I could not imagine being in a bride’s shoes when first beginning to plan for a wedding day. I have tried to place myself there throughout my time as a photographer on numerous occasions.

Venues. Hair. Make-up. Florists. Decorations. Dress. Bridal party. How many guests? Food. Dates. DJs. Cake. Photographer….and on and on and on and Oh Goodness the cost of it all! This doesn’t even begin to include the bringing of two lives together as one and all that entails with that alone!

I can only imagine how sheer excitement comes with an engagement ring and how quickly that excitement turns daunting when the planning phase begins. How in the world does one choose the right vendor when there are so many to choose from? When I search the one advertising medium that I am a member of, TheKnot.com, I find over 1000 photographers advertising in Houston! The scary part is this is only a small percentage of the true number in our city alone. There are so many more outlets for brides to search and a huge number of vendors to search through before you find, what you hope is, the right one for you.

So how do you choose the right photographer? Just because one advertises well and might be in every outlet available to them means very little these days. If you one has the funds to do so, they can be on the front page of any advertising medium they wish. That, in some cases, has nothing to do with their true skill or value as a vendor.

There are many of us out there and many are exceptional photographers. There are a few that are not as well and, sometimes, it is hard to navigate the flood to determine the good from the bad.

Though you may have to meet with a few people in order to really decide who is best for you, it is rather easy to determine if one’s work fits the style that you dream of for your wedding. Once you get past the advertised photos and see more of one’s work, their photos will, hopefully, touch you in some way. There is no greater story, up until this point in your life, than the story of your wedding day. The photos you see should readily tell that story of the day you are viewing. That really is the job of those of us that call ourselves wedding photographers; to tell your story in photos in a way that can be relived for generations come.

One of the most common complaints I hear from brides past and present, and friends and family of them as well, is this; while our photographer took great photos, he was just a pain to work with. he was so hard to get in touch with. He was too pushy. He or she was not personable.

The one recommendation I often make to potential clients is to pick someone that you want to spend your entire day with. There is really no other person that will be closer to you for the duration of your wedding day than your photographer. We are there during the intimate moments of preparation. We are there during the hectic moments. We are there for your entire day. We are surrounded by your closest friends and family and an impression will be left, whether good or bad.

I have this discussion with almost every potential client that I am blessed to speak with; even if you decide against me as your chosen photographer, pick someone who you want to spend your day with. Pick someone who is calm under pressure and most of all, pick someone that you know will be a calming presence on a day that should be everything but stressful for you.

I wouldn’t be doing myself justice if I didn’t say something about me here as well…I consider it a blessing to be at every wedding day that i am chosen to be a part of. It is difficult to see much love in the world we navigate every day and it is a complete honor for me to be chosen as the one to capture the many loving moments between two people, their family and their friends on a wedding day. I am a story teller by trade. That is my job and who doesn’t enjoy a great love story? Every single wedding that I am honored to attend gives me hope that the love shown on your day will carry on for many to see and I always do my best to give you the story of your day in way that you will want to share for years to come.

If your are a bride or groom to be and reading this, and even if we never meet; I wish you the absolute best on your day and every day thereafter. To those of you who have chosen me to capture your memories I offer my sincere gratitude…It is an honor and I am humbled to be your photographer.