In my quest for a wedding photographer, I turned first to Yelp. (Of course!) But near the small…read moretown where we were getting married, there were very few to choose from, except for photographers who specialize in cheesy senior photos. So I expanded the search to Spokane, and came across LaDuke Photography.
I was impressed with what I saw:
a) competitive prices and package options
b) wedding experience, with a portfolio showing...
c) unique shots
I contacted Lacey and was relieved that she still had our wedding date available. I also learned that she now lives in Eugene, OR, but considers herself a 'traveling wedding photographer,' so she'll get to your wedding, no matter where it is! (With some extra cost, of course)
A few months before the wedding, we set up a skype date to meet her face-to-face and talk details, like whether to take photos before or after the ceremony, and how many hours we'd need them. We also met Nate, Lacey's business partner, who would also be photographing the wedding. They really made a point of getting to know us and our vision for our photographs. We exchanged Pinterest contact information, because how else can you plan a wedding these days?
When the big day rolled around, Lacey and Nate came to the rehearsal the day before so that they could see the Church and the reception venue and get ideas. We chatted with them for a little while do go over the schedule for the day, and it really eased my mind about how they whole thing would work out.
On the day of, they showed up right on time to photograph us getting dressed. We took wedding party photos before the ceremony, which in my book is a good idea because you don't have to stress about getting everything done afterwards, and it cuts down on the anxiety of the ceremony. (Plus, it's just an old wives tale that it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding...right??)
I don't want to go on and on about all the details, but suffice it to say that Lacey and Nate were very on top of things. They got photos of all of the people, events, and details that we asked for, and added their own creative ideas for shots and poses. I was most worried about the family shots, since my family is huge and disorganized, but it was actually a breeze. They didn't spend hours getting everyone lined up perfectly, so everyone looks relaxed and casual, which is just how we are in real life.
Bonus points for giving the bride a snack in the middle of the after-ceremony shots. They must have known not to let Alli D get hangry!
The turn-around was very fast in getting our photos back. Lacey was posting 'teasers' on her facebook page within days, and all of the photos were up on her website right after we got back from the honeymoon. We're so happy with how they turned out, and now just have to decide how we want to best spend our photo credit on her website.
Check them out if you want!
http://gallery.ladukephoto.com/strick