I am so glad that I read this thread. I have to add my two cents in tho. My photographer is an amazing photographer, and it shows. She did an awesome shoot with me (for $75.00) as a test shoot when I went to visit her in Vancouver. She was really sweet and did an amazing job with the test shots (MY FI couldn't make it to Vancouver with me!). She does weddings in Hawaii also, and she has been a photographer for years.
One of the things that she told me while I was there was if there was a bride on a budget she would work it out with them to find a package that suits their budget. She said that she would rather see a bride have amazing wedding pictures than to have really bad experiences because they paid less, so she also offers really reasonable rates for budget brides. She had my pictures to me in a week. (because I am a huge geek and get excited about my wedding coming up, I am always checking out her blog.) She added a contest on there, so check it out.
Please note, Brides, if you are on a budget, talk to the photographer that you want to take your pictures, because chances are, they probably know someone in the industry that is starting out and that they can recommend because they have worked with them.
Another thing to remember is to have a wedding photography list that you are going to give to your photographer. Nora sent me a list of shots that most brides find important, but she also said that it is really important to know what shots I want to take. I also searched it on here, and someone put up a PDF of important wedding shots...I used that a lot!
Another thing about a photographer is how long they take to communicate. If youa re having troubles with the photographer that you are using, to get a hold of them, to call them, or whatever the case, it is probably wise not to go with that photographer.
Nora, She e-mails me within 2 days of me emailing her. She is really awesome. I would HIGHLY recommend her.
I really feel bad about the Misti experience. It makes me really angry and sad. For the ladies that got married and had really upsetting results with Misti, maybe find a photographer in your area who does TTD shots. It is summer, and there are some amazing shots to be had.