Weddingbee

Picture credited to Marisa Holmes

I’m embarrassed to admit how difficult it was for me to choose a wedding photographer. I’m notoriously indecisive and this felt like a monumentally important decsion to me. It didn’t help that I was choosing someone from thousands of miles away, with no opportunity to meet him or her in person. I actually laid awake one night, completely unable to sleep, because I didn’t know who to choose. But in the end, I did choose someone fabulous and I’m going to share how.

Los Angeles and nearby Orange County is home to an astounding array of talented photographers. While I was grateful to have so many wonderful options, it became difficult to distinguish among all the talent. I finally decided that I needed to hone in on exactly what I wanted out of my wedding photography:

(1) Style: The most important factor, by far. I didn’t have a very specific idea of what I wanted, because even though I love photojournalism, it was important for me to have posed pictures for our very traditional relatives. I wanted enough warm, relaxed portraits to satisfy our parents and enough joyous, energetic candids to satisfy us. So I examined portfolios to determine who had the best mix of posed pictures and spontaneous shots.

(2) Affordability: The sky’s the limit when it comes to how much you can end up spending on photography, but I definitely had a specific budget in mind. I figured out my must-haves: a disc of the digital negatives, a substantial album and full event coverage. Then I examined the packages of my favorite photographers to see who could offer those three must-haves within my price range.

(3) Chemistry: As I stated in the wedding planner post, I’m a strong believer in having great chemistry with your vendors. I think this definitely holds true for your photographer, who will be following you around all day and who, ideally, you want to be relaxed and happy in front of. I talked to my favorites on the phone and via email to see who seemed like the most fun to work with and who I felt most comfortable talking to.

After considering these three factors, I came down to one clear choice: Marisa Holmes. Not only did Marisa’s portfolio have a spirited mix of relaxed portraits and real moments, but she has a warm personality and is so easy to talk to. She answered my numerous questions patiently and quickly and I could really imagine having a great day with her. I’m so excited to have Marisa photograph our wedding next year.

So my advice in choosing a wedding photographer is to consider what specific factors and must-haves are most important to you (rate or rank them if that helps) and determine what photographer best fits your criteria. And for some fun eye candy and inspiration, here are some of my favorite Marisa Holmes pictures from her blog:

Please credit all photographs to Marisa Holmes:

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