I totally get your questions and thank you for the articles I will check them out!!! My thoughts about everything are like this..... it isn't about wanting to save money, it is about not wanting to spend money on something I am not thrilled about. I haven't made up my mind about not hiring someone.. I just want to see what packages the "partner" photographers offer. I most defiantly want great pictures of my wedding but in all reality, how often am I really going to look at a book of pictures. Last time we talked about it .. she mentioned that she has been wanting to take a class and now she has a reason too...I'm sure if I mention "island conditions" to her she will be sure to find a class that includes that. If I decide to only go with her and she gets ill or her stuff breaks I would just have to rely on other people there.. I'm not worried about getting stuff from her.. I plan to buy her a memory cards and batteries to use specifically for the wedding shoots so all I have to do is collect those from her (not the batteries just the cards haha) My FI is an incredible digital artist so any work I need done to the pictures he can do! I'll keep you posted!