I. LOVE. THEM.
I never was that type of girl who planned her wedding ahead of time, but once I got engaged (with three months to plan), I dumped deep into the Pinterest/Blog wedding world, and boy is that place dangerous. Out of sheer luck, I stumbled across A Practical Wedding blog, with which Jamie and Michelle are super involved, and found their Rad+InLove, and life has never been the same.
I was on a small budget, with a small guest list, and short on time, but as soon as I saw their work, I knew their photography would be the number one big spending item if I could get them. It was March, and it was a long shot, but I emailed. Within 24 hours, I heard back, and they wanted to know more about me. They have a soft spot for special situations like elopements and small weddings...and after a quick email exchange, they agreed to fit us in on the one weekend they had planned to have off during the wedding season! It was meant to be!!
Everything after that is a blur - Michelle met with me in person in Echo Park, as Jamie is a San Diego resident. She went over the contract, the vibe, my goals, and really just got to know me. It was easy and the time went fast, and I knew that it would be worth it to book the two of them (for a higher price), because they would get everything - both my prep and my husband's, both the guests and our special looks, both film and digital of the same shot, and on and on.
What is SUPER AWESOME is that they use three types of photography - digital, film, and polaroid. We got the polaroids right away, and they were so romantic and whimsical. It was beautiful. They gave us access to all the pictures, and we could download them all for free!
I was a DIY bride, with only a day-of coordinator, so Jamie and Michelle provided a lot of guidance out of their own hearts - they sent me a wedding day suggested timeline, discussed the best time of day for the ceremony and pictures, and guided me toward reducing my locations to just one so there would be no stress or missed shots, and so we could enjoy our festivities.
I usually write very clear and to the point reviews, but I can't with these girls. They are forever woven into my emotions for such an important part of my life. It is WORTH IT to get QUALITY, PROFESSIONAL, FUN photographers like them - I was able to 100% enjoy my day, knowing all the right shots would be captured in the way I would want to see them. We didn't worry about our guests taking out their phones or other cameras because our photographers were completely competent. And it made for a very elevated and special evening.
Plus, Jamie and Michelle are so cool and fun that you want to hang out and be friends afterward. They were so complimentary, so relaxed, yet focused and invisible, that I was able to be a relaxed and fun bride, and my guests had a wonderful time. We got over a thousand pictures, and communication was always on point. Their contract is one of the best I have seen. Their associates and recommended vendors are all ahead of the curve for wedding trends and design, so if you have the budget, you should use others in their network. I loved their work so much, that a few months later, I scheduled my newborn minishoot with Jamie.
Check out their instagram and blog, and see just how wonderful they are for yourself.
Here is their blog post about my wedding: http://blog.radandinlove.com/2014/08/bristol-john-the-1909-topanga-canyon-los-angeles.html
Here is the blog on A Practical Wedding: http://apracticalwedding.com/2014/08/rustic-california-wedding/
The photography communicates and captures the beauty of the day, and we'll have it forever, and that is worth so much more than the thousands they cost. Good luck and much love!! read more