Selecting vendors is one of the hardest parts of wedding planning. There are so many options out there! It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a florist, baker, or photographer, you’re going to find a lot of choices. While at first glance, it may look like everyone offers the same services, upon closer inspection you’ll begin to notice a lot of differences. While budget can be a factor in your decision making, and aesthetics may be another, it shouldn’t be the only thing that helps you finalize your choice. When it comes to photography specifically, you’re going to be spending your entire wedding day with this person (where you go, they will follow). Photography is also one of the only things that leaves you with a tangible good that isn’t just purely physical….its emotional and captures your memories of the day so that you won’t ever forget those big and little moments that made it special. Picking your photographer will be one of the biggest decisions you make, and I’m not just saying that because I am one. After talking with many married women over the years, the one thing I think I hear all too frequently is how they wish had a different photographer, or had “budgeted for a better one.”
So, I might be the photographer for you, if….
You want a stress free day. Not only do people continually tell me I’m a calming presence, I’m also super experienced when it comes to wedding day timelines. I work with all of my couples prior to their big day to help them figure out a schedule that is going to work. Do little things still go wrong, do people still run late? Of course! But I’m skilled at getting you back on track. I also have an assistant that is there to not only lend me a helping hand, but you as well. We are more than happy to help you however we can to make sure things go smoothly. We (usually) can help you bustle or button a dress, find that missing shoe, track down Uncle Bob who likes to disappear for family photos, or make up a half hour of time that somehow mysteriously went “missing”.
You like true to life photos. Not only does my color lean toward more true to life than “light and airy” or “dark and moody”, but my captures do as well. I believe in letting moments unfold naturally and capturing the real moments of the day, not staged ones.
You don’t just like a “say cheese” experience. While yes, we will capture what I affectionately call the “Mom Shots”, aka looking at the camera and smiling, I also will give you prompts to engage you in nature interactions and moments to get the more candid feeling, genuine expressions.
You want someone to be as invested in your day as you are. Oftentimes I end up becoming friends with my brides because we work so closely to make the biggest day of their life the best day. Nobody else at your wedding wants everything to be as perfect as you, except for maybe me. And I don’t say that lightly, I truly mean it.
You don’t want a photographer in your face all day. I get it, you like your personal space, and so do I. Officiants love me and often call me a “photo ninja” because they don’t know how I get the shots I do when they never even see me. I like to blend into the crowd and “work the outer edges” so that people aren’t always just smiling for the camera, as this allows me to capture all those great candids that nobody saw me get. I oftentimes have guests come up to me during the wedding and say, “oh you should go get that shot over there,” and I smile when I get to reply, “I already did.” I feel like one of the things that makes me good at what I do is because you don’t notice me, unless I want you to. I can command attention when I need to, like formal portrait time, but otherwise I promise, you won’t know I’m there.
You want great photos, but you also don’t want to spend your wedding day feeling like that is all you did. I know a lot of couples, and families, dread formal photo time. I promise you, I’m quick and it will be painless. The one compliment I always get from everyone, is how they appreciate how quickly family formals go. “Most efficient photographer I’ve seen,” often are the words people use to describe me.
You prefer a more laid back affair. I have shot weddings from 650 guests to just 4 being present, but it isn’t just about size. If becoming Mr. and Mrs. is the most important thing to you, and you’re not going to sweat the little stuff, and you just want everyone to have a good time, then that’s the style of wedding I like to be a part of. More often than not, my weddings are at a more casual, country venue or “small town” atmosphere - I rarely shoot weddings in downtown large city venues.
If this sounds like we are a match, message me and we can chat about your wedding day. I look forward to talking with you.
Dates available are limited each year - when you hire me, you get me, not an associate photographer, so I only 1-2 weddings per weekend and a max of 4 weddings per month.