Photog - CHECK!

So, I posted before... about feeling the pressure to pick a wedding photographer.  We had four great options all under $1,000 out the door.  But... I didn't have that "this is it" feeling with any of them and didn't want to force such an important decision, so I decided to expand my search (i.e. our budget), to see what I could find.  Well, I think it was meant to be, because we found her!  We found the person who we KNOW is the perfect fit to document this important time in our lives.  She was actually running a special for those who booked before the new year, so we got 20% off of her package, which brought her within our new budget range.  It's such a great feeling to know that we can move on, feeling confident we have such a talented person sharing the day with us behind the lens :)

I'll happily give her a little plug...
http://www.karieannephotography.com/  (Lansing, Michigan)
She's very sweet and really knows her way around a camera, thanks to a photography degree and many years of practice.  Added bonus... she's on Pinterest, which I'm totally obsessed with!  She posts ideas for new and unique photos and I've already seen her then follow through and pull them off beautifully, so we're excited to see what she comes up with for our day! :)

She says she's bringing sparklers!  Um, YES!

Have you expanded your budget to make something happen, after realizing it's something you don't want to compromise on?  More than once?

Say Cheese!

Choosing a wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you'll make along the way (I know, I know, aren't they all?!).  If I had an unlimited budget, I have a few I'd LOVE to book, but their wedding packages START in the thousands of dollars.... yes, that's plural "thousands". Unfortunately, we just don't have that kind of money to spend.


But somehow, I still want photos like this:
(of note - none of these photos are mine and use of them will not extend pass this reference)

FUN/CANDID...

CREATIVE/UNIQUE...

ROMANTIC/BEAUTIFUL...

DETAILED/PERSONAL...

I can't say that "thousands" is too expensive or that it's ridiculous to charge that much, because the truth is... talent isn't cheap and compromising on something like wedding photos that will last forever, is not an option.  But, budget dictates many things.  So... in an effort to book a good photographer without breaking the bank, we're trying something a little different and it's called "calculated risk", haha.  We have two options of "budding photographers" who are interested in the wedding business, but who only have a wedding or two under their belt and no real portfolio to share.  One is a guy I work with, the other gal is a friend of a friend.  Our third and strongest option, is a professional... but someone who keeps a "normal" day job during the week and maintains low wedding package pricing on the weekends because it's a self-described "hobby" not a necessary income source.  There's also a potential fourth option, through a family connection.... but I'm not sure we'll consider that one seriously.

• Option 1 - E at $1,000 negotiable (unlimited coverage)
• Option 2 - LA at $425 (wedding & engagement, unlimited coverage + rehearsal)
• Option 3 - R at $875 (bonus engagement session, 7 hours coverage)
• Option 4 - J at $695 (family discount, we'd get the bronze pkg for the lowest price)

R has this quote at the bottom of his website, which I LOVE:  "It is one thing to photograph people.  It is another to make other care about them by revealing the core of their humanness" ~Paul Strands~

Now, future hubs and I are reasonable people, we know that we can't get the best of the best on our budget.  But we DO know, that we don't want to compromise so much that our wedding pictures don't stand out from the rest.  We want the photos to feel as special as we did that day.  So far, we have met with E and LA... we'll be meeting with R this coming weekend.  We hope to feel confident enough to make a decision after that!  I'll keep you updated!

There are SO many options out there, how did you go about narrowing down your search for a wedding photographer within your budget?