Do Everything You Can to Get This Photographer!
Looking back, choosing Kristen was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. There are only a few things you get to take home and have for the rest of your life as mementos of your wedding, many of which are fleeting. However, the photos will last a lifetime, so don’t skimp in this area. Kristen delivered in every way and looking back, I wouldn't hesitate to choose her again. I would strongly recommend you do all that you can to have her photograph your own wedding. Change the wedding date if necessary!!
For more information as to why:
We couldn't have asked for a better photographer than Kristen. We were absolutely blown away by her work (albeit not surprised because it was exactly how we saw it on her website as we reviewed albums of many, many photographers, while planning our wedding). What you see on her website is exactly what you get, however, unlike a lot of other photographers, every wedding album is very personalized. She isn't just taking the same select photos for each wedding, she finds a way to capture those unique moments that are special.
While she wasn't the least expensive photographer we looked at, her pricing was very competitive, and the work we saw on her website was exceptional. She was extremely professional. She conducted a free virtual meeting with us while we were still choosing between photographers where she answered all our questions and gave us a great deal of perspective around strategies to optimize our photo collection while not intruding on the wedding day. She also inquired deeply into our personal preferences making sure that she would be able to deliver on those things. Having loved her personality and her prior products, it was a no-brainer to move forward with her.
Throughout all stages of planning, she was extremely responsive. Our package included an engagement shoot where she truly shined. She took us to a beautiful natural area that was a personal favorite of my wife and me. From the very beginning, she connected with us effortlessly. We felt super comfortable, which was important to the both of us. Neither of us go out of our way to be photographed, and we wanted the pictures to shine, be genuine, and show a lot of emotion. Her kind, encouraging, bright, and humble personality played a pivotal role in helping us feel comfortable throughout the shoot in expressing our excitement and love for each other: genuinely smiling, laughing out loud, big hugs and kisses, and remembering the excitement and anticipation of our big day.
She totally blew me away with her eye for capturing different natural perspectives, scenery, and beautiful angles. She navigated a few moments when there were groups of people getting in the way of the shot and stayed extra-long so we could capture a few cherished sunset shots. She came with a full catalog of posing ideas, but we also had a few extra we were interested in. She worked with our preferences extremely well and made sure we had all the pictures we were hoping for (and those she knew we needed). I'll be honest, I was dreading the engagement shoot because I don’t like having my photo taken, and we’d had a stressful day leading up to it, but the shoot flew by and we had a lovely time (not something I can say about any photo-taking experience prior to this).
Kristen’s turnaround time for editing and sharing the photos was shockingly speedy. She sent a set of teasers within a few days of the shoot. These ended up being our very favorite photos of the album (though the rest of the album was stunning too), again highlighting her intentionality and experience. The photos blew us away; they continue to every time we look at them. The album was far more than we had hoped for, and we’ve used the photos for our device backgrounds, wedding posts, invitations, ... They are so loved by our many friends and family. Having had such a wonderful engagement shoot, we felt extremely confident that for our big day, we would have yet another collection of photos to cherish for a lifetime. It made us even more excited for the big day. She also reassured us that if she had an exceptional circumstance and couldn’t make it (which didn’t happen), she would arrange for someone to cover her whom she trusted. On top of this, she also gave us recommendations for a videographer who did an exceptional job.
In the weeks leading up to our wedding, she checked in with us regularly to ensure she understood the flow of the wedding so she would be prepared to capture all of the big moments: key points in our religious ceremony, the entrances to the reception, the first dance, the cake tasting, dances with parents, everyone on the dance floor, and several other nuanced shots we were very eager to have. She also provided exceptional advice for streamlining the process of getting photos of our large (and unruly at times) families. She took about 20 minutes to photograph these clans without a hiccup.
Throughout the wedding day, we barely noticed her, as she melded in with the crowd, but looking back at the photos she was everywhere and captured everything exceptionally well. The few moments we engaged with her throughout the ceremony and reception really warmed my heart, as she brings such charm and warmth. She knew all the nice locations at the venue for our posed shots. She ended up staying extra time on the wedding day as well to ensure a few more cherished shots were taken.
I think it'll take us a lifetime to fully appreciate all the photos she sent us from our wedding, far more than we anticipated or than she promised to send us. They're all exceptionally well curated with minor edits that really make them shine, but that in no way appear tacky or hyper enhanced. Looking at these photos, we beam, laugh, sigh a big relief (she truly delivered in every way), and even shed a few tears. We've populated many crooks and crannies, walls, center pieces, and device backgrounds with these photos, and our family and friends have cherished our holiday cards, thank you notes, and social media posts with them. I’m even starting to see them pop up in the homes of those we’ve visited.
Thanks so much Kristen!!