Rad + In Love: Southern California Wedding Photography

Elyse + Lewis

Who: Jamie and Michelle from Rad + In Love

Why: Let’s put it this way: Rad + In Love are the photographers I recommend when other wedding photographer friends are getting married. And y’all, photographer friends are very picky about who they hire to shoot their weddings. Independently of each other, Jamie and Michelle are two powerhouse artists who are masters of both digital and film and of making regular people like you and me look like movie stars. Jamie and Michelle have been shooting as a team since they launched, but this year they’ve revamped their business to make it easier to, you know, hire them independently of each other. Now go look at the photos and you’ll get why that’s a big deal.

Where/How Much:  Southern California. Jamie lives in San Diego, Michelle lives in LA, and the pair will shoot anywhere in between at their local rate. Prices begin at $3200 for one photographer for seven hours, and go up to $4800 if you want both Michelle and Jamie. (Elopement and intimate wedding prices start at $1600.) Rad + In Love also offer a la carte options for everything from adding an associate photographer to engagement sessions and albums. Plus if you keep reading, there might be a special discount for folks in San Diego or out-of-staters who want to hire Rad + In Love. Maybe. Wink.

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The best way to understand the magic of Rad + In Love is to hear it straight from a former client:

I CANNOT say enough about these two. As a frazzled bride-to-be, I was wary of finding a vendor totally cold. All of my vendors were friends or friends-of-friends or high referrals from friends, so I was admittedly nervous when looking for a photographer. I felt so lucky to have found Michelle and Jamie online. The work on their website was exactly the aesthetic that I wanted. When I reached out, they were so professional, flexible and just really easy-going women. It really set my mind at ease! They worked their ASSES off at my wedding! I mean truly, they went above and beyond from prep, to shoot, to finish. Amazing amazing amazing! And SUCH a talented pair! The photos were such an important part of our wedding day, and I’m so relieved that we found Michelle and Jamie. Our pics are gorgeous! I would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat.

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Recently, Jamie and Michelle realized they were missing out on a ton of amazing weddings with couples who couldn’t afford to hire them both together, so they are expanding their packages to make it possible for more of you to work with them. Because they love you. Jamie says:

A ton of our past clients have come through APW, and I attribute their general awesomeness to that. People will sometimes ask, “Isn’t hard?” Um, what? While everyone is different, (hey, not everyone can be cool as a cucumber on their wedding day) our clients tend to be cool, smart, funny, stylish and know what is what in life!

Rachel + Max Natural History Museum Wedding

Now, if you’re like me and you’re thinking, But I’m already maaaaarried (sad face emoji; crying emoji), here’s a secret: Rad + In Love also have some of the best family and portrait skills in the business. In fact, our editor-in-chief swears by them. She told me:

A perk of this job is that we get photographed by tons of super talented photographers. But nobody’s family work is as amazing as Jamie and Michelle’s family work. They’ve taken some of our most treasured images that we’ll keep with us forever.

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So if photography is at the tippy top of your priority list, then trust me—I’ve never met someone who regretted hiring Rad + In Love. In fact, all I’ve ever heard from their former clients is that hiring Jamie and Michelle was one of the best decisions they made about their wedding. Which, if that isn’t a testimonial, I don’t know what is. So go get lost in the stunning beauty of their blog or their Instagram, and then go hire one (or both) of them! I would. In fact, I might.

Jane + Adam Griffith Observatory Elopement

P.S. What I didn’t mention is that Jamie and Michelle are just straight up cool people you’d want to hang out with. Check out this tour of Jamie’s home that was published on Cup of Jo yesterday!

Rad + In Love has a special discount just for apw readers: snag 15% off san diego weddings and 15% off non-california weddings when you mention this post in your email.

Should I Boycott My Son’s Wedding After He Cheated?

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Q: My son announced his engagement last October with a phone call. I feel he isn’t in love with his fiancé, so I told him that I wasn’t happy over the announcement. He called back later screaming at me, upset that I wasn’t supporting his decision. Ten months of silence from him followed, and any little tidbits of information I received came from my two daughters who will be in the bridal party. I did get a wedding invitation from my son, but haven’t made a decision yet to go.

Last week, he betrayed his fiancé with a co-worker. She screamed, yelled, ready to cancel the wedding, and even quoted me, “Your mum knew that you didn’t love me.”

One day later, the wedding is still on.

My son doesn’t know that I know what happened. My daughters have begged me not to say anything to him. I’ve asked my daughters to support me and not be part of this wedding, but they refuse, which leaves me alone to deal with this mess as the only one honest enough to say that this wedding is a joke.

Do I tell my son that I know?

Do I go to the wedding?

—Anonymous

A: Dear Anonymous,

I don’t know if you should tell him that you know. But you for sure should go to the wedding.

There’s a shift happening in your son’s life, and it may be hard to swallow. But he’s at the point where your opinion, as his parent, no longer is the final say. Yeah, you’re free to have opinions! I definitely have plenty. But your son is going to make his own decisions about his own life, and it’s not always a personal slight when he makes them contrary to your advice.

I am glad you voiced your opinion in honesty. That’s an important thing when you’re worried that a loved one is headed for some hurt. I just worry a bit about how you came across. I don’t know how that original conversation between the two of you went. Maybe you were really gentle and loving in sharing your advice. Maybe he completely overreacted when he heard your opinion. Maybe these past ten months of silence aren’t your fault at all. But some of the things you say in that note up there (calling his marriage a joke, considering not attending the wedding) make me concerned that you’re coming on a little harsh when you tell him what you think. I get the feeling that you expect him to necessarily agree with you, and you’re trying to force him to change his mind by opting out of the wedding.

And be honest, is that helping anyone? You’re not on speaking terms, you’re being iced out of the whole wedding process, and now he’s going through this adultery mess and you’re not in the loop enough to know what’s going on, let alone to help him through it.

As for whether or not you should tell him what you know about the coworker, well, that seems like a question of motivation. Do you want to bring it up so you can be there for him in his dark time, or (it sounds more likely) to use it as an “I told you so” moment? Because that second one is a terrible idea. Before you decide whether or not to say anything, think to yourself, “Will this make it easier for us to reconnect, or make it harder?”

Finding a careful balance of honesty and support with this stuff is difficult for anyone. It really takes a lot of effort to express concern without putting someone on the defensive. But consider all of the possible endings to this situation. What’s the worst-case scenario? He ends up in a marriage that makes him miserable? Or, he ends up in a marriage that makes him miserable, and he doesn’t feel he can turn to you for help through it? Your son is going to make his own decisions no matter what, so you may as well find a way to be there for them.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK APW A QUESTION, PLEASE DON’T BE SHY! IF YOU WOULD PREFER NOT TO BE NAMED, ANONYMOUS QUESTIONS ARE ALSO ACCEPTED. (THOUGH IT REALLY MAKES OUR DAY WHEN YOU COME UP WITH A CLEVER SIGN-OFF!)