Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

About to choose photographer

I recently spent days pouring over dozens and dozens of area photographers trying to find one that would both fit my budget and our style. I finally found one that fits the bill for around $1200 that will cover both my wedding and the engagement photos, as well as giving me discs of all the photos. We're just about to get started with the contract and the deposit.

But then.... I told my mother about it (who is NOT paying for it) and she told me that I was a fool for spending that kind of money on photographs that I won't revisit after 6 months after the wedding. She suggested that I get in contact with the husband of a friend of hers who apparently has wedding photography experience. But he has no webpage, no company listing, nothing.

Am I wrong for not trusting a photog that doesn't have any sort of online record? Am I a fool for going with the one I found even though I've only been searching for about 2 weeks? I can't even begin to imagine the hours I've spent looking for the right photographer.
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Re: About to choose photographer

  • mhmarcellmhmarcell member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The amount you speak of is not unreasonable - you are not a fool to want good photographs of your wedding.  Your wedding day will come and go so quickly and when it's gone, you will have great memories and lots of photos to look at again and again.  This is not the place to scrimp - you only get one shot to get it right.  Hire a professional.  You will not regret it.
  • drphotodrphoto member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Other than my daughter, my photos are the only material object that I'd run into a burning building to save.  What will you give your children 50 years from now?  Mom's point and shoot fotos?  Hire a pro, photos are one of the few things that matter.

    Corey Schwartz
    www.desertridgephotography.com

  • edited December 2011
    I must agree w/ PP. The amount you are paying and what you are receiving in the package is a pretty good deal for a professional photog - at least compared to the prices in my area. I think you are making a wise decision. Best of luck!
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  • edited December 2011
    I don't know what your overall budget is, but if you're spending a lot on a wedding, it only makes sense to spend some money on a good photographer.  If you are looking to get everything done on a tight budget, it's okay to hire a friend, but the two brides I knew who did it were very disappointed.  One photographer used a wide angle lens on all the photos (which can be a cool effect) but on her it just made her face and body look weird.  He also didn't have the confidence (or experience?) to ask people to move out of the way, so in all of their WP posed pictures, there's a group of people in frame on the side! 
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