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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
