Notes From a Newlywed: The Photographer {Girl Photography}

After picking out our venue, next on our hit list was securing the photographer. Now this was an instance where being a Belle definitely had its advantages. I didn't have to spend countless hours combing through dozens of portfolios because I was already familiar with a good number of shutterbugs in the area. And Nicole Peterson, with her own Girl Photography, was one photog on the top of my list.

From "knowing" her (in a purely virtual sense up to this point) through her blog posts and tweets*, I got a sense of her talent but also an idea of her personality. "I like her and she takes good pictures" - that was my very in depth analysis of Nicole before actually meeting her face to face.

The biggest thing I remember about Nicole and her team is that they were so unobtrusive the entire wedding day. Like little photo ninjas. I know they were around snapping away because I have the photos to prove it, but they didn't really get in anyone's way. Oh, and I'd also like to note that Nicole is quick to laugh at my jokes...which I obviously should've made a vendor requirement from the get-go.

Also, Nicole knew that we weren't that into super formal photos (her several requests for a must-have shot list were repeatedly met with a blank stare from me...bad Belle, I know) or anything that looked too posed. So she really kept everything as it related to the pictures extremely laid back, and I think this underlying sense of ease and flexibility comes through in the final shots.

The photos below aren't my favorites - just a small sampling of my favorites. If I posted all the ones I love, this post would be so, so, so, so long.

*I would actually make this recommendation to any newly engaged bride-to-be who is researching potential vendors: subscribe to their blog feeds, like their Facebook pages, and follow them on Twitter. You'll get to see more than just the vendor's work; you'll start to know more about them on a personal level and will probably feel 100% more comfortable working with that vendor come your wedding day.

I wasn't outside for this part of the day - the baraat - but the wedding party held it down with a dance-off.

I don't know what my younger brother was laughing at - but I'm glad we have it on film.

Just for the record...we do not pose like this in real life...I swear.

Absolutely in love with the light in this shot.

That's my dad's chubby little hand on my back - aw, love it.