Where to look for Wedding photographers?

[TheHobbyist]

My Fiance and I are getting married in June 2013 and have been looking for wedding photographers, however after looking at hundreds and contacting quite a few, it seems that the ones that we like are always out of our budget. We are paying for our wedding ourselves and our total budget is $10,000. Our budget for a photographer is $2500-$3000.

Are there any good places to search for Wedding photographers online besides google. The wedding will be in Santa Barbara CA, and there have to be some great photographers in the area that we can afford, we are just having a hard time finding them.

We are both amateur photographers and are terrified of getting bad wedding photo's.

I have been trying to think of ways to get costs down. Is having a photographer without a second shooter at a discounted price worth it if we can get one we love? We already plan on skipping an expensive album and having on done ourselves. The one thing I am really hesitant about is a shorter shoot time, I would like at least 8 hours of coverage.

Any ideas you guys can share to find great photographers in our price range and keep costs down would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NE-KID]

Congrats on getting married..Also did you check Google search? I found a bunch of wedding photographers who have high ratings of 30 of 30 ratings which is really great here is the Google search I did for you.

santa barbara wedding photographer - Google Search

 

[TheHobbyist]

Thanks. I searched, however most of them are significantly over budget. And quite a few don't make their prices readily available, so I end up emailing 10 photographers a day, just to waste their time and find out that they are too expensive, especially once you calculate the real total cost i.e. $3000 to show up, another $800 if you actually want any of your pictures.

 

[amandamartin]

I am guessing that the cost of living is crazy in your area, because for the price range that you are looking for in my area, you would have a lot to choose from, without sacrificing great shots. One thing you might do is call up a local university and ask if they can reccomend someone from their photography department. Sometimes, you can find amazing raw talent with students. I would certainly not sign on with any of them without seeing their work, but if they are just getting into doing weddings, they may not be charging as much as the more seasoned photogs in the area.

 

[TheHobbyist]

That is a great idea, there are some excellent art schools in the area.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Check out my portfolio. Let me know if you want to set up a complimentary consultation to check out albums I offer and prints of my favorite shots. I am in Littleton.

 

[mjhoward]

^Atta boy shwetty!

 

[NE-KID]

Thanks. I searched, however most of them are significantly over budget. And quite a few don't make their prices readily available, so I end up emailing 10 photographers a day, just to waste their time and find out that they are too expensive, especially once you calculate the real total cost i.e. $3000 to show up, another $800 if you actually want any of your pictures.

Your welcome. Santa Barbara is high living cost area and I think they put the cost of living, time, food and etc in the prices they quoted you. You should have ask them why $3,000 or etc...

 

[Robin Usagani]

Oops. I just noticed CA. I can do the engagement session. .

 

[camz]

PM'ed

 

[morganza]

Congrats on getting married..Also did you check Google search? I found a bunch of wedding photographers who have high ratings of 30 of 30 ratings which is really great here is the Google search I did for you.

santa barbara wedding photographer - Google Search

It's the first place to go looking for, but from what I've seen happening with my friends/relatives, it's not always the best choice.

 

[Designer]

The wedding will be in Santa Barbara CA, and there have to be some great photographers in the area that we can afford, we are just having a hard time finding them.

Any ideas you guys can share to find great photographers in our price range and keep costs down would be greatly appreciated.

Santa Barbara, huh? Very expensive everything there. You might be able to get an L.A. photog to drive up there for a shoot, so widen your search.

Hey, why not hire Schwetty to do it? One day working, two days hanging out at the beach! Win-win!

 

[CCericola]

There is a photographer look up page on Professional Photographers of America Now, being a PPA photographer does not guarentee anything. It just means they could pay the dues. A CPP (Certified Professional Photographer) however means they have been tested an evaluated on the quality of their photography.

 

[mirrorrim]

Check out bridalinsider.com. It's geared toward San Diego brides but has a very active community of brides from all over the state (and beyond). In the forums you'll find a ton of information about photographers. I can suggest two that I personally would have chosen for my wedding, I've met them and they are awesome people and photographers. They them travel and I think (but not sure) would be in your price range.

Melissa McClure and she has an associate she's trained, Mandi, who might be less expensive
Nathaniel Kam

San Diego Wedding Photography Packages: $2000-$3500
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Our Average Booking: 2 Photographers for 8 hours, Engagement Session... DVD of Hi-Res Images, and an 8x8 Premium Leather Album