Good news - we have a photographer booked! www.mikelupine.com
As you ladies know, I was hoping to have one of my close girlfriends as our photographer, but she is currently traveling and couldn't confirm for sure until the summer. Thanks in part to the advice I got from my fellow WBC brides, we ultimately decided that we needed to book someone else to make sure we had someone lined up.
So, I went to a wedding trade show yesterday in Ottawa, on a mission to narrow down a field of candidates. Luckily, I met Kathi Robertson - she and Mike Lupine work together as wedding photojournalists. I really liked their portfolios, but just as important, I really liked their approach and personality. We were able to negotiate a package that worked for us, and signed off on it this morning.
While I was a little bummed that we couldn't have my friend confirmed, I'm happy with the photographer we found, and am really happy to have this important piece nailed down.
Thanks everyone for the great advice!