Photographer

  Let me just start out by saying our photographer was amazing!  It was absolutely a blessing from the Lord that we found someone with such an incredible talent at such a great price!  Emily Rodgers was actually recommended to us by another photographer that we had liked but was already booked for our date.  We looked at her website, met with her and both agreed she was the one.  We loved the bright colors and her creative edge AND she had a wedding package for $2,100.  Yes, this is still pricey- especially for the budget that we were on- but it included an engagement picture session, 6 hours of wedding shooting, a coffee table book, and a cd of all the pictures she took.  The cd itself saved us so much money because we didn't have to pay for each individual print.

  The best advice I have for finding a photographer at a good price is to keep looking, they really are out there.  The more expensive they are doesn't always mean the better they are.  When I started out looking I got so discouraged at the high prices and was afraid I would have to settle with a cheap photographer and risk having awful pictures. I was pleasantly surprised, though, I kept looking and asking around and realistic options started popping up.  Emily was our favorite, but there were other options around the same price point.

  This did end up being about a fourth of our budget, but pictures were very important to us and we were willing to pay for them.  If you are looking for less expensive options look into friends or family that do photography as a side hobby.  I have friends that took this route and their pictures turned out great.  If that isn't an option for you, look into local schools or photography clubs for some students that would be willing to do it for a great price to get experience.  Don't get discouraged, options are out there for any budget and a blushing bride is going to look good in any light:)