02.13.11: Last year around this time, I had an interaction with a group of photographers who had polar opinions from my own about wedding photography. I had just started to delve into the search for a photographer and was astonished at some of the impossibly high costs. These photographers were very educational to me, in opening up about all the time and energy that they invest in wedding photography - particularly those whom it is their full-time job. And I learned to respect that sub-set of photographers (those who solely do wedding photography) for what they are and what they do. But I still knew that they weren't for me. These photographers spend multiple weeks editing the images from one night and, as such, expect to be paid for multiple weeks' worth of work. I get that. But I still knew I didn't want that much editing put into my photos -- I didn't want my wedding pictures to become someone else's *art.* I just want my photographer to capture the day, as it occurs. One very talented photographer shared with me her image of a bride in her gown seemingly floating in nothingness - everything behind her had been wiped away and was white. That was cool. But I definitely had no use for such a piece of art myself -- I would have wanted to know who else was near me and what they were doing and what was lying on the dresser behind me.
My conversations with those photographers taught me about the top-notch quality of those professionally created and bound hardcover coffee table books. Lovely. But I still knew that I didn't need one of those books, particularly since they cost over $1,000. I just want my images on a disk with a limited copyright release that will allow me to print them where I want, when I want, and do what I want with them. I was looking for something different than what traditional wedding photographers offer. Many of these photographers - justifiably very proud and defensive about their profession - insisted last year that I would never find a photographer in my price range who would be able to take good pictures and make me happy.
Luckily, I proved them wrong. Interspersed through this post are some of the absolutely terrific images that our wedding photographer captured during our complimentary engagement session. As part of our very affordable wedding package, our photographer spent five hours with my fiance and I, in the snowy Midwestern winter (!), taking hundreds of images at several locations that he put on a disk for us and I received in the mail about a week later. He did basic editing to them - some cropping, light adjustments, made a few of them black-and-white, that sort of thing. Best of all, we had just a super FUN day with our photographer and his assistant - his lovely wife. He does wedding photography as a passion and a side-job. He has a full-time job as a newspaper photographer during the week, so he doesn't expect his wedding gigs to pay his salary and his insurance and his overhead, which is the attitude I was looking for in a photographer. He just likes wedding and he likes photography and he believes that every couple should be able to have great wedding pictures, regardless of their budget. I know that's not how all wedding photographers can run their business and I respect that. All I'm saying is: I found the perfect fit, for me, and I am incredibly lucky for it. Our wedding isn't until June so we don't know how our wedding pictures will turn out but my fiance and I DO know that we'll be using this photographer for many years to come, for our future children's baby pictures and more, and we'll recommend him to anyone and everyone who will listen.
Below is something I wrote a year ago that still captures my thoughts and this topic in wedding planning and the entire process in general. Posting it here, alongside some of my favorite images from my new favorite photographer, seemed fitting.
02.07.10
I was never a girl who thought about what my ring would look like – until I went ring shopping, and I was never a girl who thought about what my wedding would look like – until I met my fiance. But now that I’m in this wedding world, I do – of course – have hopes and dreams for what my Big Day will look like and feel like.
All that being said: at the end of the day, as long as my groom is there, it WILL be a perfect day.
I have gotten a lot of comments that I need to remember that after the dinner is served and the cake is eaten and the dancing is done and the guests go home, the photographs will be all that will remain, which is why I need to have a super-great photographer. And I understand what they’re saying – they’re right, the photographs are the enduring, visual evidence of all that transpired during the day. But if I was getting 100+ comments from caterers or bakers, they’d probably all be making good arguments that the food or the cake is the most important part because guests will remember if your food was good or bad and if your cake was delicious and gorgeous or just regular ol’ cake. 100+ DJs or band members would probably tell me that music is the key to success because it sets the tone and it gets everyone mingling and having a great time. 100+ brides might say it’s the dress, because of how it makes you feel and the first impression it gives your guests. My point is: all of the elements that go into a wedding day are valuable and important for their own reasons — all very good, very worthy reasons.
Some of the photogs encouraged me to ask myself what I would do if any number of potential situations arose that detained or derailed my less-expensive photographer – if he gets in a car wreck on the way to the ceremony or if one of my guests knock into him and break his camera, for example. These photographers were making the point that their professionalism in dealing with these issues is part of the reason they’re so expensive – they have back-up upon back-up upon back-up in place. Makes sense, when put that way — for those whose day would be entirely ruined if the photographer failed to come through with awesome pictures.
But… I realized, that’s not me.
I want good pictures. I won’t be hiring a photographer off of Craigslist. I’m still bent on trying to find a good one that will fit my budget. I want good cake. I want good food. I want good music. I want a pretty dress. And pretty flowers. And pretty lighting. And pretty centerpieces and favors and table settings.
But if any of those things fall through the cracks, I honestly don’t think that will make or break my day. Considering I’m someone who loves to plan, I’m really pretty roll-with-the-punches when it comes down to it, because I try very hard in life to keep the big picture in mind. You know, don’t sweat the small stuff and make lemons out of lemonade?
I have a very risky line-up of flower girls, for instance: three of them, and they’ll span from only 18 months (so little!) to just over 4 years old. They’re each very dear to me so there’s no way I wouldn’t include all three (not to mention that they all have FLOWER NAMES – Iris, Lily, and Kira Rose – can you even handle the cuteness?!?). But I know the chances are high that at least one of them won’t actually make it down the aisle because something else will be more fun to them in that moment. That will be perfectly okay. I’m not including them because I expect that they’re going to be little angels. I’m including them because they’re important to me and my day wouldn’t be the same without those little ones. If one of them decides to have a temper tantrum mid-aisle, then it’s just another story to tell later 
If my photographer gets in a car accident (by the way, I hope that my first concern in that scenario would be whether he’s okay and not anything about my wedding pictures), then I’ll ask my sister to start calling family members to make sure they don’t forget to bring their own cameras.
If my cake topples over en-route to the reception site, then we’ll go buy some pies.
If my caterer doesn’t show, we’ll go buy some sandwiches.
If my DJ bails, we’ll bust out an iPod.
It helps that we’ll be supplying our own alcohol, so there will at least be booze! 
As long as there’s my groom and my family and my friends, the rest is all just icing. I honest to goodness feel that I’ll be a lucky and happy girl that day because of who I’m marrying, not because of who’s taking the pictures or even if they turn out.
One photographer who emailed me privately had a great comment that has stuck with me:
“…to say thing like after the wedding you’ll only have a groom and a ring?!!? Hello! You will have a marriage, more love, family, memories, and probably a video of someone doing something silly while drinking!”
He’s right. I will get so much more out of June 11, 2011 than any picture – no matter how artistic and beautiful – could ever show. That’s what matters.
I’m going to keep my eyes on the prize. His name’s Mike.