Should I hire a photographer that is new to the industry?

No. A wedding is a rapid fire barrage of events and moments; it is nothing like an engagement shoot and it's nothing like portraits. Good photographers have spectacular intuition and the reflexes to follow through on it.

Maybe for christmas photos or something but not wedding photos I wouldnt do it.

Just keep in mind that if you don't like the photos they aren't something you can just redo. I've heard so many horror stories from devastated brides who started out in a situation similar to this. Find out if they have done weddings, looks at photos, and seriously consider how you would feel if they missed moments or the pictures didn't come out.

Now I may be the exception here, but I had an absolutely AMAZING experience with the photographer I hired. She's also very new, and I found her on Craigslist. I went into this knowing she was new but judging by her photos it was clear to me that the talent is there. I paid $800 for 8 hours of coverage and could not have been happier with her services. She was absolutely fantastic and has a long successful career ahead of her.

My advice is to meet with the photographer in person and ask for some examples of his/her work. Ask lots of questions like how they plan to organize their time so that they can capture special moments.

This photo is one of the sneak peaks she sent me. I'm a very happy customer.

Seriously consider working with an experienced pro. Some good friends of ours just gambled either a newbie, and it was a disaster. She didn't have a clue of what to do for group shot posing, so the church ladies ran that part. She also didn't pay attention to details to be able to say "hey GM on the right fix your hair/jacket/whatever." The day was chaos and they ended up with half of the photos blurry and worthless because this person didn't understand the settings of her own camera. Also, lots of people can take a decent photo if they have ample time and do-overs. Weddings require a specific skill set.

It depends on if you really like them or not in my opinion. If you think they do great work, go for it! Just know, you might not get the shots you see from more seasoned professionals. My cousin is a photographer and did our engagement pictures, which we both love. He offered to shoot our wedding, but I don't feel right having a family member do that, even though we aren't very close.

Don't make a decision solely on price because you might not be happy with the outcome.

We did our engagement pictures with a newer photographer and ended-up firing her for our wedding due to a lack of professionalism and the fact we didn't love our engagement pictures. She did have multiple 5 star reviews on both facebook and Wedding Wire (where we found her).

The professionalism concerns came from: she missed multiple deadlines, did not respond to texts/emails-only FB messages and even those were hit or miss, and she went off on vents about clients on her facebook page.

It ended-up being a lot of stress that we didn't need.

I would meet with them first to get a feel before booking. That was another mistake we made.

Thanks everyone! This has been so helpful! I made an appointment to meet up and give them a chance to show me their work.

I wouldn't expect any kind of rock star at that price point....and I certainly wouldn't hire someone without wedding photography experience and an established style / brand. Those people don't come cheap, but you've got one shot at this. Photography is the splurge item for many couples since it can't be done over and it's what you have when its all said and done.

I'd be skeptical. I'd prefer a more established company with lots of reviews. A new company might close in a few months and keep your nonrefundable deposit. But go with your gut!