June 2, 2021
Okay, so you’re engaged now (or maybe you’re planning ahead because you’re that kind of person—-no judgment here!). The excitement is just beginning. But so is all the planning. And as exciting as it is to plan the BEST DAY of your life, it can also be overwhelming regardless if you’re having a big or small wedding. Where do you start? Well…Pssssst, I believe that your wedding photographer is the best place to start. Why? Because they’re not just a photographer, they’re your guide to resources, locations, venues, and many other things. They are much more than just someone who snaps photos on your special day. Choosing your wedding photographer might just be the most important thing you decide for your wedding day, because the photos that you will receive will last you longer than the decorations, cake, or even your dress.
What’s Your Days Vision?
This will filter down into the next point, and most likely all the points below. But this is so important. Picture what you want for your wedding day. When you have that decided, it will make the process of planning much easier. Not sure what to do? Then reach out to a few different kinds of wedding photographers and get a feel for what you could do on your wedding day.
Where to find: Google wedding photographers in your area. Simply head to Instagram and search different hashtags that revolve around the wedding industry. For examples #ColoradoWedding #ColoradoWeddingPhotographer or #WeddingInspiration. Do you have a friend that just got married? Ask them how they searched for wedding photographers.
What Kind of Wedding Photographer Are They?
First of all, consider what kind of wedding photographer you are looking for. Not all wedding photographers are created equal. Some only do elopements. Some only do big weddings. Some focus on destination weddings. Some focus on weddings in their state/region. Some are just a smorgasbord of all the above. Choose a wedding photographer who aligns with your vision for your wedding day.
Destination Wedding: Where the couple and their wedding party travel to the location (most of the time this is associated with international and exotic locations)
Elopement/Intimate Wedding: An elopement is usually just the couple and a few witnesses. This could be up to 15-20, but then that starts to get into intimate and small wedding territory. You can have a destination elopement or small/intimate wedding. Eloping has branched from the traditional mindset of the “shotgun” wedding at the courthouse. You can elope in Hawaii, New Zealand, or in your parent’s backyard. It’s really up to you.
Big Wedding: These are usually extravagant with 100 guests or more. The venue and decorations could also make it big.
Where to find: On the photographer’s website listed under philosophy, about me, or the front page.
Look at Their Editing Style
Editing style matters to people. Shooting style matters to people. This is a critical step in the process of finding a wedding photographer. Some photographers shoot fine art while others take a photojournalist approach (capturing candid in-between moments). Along with that, they shoot with a different mood in mind. Some photograph serious moments and others photograph in a lighthearted way. Pay attention to these details in your photographer’s work. The second part is to look at how they edit. There are a few styles. Dark and moody. Warm tones. Cool tones. Light and airy. Grainy, for a film look. Which style are you drawn to the most? Please don’t reach out to a photographer and ask them to change their style for you. It’s like asking Picasso to paint like Monet.
Where to find: Look at their blog or portfolio pages. If they have an Instagram (which they should) then you can scroll there too!
Set a Budget But Don’t Price Shop
Unless you’re a millionaire, you’ve probably got a budget you want to abide by. No problem. But don’t let that be your be-all-end-all. You should budget your wedding day around paying for a wedding photographer and videographer, and venue (if there is one),. Everything else should conform to those budgets. Why? Because the only things you will take away from your wedding day besides your marriage is the photos and videos. You’re probably never going to wear your dress again (although, vow renewals and anniversary sessions are fun…hint hint). Your photos will last forever. It’s what you’ll print out and hang around your house. It’s what you’ll show your kids and grandkids. It’ll be the lock screen on your phone, profile picture on social media, picture frame at your desk at work, and maybe even in your wallet. The point is your wedding photos will be everywhere. I’m not just saying fork over thousands of dollars because I am pining for your money. I’m saying this because it’s SO important to consider. Pictures are more important than you think. Your wedding photos are an investment, that you will continue to cash in on DAILY–over a LIFETIME. That’s why you often see price packages on the investment page. Be willing to move your budget around in order to get the photographer you truly love.
Where to find: Investment or pricing page, if not head to the contact page and reach out to the photographer
Look for Travel Included or Custom Building a Package
This will make things easier for everyone. A nice bundled up package is better than you think. It might give you sticker shock at first. But let’s compare this to the airline tickets. Sure, paying for a flight on Frontier might look like the cheapest option. But then they charge you for the bag, your seat, food, and hell even the seatbelt. By the time they’re done slapping on all the fees you could have gotten a standard ticket on Southwest or Delta (and the planes are much nicer). Work with your photographer to build a package that WORKS for you and your day!
Things to consider with packages:
Hours of coverage
Location scouting
Research
Second Shooter
Travel fees
Location permits (ex. National Park or State Park)
Where to find: Investment or pricing page
Do You Vibe With Them?
Your wedding or elopement photographer is essentially going to stalk you for an entire day. They’re the only person who will be with you from start to finish. Crazy huh? How you get along with them is crucial. Consider this a friendship more than a business transaction. Because guess what? If you feel comfortable with them taking your photos all day, your pictures are going to look THAT MUCH BETTER. Choose someone that you could be friends with!! Do you have the same interests? Beliefs? Morals even? All of these things are SO SO SO important when considering who you are going to choose for a photographer.
Where to find: About me page. If you’re a creep like me, check out their social media too. How do they conduct themselves? Do they love their dog as much as you love yours? Do they care about traveling the world? Do they like the same shows as you? Music? These are all things you can search for. If you can’t figure this out online but have a good feeling about them, ask to meet in person or over the phone!
ANNNND of course. Shameless plug. Hire me for your big day whether it be a destination wedding, elopement, intimate/small/adventure wedding. I am your GAL. I love the Office, dogs, and kombucha (seriously it’s a problem). I’ll hold your dress while you pee. I’ll give you advice before the first look. I’ll help you button up your dress. I’ll be there for you on the best day of your life! So what are you waiting for? Let’s be friends!
“She really puts her heart and soul into this.”
My husband and I decided to elope after feeling a little overwhelmed with the idea of planning a wedding. , Alisha pitched a lot of ideas based on what we were imagining and they were so killer so it was so hard to pick. She can really zero in on what a couple is all about and plan from there. And all her ideas were incredibly creative and original. On the day of our elopement we were so relaxed. Alisha picked out all the locations including our vow ceremony spot which was beautiful, private and romantic. We literally laughed the whole time and kept repeating "I'm so happy we did this." After the desert ceremony in Death Valley she drove to Vegas with us, waited for us to change into our cool Vegas attire, and carted us all over the strip and downtown to take more fun photos. The photography is beyond remarkable. I mean COME ON. I've never seen more beautiful photos in my entire life. We're so happy to have them to enjoy forever, so so SO worth it. She really puts her heart and soul into this. It actually makes me tear up...We love you Alisha.
— HEATHER & COLIN
“Hire her. You
won't regret it.”
Our first experience working with Alisha was on an elopement styled shoot. I knew from that day on she was going to be the photographer to capture our wedding day. Alisha said "yes" to absolutely every crazy idea and vision I had for our wedding day. She literally hiked miles and woke up before the sun to make it happen. Alisha is completely in her element when photographing, she knows how direct a shoot without being bossy, she captures every angle without being in the way and doesn't make you feel like you're even behind the camera. Alisha pours her entire self into every shoot she does, she doesn't stop until everything is perfect. It put me at ease knowing Alisha was paying such close attention to detail when it came to the location scouting and capturing every single photo imaginable. Working with Alisha was a breeze, she's communicative, fast and detail oriented. Not to mention, an incredible photographer. We were blown away when we got our wedding gallery within a month of our wedding, with over 700 beautiful photos. Our families cried happy tears all over again reliving those memories. If you're wondering, "is it worth it?" The answer is 100% ABSOLUTELY yes, hire Alisha, you won't regret it.
— Katie & Kevin
“I do not think any other photographer would have been able to do that for us.”
Choosing Alisha for our elopement photographer was the absolute best decision we could have made. Bryan and I had a pretty short timeline of only a few weeks until our wedding day so I was not sure if Alisha could make it work, but she went out of her way to travel and make all of the behind the scenes arrangements in advance. She made everything so easy for us leading up to the day helping with park permits, scouting out photo locations, making vendor recommendations, and suggesting fun ideas for the day. As two people who do not feel natural in front of a camera, she made us laugh, have fun, and get out of our shells in a way we could not have expected. From start to finish, our experience with Alisha was so genuine and natural. She is just a joy and a light to be around. On top of that, we were truly blown away when we received our wedding photo gallery. You can feel the emotion, beauty, and love in every single image. Because she took the time to get to know us on a personal level and really understand us as a couple leading up to the wedding, the photos showcase who we are in a real and honest way, and I do not think any other photographer would have been able to do that for us.
— MIRANDA & BRYAN
“Incredibly talented, creative, caring, and personable.”
My fiancé and I could not feel more fortunate to have crossed paths with Alisha while searching for a photographer for our engagement shoot. Let me tell you, this girl is a GEM. I talked to at least 50 photographers during my search and Alisha is the only one that I felt truly cared about what we wanted. We met up at sunrise on the day of our shoot and I can truly say that it was a flawless experience! My fiancé and I were exhausted and nervous, but immediately upon meeting Alisha, we felt comfortable and excited. Her positive energy is contagious. I tend to be awkward and never know what to do with my hands, but she was so patient and guided us every step of the way, giving us prompts and making us laugh the entire time. It felt like we were leaving the shoot with a new friend. WE ARE OBSESSED WITH OUR PHOTOS. In short, Alisha 10000000% exceeded my very high expectations. She’s incredibly talented, creative, caring and personable. You can tell she has a huge heart and is passionate about what she does.
— LAUREN & NIK
I will continue to use her and her talents for life!!
Alisha is the best photographer and person you’ll ever work with! She has such a fun and calming manner about her. Her system is down to a t. And very personalized as well. I found her through a friend but loved her because her art and photos weren’t so posed and perfect. She captured such perfect moments and seemed like she had 10 photographers! I can’t believe the photos she got of our wedding and all the special moments I got to see that I otherwise would have never known happened! My husband can not recommend her enough! And will continue to use her and her talents for life!!
— SYD & JAKE
“Book her now.”
Alisha is the consummate photographer that you want capturing your special day. We used her (twice!) for engagement photos and she was the first we asked to be our wedding photographer. From the moment we engaged her for the big day, she was all about us. From a welcome care package that frankly knew us almost better than we knew us, to her wedding guides, assistance in finding other vendors, and of course her amazing skill behind the camera Alisha was the perfect choice for our wedding photography. On the day of the big event she took great photos and had creative ideas for shoots in and around the venue. She’s given us keepsakes that we are thrilled to treasure forever and proud to frame and hang on the wall. Book her now.
— COLTON & YVETTE
“She gave us the best photos EVER!”
We absolutely love Alisha! She gave us the best photos EVER! She planned everything to the smallest detail. It was so easy and she made sure we had everything we were looking for. My husband and I even flew back to get wedding photos done! Alisha braved the cold winter for us. We are so thankful to have memories in the best photos ever. I can’t say enough about her. Not only is she an AMAZING photographer but such a good person! We will definitely be having plenty more sessions in our lifetime :)
— danielle & Xavier
“Alisha is easily one of the best humans I’ve ever met”
Where do I even start!? Alisha was an absolute dream to work with!!! She was so flexible with us and our last-minute cancellation due to covid. We had originally planned to meet her in Vegas for our anniversary shoot in March and we ended up canceling our trip a week out due to the virus. She was so understanding and even offered to refund our deposit. We knew we still absolutely wanted to shoot with her so we scheduled another trip to Colorado this time and she met us there for an amazing sunrise shoot at Great Sand Dunes Natl Park. The whole experience was incredible and Alisha was so amazing and personable, we felt like we had left and made a new friend! She sent us sooo many sneak peeks just a few days after the shoot and Then probably 100 more photos a few weeks later. They were absolutely stunning. She is easily one of the best humans I’ve ever met and not to mention an extremely talented photographer with a clear passion for her clients and her work! We can’t wait to shoot with her again!
— MIA & FERMIN
“I cannot wait to
book her again”
I have never done a couples shoot but I fell in love with Alisha's work on social media. I was beyond ecstatic when I found out she was traveling to Minnesota. Where do I begin? From the moment I spoke with Alisha, she easily made me feel comfortable and confident. She responded back to my questions and concerns within a timely manner and was easily accessible. Her talent and passion for photography is truly admirable! It’s so evident that she genuinely cares about each and every couple that she works with. Alisha has a gift for detail and seeing things differently than everyone else. She took some breathtaking pictures that will always have a special place in my heart! Alisha doesn't just take photographs, she creates beautiful works of art that don’t just capture smiles but our souls, and to be a part of her art is an absolute honor. Not only is her work stunning, but she is a great person to be around. She is professional, patient and outgoing and I cannot wait to book with her again! Thanks for the memories, laughs and for creating such an enjoyable experience.
— Miriam & Jaime
“She made everything perfect! 10/10 recommend”
Alisha was super professional and friendly throughout the entire process of our engagement shoot. I was super indecisive on where to have our shoot and she gave me multiple choices. She even went to the spot before hand to scope it out for us. My fiancé hates getting pictures taken but he loved natural and fun our experience was. Alisha made us our own playlist to listen to throughout the shoot which made both of us feel super comfortable. We ended having our shoot in Breckenridge and made a weekend out of it. Honestly, one of the most rememberable and amazing weekends we could ask for. Alisha communicated with us throughout everything and was SO fast getting our sneak peak photos and album to us. She even sent us a little gift that we appreciated SO SO much. I would highly recommend Alisha for any photography session whether its an adventure shoot or a wedding. She made everything perfect! 10/10 recommend :)
— GRACE & JAKE
“Alisha is the absolute
best photographer!!”
Alisha is the absolute best photographer!! We did our engagement photos with her and she made my fiance and I feel so comfortable. We had never gotten professional pictures taken so were a bit nervous beforehand but Alisha made us feel so comfortable and the photos came out AMAZING. I literally scroll through all of them a few times a week because of how much I love them and how they capture our love for each other so beautifully. I highly recommend using Alisha as your photographer!
— NATALIE & JAKE
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