Photographer redux

Ok, I have a bit of a dilemma... I think I can kind of guess how some of you will come down on it (well, some of you  anyway... who will remind me what Suze Orman would say, but I don't want to listen to Suze right now!!!)

I have a photographer who is starting out (as previously mentioned)-- who has never done a wedding before-- who has offered to give me 10 hours of coverage plus all the digitals plus a free engagement sitting for $1100.  Yes, that seems like an insane amount of money... until you actually start pricing out wedding photography and then you realize it's the deal of the lifetime.

Here is her website-- http://chocolatepipsphoto.zenfolio.com/

Frankly, they're nice... some are even very pretty... but they don't blow me away.

On the other hand we have a different photographer who is ---GULP-- Twice as much for half the time. (Can I afford twice as much? Um, well, if you mean, do I have the money in hand... um... well... let me get back to you on that.)

However, the pictures blow me away. http://garonephotography.blogspot.com/

(Also, an acquaintance  recently used them, and her pictures are STUNNING. I figure if they can make her look good, I"ll look FABULOUS! ;-)

I know, on the one hand... MONEY MONEY MONEY.... on the other hand all I'll really have left of the day (Other than Jedi, obviously!) is the pictures. 50 years from now will I be regretting that I went with a budget photographer... um... likely? Maybe?

I know Suze Orman would say that it's not worth clearing out my bank account for this (Or maybe she would? People first, remember!)... And it really would be coming out of my own budget since Jedi is really opposed to spending the extra money. I'm thinking I would pick up a holiday job/reunion job or something to help make up the difference.

What do y'all think? Am I being unreasonable in wanting the more expensive photographer? I feel like I'm heading into crazy bride territory...  I also feel really bad about this where the first photographer is concerned because I met her and she's a lovely woman and she does have a good eye... I can tell she'll be a great photographer someday... right now she's good, but not "magazine editorial" good the way the other photographer is.

Cling-on

Um. Ew.  I think I may just have become one of those people. You know the ones? The ones who can't do ANYTHING without their significant other? DAMN those people are annoying.

I've had several friends in the past who, when I would invite them out, would bring their husband/partner along. WTF? Seriously. In all of those cases it was always something along the lines of, "Hey, the new Sex & the City movie is out! You wanna go?" It wasn't EXPLICITLY anti-husband, but I think any reasonable person would have read that as "Sally and Hypatia are going to the movies"... not "Sally, and JOE, and Hypatia are going to the movies"

The worst part is that it's always the husband who is an asshat who ends up being the tag-along. I suppose that's because the good husbands know how to read cues and don't just show up to something they're not specifically invited to. But it's always the idiot who would be like, "Hey Hypatia, why can't you find a husband yet? Hey Hypatia, don't you know women belong in the kitchen? Make me a sandwich! Ha ha ha" types who tag-along with their otherwise delightful wives.

(As a side note, how do otherwise delightful women (ok or men) end up saddled with insufferable spouses? I mean, they SEEM reasonable and everything and yet they're somehow COMPLETELY blind to their spouses asshatery.)

So, let me first of all say that Jedi is not in the least an uncouth buffoon who is of the knuckledragging-mouthbreathing- type I described above. He is, however, clingy.  Where I am, he wants to be.  He even pouts if I don't want to go to the grocery store with him because he can't stand to be apart from me. (Gag. I know.)  I've broken him of the pouting at least, but I know his impulse is still there.

This weekend when we went to a WOMEN'S expo I did have to explicitly tell him, "No, you may NOT join us. Sheesh!"  Heaven help me if I ever become one of those women.

And yet. Somehow. This evening when I decided I wanted to go to the gym and go swimming and I realized he wouldn't be able to come with me because he has class... I suddenly decided I didn't want to go if he couldn't come with me. Ugh. Eegads, right?

I may have to jump into the cold pool in the deep end just to rid myself of this feeling!

Photographer

Yeah! We have a photographer! (I think! I think!).

(If Jedi's Cousin's Friend were to change her mind again and want to photograph the wedding we would use her too--- Which would be awesome!)

The photographer I found is new to the business.  I've tried for 20 minutes to upload some of her pictures and as you may be aware, photographers are notoriously protective of their pictures, and I can't! So, you'll just have to imagine them!  For the most part, her pictures are lovely. I would say that 3/4ths of the pictures I've seen are good... (Which is a better ratio than some of the other photographers I've seen that charge $2000 for 3 hours whose pictures looked like something my grandpa could take.)

It *is* a little nerve-wracking having her test out her skills on us-- this would be the first wedding she's done professionally-- for the most part she does kids and family portraits-- but the deal is so good I can' t pass it up.

$1000 for 10 hours + an engagement sitting session + all pictures in both B&W and Color in digital.

Not bad, huh? Ok, I'll admit, if you haven't been comparison shopping for wedding photographers lately that seems in-freaking-sane.  Believe me, I would have thought it was before I started hunting around.  My original photography budget was $200.

Bwahahaha! (Yes, I invite you to laugh at me as well.)

So, I invite you to take a look at some wedding photographer websites and take a look at the prices. Go on. I'll wait.

......

{whistle}

No, really, go on.

...........

{whistle}

.........

Have you keeled over from sticker shock yet?  Do you realize what a good deal I'm getting?  Not just the cost in general but TEN-FREAKIN-HOURS of coverage?

Keeping my fingers crossed that this one works out! I may still hire a student to complement the photographer (between the two I would think that I would get a good selection of images to use.)

Wedding Shoes...?

So, do you think it's tacky to pair a $1200 dress with $5 shoes from Wal-Mart?  Nah. Me neither! 

Ok, ok, I don't actually know if these will be the 'real' wedding shoes because I'm not certain how well they match the dress-- I don't have a swatch or anything-- but I wanted ballet flats in a subtle gold color-- and Ta Da! The universe delivered!  (Hellloooo universe! I would also like to win several million dollars! Thank you!)

Crosspost

I have no energy to delve into other stuff today so I'm just going to crosspost with my other blog.  Hey! don't complain! I delve into my daily life for your amusement and it's FREEEEE!

Ya get what you pay for.

Jobs Jobs Jobs

So, Jedi STILL hasn't heard anything back officially from the job he's waiting on. This is totally ridiculous but also totally typical for this University.  While he'd really like this job we never know what might happen... so, on the plus side, he just got called in for another interview in a different department. Yippee!

As for me, I'm really liking my new position, though I'm still feeling nervous since it's technically a term position only through June. *sigh* I don't really know what's going to happen... people seem to like me and think I'm doing a good job... but, well, you never know what might happen!  Add to that the person who is currently my manager won't be my manager if I do get the job-- and I don't know who that manager would be-- so the job could change dramatically anyway.  Wait and see kind of thing, I guess.

In wedding news, my photographer fell through! ARGH! If any of you know of a good (CHEAP! Like, under $1000) photographer who is in the MA, NH, ME, VT area... do let me know!

Still waiting

Many thanks for the well-wishes where Jedi's job is concerned.  It's looking good... (not to jinx anything, but he was told "We've completed the background verification and sent it on...If I don't hear back from them with an OK to make an official offerby Thurs. this week, I'll follow up.")

That's good, right?  I mean, nothing is official until it's official and I'm nervous to break out the champagne quite yet, but... Yippee...!!!