Vendor Love- Lindsay MacDonald Photography

**I am re-posting this because it was one of FCW's first posts and I unfortunately stretched the photos trying to get them to the "right size".  After a few weeks of posting & uploading a new photo editor, I think I figured it out.  A thousand apologies Lindsay, I hope this one works!

The first time I meet with a bride, I ask what are the 3 most important aspects of her wedding day. For most brides, this is actually a hard question for one of two reasons. Either the bride has 234334546 important aspects to her day and can't narrow it down or she just wants everything to flow overall and can't choose specific vendors/services that matter more to her. However, photography is almost always a top priority, as it should be. Skimp on every detail you can, but you will really appreciate the money you put out for a quality photog for years and years to come. So, as a wedding planner, I understand the importance of working with photographers that are true professionals with an amazing artistic talent. So, when I find a photographer who really impresses me, I really want to support them.

I had first heard of Lindsay MacDonald Photography in early 2009, around the time I started Felicity C Weddings. Being from the Baltimore area, I was eagerly scouring local blogs to find the hottest vendors. I can't remember exactly where I saw the first Lindsay reference, but once I went to her website, I fell hard for her style. And then I kept seeing Lindsay MacDonald Photography being referenced every.where. She was really taking off as an in demand photographer in the Baltimore area. In fact, in a "its a small, small world" twist, when I was going through her wedding portfolio, I actually saw some friends of mine who were guests at a wedding she shot. Yep, I was instantly intrigued.

Lindsay actually has two websites, Lindsay MacDonald Photography and Lindsay MacDonald Weddings. She has such a range; her portfolio includes food, portraits, personal, engagement shoots, and weddings. Lindsay is originally from outside Boston and is now living in Baltimore. Her work has taken her to from MD to NY and even Mexico! I have followed her blog (and you should too!) for awhile now and imagine my surprise when I was told that I would have the opportunity to work with Lindsay! I met with newly engaged Jen last October who hired Felicity C Weddings for her Day of Coordinator for her May 22, 2010 wedding. Jen had hired Lindsay MacDonald Photography after hearing a lot of great buzz about her as well. As with every wedding I do, in the weeks leading up to the big day I contacted all the vendors to review my day of timeline. Instantly, I felt comfortable with Lindsay and I could tell that she would make my job easier with her experience. I finally met Lindsay and her 2nd photographer, Danielle, on wedding day and both ladies were a joy to work with. Lindsay was extremely professional and focused, but she was also so much fun and made all the guests feel really comfortable. This is the perfect dichotomy of a great vendor. I don't think I saw Lindsay or Danielle without a smile on their faces the entire day into the night. It is obvious they both love photography and they both love shooting weddings. I had not worked with a pair of photographers before, I can honestly say that it was a great experience because I knew that every moment would be captured from many angles.

Now, I don't usually present challenges to my vendors, but Lindsay really impressed me with taking on a vision that I had since the first time I visited the site (Oliver's Carriage House). The reception took place on the 2nd floor which was one big, open, rectangular room with a loft on each end of the room. One loft we utilized for the DJ station and the other loft was mostly off limits because the site is used regularly by a church and this loft is the pastor's office. Well, on my first visit to this room, my wedding planner mind immediately envisioned group shots with the photographer shooting from the lofts. Simple and easy. Only, I do not have a photographer's mind and the trouble with my vision was that there were support beams in the middle of the room which would make these "above shots" tricky. Not to mention that with all the room's lights turned down combined with the dark, stone walls which would create lighting issues. Lindsay and Danielle were super excited to take this challenge on and made it work. In fact, Lindsay thanked me for having her think 'out of the box' to figure out the best way to get the loft shots and I couldn't be happier with the results:

 Oh and another very impressive fact about Lindsay? She was getting married the following weekend! In Massachusetts! On Memorial Day weekend! I was shocked that Lindsay was so cool, calm, and collected considering her own wedding was so close. I don't know if any other bride would be willing to take on such a huge task so close to her own big day. Lindsay did tell the couple and me that because of her own wedding and honeymoon, she may take 4-5 weeks to get the professional pictures back to us. Ha! For those of you not familiar with wedding photography, I've known (non client) brides who have waited up to a year to get back the professional pictures! True to her word, we received the link within the timeline and when I saw the whole wedding, I was amazed. Lindsay was awesome and sent me my favorite shots, although it was very hard to pick just a few and not a hundred. Lindsay featured different pictures on her blog (Birds and Flowers Oh My... Jen and Sean Got Married) and there are more pictures on Felicity C Weddings website, but here are a few that I definitely wanted to show all of you right now:

*LOVED the bride & her bridesmaids, they were all so much fun!

I hope you enjoy Lindsay MacDonald Photography as much as I do. When picking a wedding photographer, it is really important to check out the photographer's portfolio and love his or her style. References from friends and family are also a great starting point. In case I haven't been clear so far, Lindsay MacDonald Photography is definitely high on my list ; )