Top 5 Tips for Choosing a Photographer/Videographer for your Small Wedding in Southeastern Idaho
Top 5 things I’ve learned from planning my Idaho wedding that have made me a better wedding photographer
1. Awareness of why wedding details are important
As a very intentional bride, I have thought a lot about the details of my wedding day. I’ve thought about making food with my family, how my fiancé and I enjoy spending time together and how we nurture our community. I’ve thought about the land that I grew up in, the same area where my dad hunts and has fed our family for my whole life - and wanting to get married there with food that came from the land. I’ve thought about heirloom pieces and carrying on traditions as well as making our own. This is all to say, I have a new appreciation for details that in the past I wouldn’t have understood. I know I want my own photographer to capture all of those things that I and my family have spent so much time and attention planning and putting together.
click to enlarge
2. Understanding challenges related to navigating family dynamics and expectations during weddings
I’ve learned how challenging it can be to navigate competing expectations from family. How to both hold those desires and hopes with care as well as how to honor my own. That for my partner and me, our community is very important to us, and we want them to be there. But we also want to spend quality time with them. And when I look back at photos from that day, I want to see those moments of all of us together, genuinely enjoying. I want photos of our connection.
click to enlarge
3. Flexibility for weddings in remote areas of Idaho
I’ve learned that getting married outside of major cities can present several challenges to couples specifically trying to get vendors out to where the venue is! Some things exist. Some things don’t! And some things are very expensive solely because your venue is more than 100 miles from where the vendor typically operates! The vendors who have been flexible with me and offered me options have made my life so much easier!
click to enlarge
4. Incorporation of the setting and how you interact with it so that you can return to that day through your photos and videos
I want to be present on my wedding day. I want to enjoy all of the hard work that my family, partner, and I have put into making the celebration happen. I don’t want to worry about where the food is and who is showing up when. And I want to be able to remember that day for the rest of my life. How the sun shown over the mountains when I woke up. The taste of the food that we spent literal months preparing. The scent of the wildflowers. The bird’s songs. The way it felt to share vows with my person in front of all our favorite people. I want to remember what it was like to be there on that day and all the emotions that came with it.
click to enlarge
5. Care and attention for not only the delivery of services but also your experience on the day of your wedding
My fiancé and I are planning a day that we will share with our community of people, but it will be intimate. It will not be a huge wedding. It will only be the people who are most important. I know that making those decisions is hard. There is a lot of going back and forth and there are no easy answers. Because of that, it is also important to us that the vendors who are there are people we genuinely enjoy working with. I don’t want to spend a year planning a celebration inviting only our closest friends and family, to include vendors who don’t fit with our community at all! To be blunt, on my way wedding day, I don’t want to spend any time with anyone that I don’t genuinely like and have a connection with. It’s not just about the production it’s about the experience.
click to enlarge
All of these experiences have made me a better photographer because I am looking out for those details that you put so much intention and effort into. I am seeking moments of connection between you and your people. I am flexible to your needs when you may be getting married far away from where vendors operate. I bear witness to the day and how you experience it with all of your senses, and I look for opportunities to capture elements of the day that will help you return to those feelings. I care about you. I care about connecting with you so that I can tell your story the best I can. These are all traits I want to see in my photographer. These are all traits I want to have as your photographer.
Hiring your southeastern Idaho wedding photographer/videographer
As an Idaho wedding and elopement photographer/videographer, I value bringing couples a meaningful, thoughtfully crafted experience that celebrates the Idaho wilderness while telling their story through a blend of candid documentaryand gently prompted photography and videography. In my photography/videography, I seek to capture connection, witness and document life’s most important moments, and tell a story. As a photographer/videographer, I am greatly influenced by my experiences as a multifaceted human being and know that you are as well.
I was born and raised in Idaho and care deeply about protecting and celebrating the land and the community here. To me that means that I live by Leave No Trace practices to care for and protect the land and that I welcome and celebrate all forms of love. I want anyone who works with me to feel safe, cared for, and celebrated, regardless of where they come from or who they love. Additionally, I am bilingual and speak English and Spanish. I recognize the profound impact that the Latino community has had on Idaho, and I want all members of the bilingual and Spanish speaking community to feel welcome with me. These values impact every aspect of my work, and I am continuously seeking to grow so that I can better serve my community.
WHAT SERVICES I OFFER:
In addition to the values that guide my photography and videography, I have worked to bring clients wrap around services that don’t stop at taking their picture. This includes:
LOCATION SCOUTING AND GUIDANCE
I have spent the majority of my life in Idaho, exploring its mountains, lakes, and trails. This means I can offer a local perspective to many of the locations that we might venture together. More importantly, living in Idaho has taught me how to find the best trails, what gear you’ll want to bring, and when you’ll want to go. This is even more valuable because I can help you find the best location for you even if I have not yet been there myself.
ELOPEMENT PLANNING
In traditional weddings, many couples will hire a wedding planner to help coordinate and direct their day. In an elopement, the photographer also fills that role. I like to help my couples every step of the way, from finding the right location, to planning activities, to choosing vendors. It brings me so much joy to help you bring your dream elopement to life.
ORDAINED OFFICIANT SERVICES
To legally marry in Idaho, you’ll need an ordained officiant. For elopements, I can offer the service in both English and Spanish. You can check that off your list :)
VENDOR RECOMMENDATIONS
I love to be able to offer recommendations for other vendors who I know will serve their every need. If I have not worked with them myself, I will do the research to help make your life easier in choosing who will be working with you to craft your special celebration.
WHAT PACKAGES I OFFER
I offer wedding and elopement photography and videography packages ranging from half day and ceremony only to multi day experiences. Reach out to find out which package is right for you :)
