I was a little hesitant to go with a photographer I had never met in person since I decided to forgo engagement photos as I have been engaged for a while now and both my hubby and I are a practical pair...(we're the type that thinks a wedding s...hould be less than a downpayment on a house). At the same time, we were not going to hire someone who took photos as well or worse than we did (I consider myself a decent amateur photographer). Andy's online portfolio showed he had camera skills, and that he took the time to edit and make his photos pop. Originally I contacted them to seek out out Sandy's makeup services as well- but she appears to be popular, and was booked solid (Not surprising: her portfolio looks stunning, and her rates are so reasonable). Andy and I spoke once over the phone, and then had several email correspondences. The first time meeting Andy was on my wedding day at Nestldown.
Andy booked a local hotel the night before, and arrived early to scout out the place, and was very flexible with the agenda since my bridesmaids and I arrived much later than we had outlined, and he left our event much later then planned. He went ahead and took care of groom/groomsmen photos first- and got a great batch of photos out of the men. He helped set up a great first-look session too. I'm not a photogenic person, so to my relief Andy was able to tell me exactly what to do, which made the whole photo process relatively painless since I didn't have to think.
Andy was very accommodating, and made sure that he got all the photos on my "must-have" list. In retrospect, I wish I had made my photo list a little longer to include more trivial things b/c I had no chance to saunter around and enjoy the fruits of my labor like the rest of my guests did (Yeah- don't say it- I dunno what I was thinking!). Nestldown is a sprawled out property, and Andy and his 2nd photographer rushed around in the June heat wearing head to toe in black, and would have crawled through mud and dirt to get the right photo. Both set of parents and the owner of Nestldown were impressed with Andy, and readily told us so.
I should mention that his rates are super reasonable, he has packages for all budgets, and he delivers what he promises. My advice for brides thinking of using Andy- just makes sure you have a comprehensive must-have photo list with every single detail/person/location you think you will regret not having to look back on. Andy surprised us with a second photographer ( I think the wedding he had to attend in the evening paid for 2 photographers), BUT if your budget allows it- get a 2nd photographer!!! Andy will devote the entirety of his time with you, and a second photographer can get photos of other things going on that you won't be able to see.
If you plan on hiring Andy (and Sandy)- I recommend contacting them at least 6+ months in advance. I waited four month until my wedding to book, and it was stressful hearing the availability disappear right under my feet.