even more expensive than in the US so in order for us to make a living we in essence should be at above the American average. The only reason that it could be equal is simply because of the exchange rate from the US dollar to our local currency, the florin.

It is more expensive to live, work and do business in Aruba…….

Blessings,

Bryan Morris