Wedding Planning: Our Photographer

We actually started our search for a photographer several months ago.  We wanted to start early so we could do our research and make sure we could book our wedding date.  We did a LOT of research, reading reviews and looking at portfolios, and eventually narrowed it down to three choices:
Alvarado Photography
Pinky Photography
Shannon Sasaki Photography
As far as our budget, I was willing to spend a little more on photos, especially since we chose not to have a videographer.  We set our budget at around $2,000-$2,500, (for 5-6 hours) which is actually on the cheaper side for wedding photography.  We were also looking for someone who was really comfortable to work with, and LGBT friendly.  I started to email the photographers in April trying to get some price quotes so we could see who fit into our budget.  We got really quick responses from everyone, and I was quite surprised that everyone fit into our budget.  Pinky Photography was actually the most expensive out of the three, then Alvarado Photography and Shannon Sasaki.  Shannon's prices were very reasonable for wedding photography, and she asked to schedule a face-to-face meeting.
We met with Shannon about a month later.  She was so friendly and upbeat, even though we met so early in the morning.  She explained about the different packages she offered and her contract, and we got to see some prints and different samples of her work.  I loved her style.  It's very fresh, modern and candid.  Her prices were very affordable and she was lgbt friendly.  Soon after meeting with her, we decided to book her for our wedding.  I thought about meeting with the other photographers, but the price of her packages were too good to beat.  We chose a 6 hour package which was $1300 and included a free engagement photo shoot.  We haven't scheduled out photo shoot yet, but I'll definitely update when we do.  I would definitely recommend her if you're looking for an affordable photographer.  However all three we considered were reasonably prices for wedding photographers, so if you're looking, definitely check them out.
I'm also going dress shopping tomorrow!  Unfortunately I've been putting it off for quite some time just because I've been so busy, and it's hard to coordinate schedules with my mom.  But I got an appointment at Davids Bridal tomorrow, so we will see how it goes.  I've heard really bad reviews about the place, but I'll definitely blog about the experience.  We are also planning to visit a couple of places next weekend as well, so hopefully I'll find my dress soon :)