Get the red out

Shopping around for a wedding photographer was beginning to bear an awfully uncanny resemblance to the chain of events prior to buying our car. There was the thorough, thorough research on the internet of portfolios, hemming and hawing over preferences and concessions, and the realization that a not insignificant amount of money was inevitably going to be spent so here, have a bit of stress, too. I was imagining sitting in a dated and stained office chair, drinking stale coffee and listening to KOIT while I waited for the paperwork to be drafted up and we'd have our photographer.
Then Holly recommended her friend Joshua Longbrake, an exceptional photographer, as a resource for references and a talent that I was sure would be out of our price range.
The eventual result was the equivalent of a friend saying, "oh, you're looking at those Kia Optima's? yeah, I got a buddy who makes those. I'm sure you'll work out a price but yeah, he makes 'em." He makes them. Like... in his shed? OK. It's one of those things that shouldn't really happen, but you're not about to say, "no thanks, but I'll take a Diet Coke instead of the coffee."
Joshua Longbrake is an exceptional photographer with the eye, hardware, and general talent that we were basically only hoping for and because of his deep appreciation for my sister and brother-in-law, he agreed to work with us to be a big part of our wedding and photograph the mayhem.
His talent and participation are already serving to make the day more special and I can only awkwardly begin to express my gratitude to my sister, bro-in-law, and Longbrake himself.
Wedding photographs often get a bad rap as the tchotchke that's buried under dust by the coffee table. I think with the perfect blend of prior naiveté, a great day with friends and family, and the proper documentation, there's no reason it will remain the go-to after a couple glasses of wine for years and years.