Art First, Wedding Photos Second

After emailing around 40 photographers, we finally found the ones for us and we've signed the contract! Man was that a struggle! I was really looking for quality but the cost was extremely important so it took forever to find the right people. I had an initial list of about 20 people or so…as I emailed, I found that people were either booked or way too expensive and they would send me other suggestions, about 3, so the list ended up growing and growing. 

I was beginning to panic. People were looking at me like I was crazy when I said I didn’t have a photographer or caterer yet. I mean, really? It’s over 6 months away! But apparently I needed to land those two items first thing as well as the venue. So note to readers who are planning a wedding. Plan your caterer and photographer as early as you can! 

We ended up with the perfect photographers. A lovely couple that owns Fox and Owl Studios in Waynesville, NC named Andrew and Shannon Horton.  They love adventures and coffee and fires and critters.  Andrew and I did a Skype chat with them to see if we were a good fit and we talked for over an hour about absolutely nothing. It was fantastic! The following week I went up to Asheville to visit family and do wedding shenanigans. On that Saturday, mom and I had lunch with Andrew and Shannon at Papas and Beer and she loved them! Especially after Andrew gave her a kiss when he hugged her goodbye. He won her over right then and there. “Ohhhhhh I got a kiss!” She’s such a goob.

The package we chose includes 8 hours of shooting on the day and an engagement session for free.  Pretty sweet deal!  So we’ve signed the contract and paid our down-payment. Good to go! They are so fantastic. I told them I loved their eerie photos…most people probably wouldn’t understand that but Shannon got me ;) I want photos that are art, not posey photos. I want something that I can hang in my house and people will think “what a gorgeous photo” and then say “oh wait, is that you and Andrew?!”…I want art first, wedding photos second.  And with this couple, that’s what I’ll get. Perfection.