Brides on a budget; what NOT to skimp out on pt. 2

Secondly, your photographer

If you want to hire your aunt/cousin/uncle/friend that ‘has a camera and wants to do it as a gift’ but has ZERO wedding photography experience, trust me when I say you’re in for a rude awakening.

Don’t get me wrong, I know 100% that weddings are expensive, I’ve been there! But as a wedding photographer myself, I wanted someone at my wedding who knew what she was doing, and could do it well. She had plenty of experience, her galleries speak for themselves, I loved her style, and her and I clicked really well on our first call. I knew almost instantly after that call that I knew I wanted her to photograph our wedding, but I just needed my husband Josh to be on the same page. Thankfully, he trusted my judgment because I was being picky AF. lol I won’t say what we spent on her, but know it was a decent amount that was worth every penny.

I’m here to tell you this: if you want to spend $100+ on a photographer that wants to gain experience, or build their portfolio and hasn’t ever second shot a wedding, that’s your choice. But just know you’re most likely not going to get the best of images or quality service. Look at it this way: the higher price on your wedding photographer, the more likely you’re going to get a quality photographer, but do your research! Make sure to look at FULL galleries, and do a proper zoom call or FaceTime with them to feel out their personality! You want to get along with your photographer because you’re going to be with them literally ALL. DAY. lol so you might as well get along, right?!

A tip: when my husband and I were planning, I was freaking out about the cost; it was A LOT. lol He had spoken to his dad and was kinda telling him how scared I was getting when it was coming to the planning and paying for things and he said this: “you only get one wedding.