Budget Part 2: Photography

I started working on this while Jonathon was resting yesterday. I decided to break into big budgeting sections so that it's not a mishmashed and screwy. Plus, you'll get an even better break down. So what was going to be a 2 part series is now going to multi-part series.

The biggest part of my budget was obviously the photography. However, this was one element of the wedding I did not want to skimp on. When the wedding day flashes by like lightening I wanted something real and tangible to remember it by. Photographs last forever. I even have my mom’s album from her wedding. I want to show these pictures to our grandchildren.

So, I started researching photographers. I browsed websites mostly for North Carolina photographers even though we are getting married in GA. I narrowed down my choices based on price and the factor of things I wanted. What did I want? Something edgy, unique, fashionista-esque. I wanted pictures that would be lovely, endearing and edgy. Thus, I made a selection out of two talented photographers: Nikki and Ben. Jonathon and I debated. But in the end we went with Nikki. We had conversed on the phone and email and I had an instant chemistry with her. We meshed so well.

I was more than willing to pay her price. However, originally she wasn’t in my budget. So we worked together to decide what elements we needed for our wedding and what we didn’t. She customized a package for us that we could reasonably handle based on the budget I gave her. Best of all, she is giving us the digital negatives with reprinting rights. I have yet to regret this choice.

Our engagement pictures were taken by a girl I work with’s husband. He is pretty talented. He offered to take them, spend many hours with us, and give us the digital negatives on CD for full reprinting rights for $80. However, this is just session number one. Later this month we are going to a smashing venue (stay tuned for this) with a couple of friends and taking some candids. This is completely free (including the smashing venue). That is session two. Session three is at our old alma mater. Again, friends are taking these and they are completely free.

So that brings my budget total to $3200.

Next, is our venues.

Related Posts
Budget Part 1
Introduction to Nikki
Interview with Ben