When I first began planning my wedding, finding a photographer that would meet my criteria (below) was at the very top of my list.
1. They needed to have a style that spoke to me (not just looked pretty)
2. Personable enough to help my husband... feel comfortable and candid in front of a camera
3. Need to be within a decent price range (The worst thing you can do is skimp out on getting a great photographer because of price. But you also have to be able to afford them. There's a balance.)
4. Have a package with an engagement session AND be willing to travel for the wedding.
I first found Becca through Instagram (typical). After reviewing her recent work and website/blog posts, I reached out. She was a wonderful mix of spunky and professional! We had a skype meeting to get to know each other, talk over the options, and see if we were a good fit for one another (hint: yes yes yes.) We first planned out the engagement session at a state park a small road trip away. When the day came, the weather was slightly terrifying to me. Fog everywhere, slightly sprinkling, humid as heck. But because I had 100% trust in Becca's abilities as a photographer, we went for it. & The session was ahhmazing!! The photos looked as though we jumped out of a J.K. Rowling novel and she captured our spirits perfectly! She sent sneak peeks almost immediately and the full album was available within a couple weeks!
Fast forward to getting ready for the wedding! We communicated more the closer it got to the wedding, discussed photo necessities, details to capture, timing of the day, etc. I felt completely comfortable for ready for the best weekend to be captured by Becca.
After seeing our engagement photos, my MIL hired Becca to capture our rehearsal dinner the night before. Everyone was a happy crying mess, and she got ALL of the best moments (and those in between)! After the dinner, I let her know I'd be waking up for sunrise on the beach to start the day (literally the most magical thing), and if she was invited to join if wanted! I meant it as a friend more than a photographer, and I did not expect her to join, but bright ad early there she was! And she did snap some of the most beautiful photos of one of my favorite mornings. Throughout the day her and her second shooter (Ben!) visited each of our sites (bridal party house, venue, groomsmen, etc) all with perfect balance. Nothing was rushed, every moment captured flawlessly, and I could NOT stop smiling! One thing I forgot to mention was the venue: a beautiful, subtly regal old mid 1800's building. When searching photos of this building, it stuck out to me that no other photographer that I could find had done this building justice!! It was important to me that the building was captured in all of its beauty (and she nailed it, it was). The ceremony was wonderful, our post ceremony photos on the beach were a dream (I got in the water a bit and it was the BEST IDEA EVER), and the reception was one of the best parties I've ever been to (in my completely non-biased opinion, haha). And along the way, Becca captured every. single. glorious. moment.
To make a long story short: HIRE HER. It doesn't get much better than Becca.
P.S. we are friends now and totally grabbing a beer next time my husband and I are in DFW!