Photographers!

ajmoney

We are paying £650 for a basic package. Other packages cost more but our photographer suggests only going for this initially and then adding other bits later if we want. He is spending most of the day with us, nipping away for a couple of hours early evening and then leaving us to enjoy the day from 10pm. It took me a while to find him, there were others who charged the same but would only be with us for a couple of hours. I hope you find someone who you feel comfortable with if you decide on a professional, I think that is quite important.

jojo2004

kriss_boy, have you thought about using a photographer who's just starting out in wedding photography? I found an ace lady on here who's doing just that, and will do a package (unlimited pics on disc, pre-wedding meet, there all day) for £300.
I also have a good friend who did photography at Uni, and has gone pro, who's just starting out as a wedding snapper - he does lovely photojournalistic style, and is offering great deals for new bookings (including a pre-wedding shoot and photoshopping of the best images if wanted), can PM you a link to him if you like?
I don't think it has to cost £1500 if you don't want it to. If it's not burningly important to you, you could still get someone a lot less expensive to make sure you don't regret not having pro pics taken on the day!
HTH x

rubysmummy_2

i am using a photographer who is just starting out in wedding photographry, he has done model shoots and family shoots along with wildlife which are fantastic and he has only done one wedding and a wedding fayre - the pictures of which are brilliant. we are arranging to meet him once we have paid the deposit on the venue and sorted the church out - he is only charging £250 for the whole day - from me getting ready right through to the first dance at the evening. we have to pay extra for the prints we want but these are at cost price and he charges £50 for an album but thats all, i think its a great deal and i found him via facebook.

kezz_kezz

We're having OH's friend do them for as our gift. He works with stills and video cameras at a university so he should know what he's doing.

As for the work afterwards I'm getting the files from him in digital form and doing any tidying myself and then getting just the ones we want printed.

We can't afford to pay a photographer and I wouldn't want to pay for things I can do myself.

sandraann

Surely this argument is no more relevant than saying you could buy a cake at £1500 and isn't that too expensive for some flour and eggs.I work as a wedding photographer so may have a vested interest but I would have thought you just do the best you can with the budget you have available to you and choose your photographer with the greatest of care.
There are a lot of costs associated with good wedding photography and you can take shortcuts but we all know how they can backfire.

Photog_2

Would you want your Gran baking your cake?
or your uncle Dave playing the tracks from his CD's?
or a wedding dress from Asda?

All of these are fine if its not important to you, as others have said.

The problem with photography is due to everyone now having a digital camera, the perception is that its easy to do and therefore shouldnt cost much. Give someone an entry level digital SLR camera and they think that they are suddenly a pro and why on earth would you need to pay someone else.

BTW, i am not a wedding photographer before anyone assumes that i am.

tod123

Biggest mistake any bride will make is

1) Not having a photographer
2) Getting a mate to do the photos

A good photographer will record your whole wedding day from preparations until the first dance and provide all the images on a disk.

That record will be yours to treasure forever, all the little moments you miss on a day that goes in a whooosh (its very unfair to expect that level of commitment from a guest!)

You do not 'have' to spend £1500 , plenty of good quality choice for lower budgets.

I actually feel a great sadness for brides who decide/are convinced not to have their special day recorded professionally, its such a great shame for them.

The lasting memory I have of my marriage are the images like exchanging rings , friends enjoying our celebration, all the little details, the day itself was a blur.

I do understand that some people start from the level of 'what can we cut back on' , but to cut back on one of the only things that lasts after the day is a terrible folly.

wiggychick

Hi Kriss,

I agree with the comments here.
If you want a friend to do them you are taking a risk - I'd only trust a friend with experience and I would also make sure that you trusted them implicitly with your formal list of photos, and that they have some help! I'd also see if you could get another friend who can take decent photos to pick up some more natural shots. That way if one of them goes wrong you should at least have something to fall back on. How disapointed will you be if you end up with an album of holiday-snap quality prints, or worse nothing at all? If you decide to go down this route, I'd recomend going to your venue with your friend well in advance and take some photos to pratice. You'll get an idea of what you might get in the end - which hopefully will also set your mind at rest!

The middle ground is to get someone who is setting up - perhaps ask at a local college if there are students wanting to practice / put together a portfolio. Again, make sure you see their work first and have a practice session. Again you may be able to get two photographers who would be willing to work together to reduce the risk.

A professional is the safest option, but make sure you get personal recomendations - not just off their website - if you can. Also make sure you have wedding insurance just in case it goes wrong as these can cover the cost of having your photos re-taken.

I've just read that back and it sounds really scary! Sorry!

If it helps we had two friends take our photos and they were amazing. One of them is an amatuer photographer who has done a few friends weddings and does excellent portraits, the other is just getting started in a photographic career and did some stunning natural shots. We were given discs with the pics on and we organised all of our own printing.
It was a bit scary, but we did the practice shoot and the quality of the pictures and the way he captured our expressions completely reassured us. There were a couple of important family groups missing from the final shoot, but other than that we were more than happy with the result.

Hope it goes well

Wiggy xx

MrsDrink

I do find it funny that we all agree there is nothing you *have* to do when it comes to weddings - exception from say I do/will. Apart from when it comes to the photographs when the board seems to be split between those that say you must and those that say you can if you want to.

Dekazer

With any wedding, I think there's a lot to be said for prioritising what you want, and budgeting accordingly. Everyone's different. Someone was posting here the other day who wasn't bothered about the day, but wanted an awesome ring and fabulous honeymoon. Others get very excited about the dress, but aren't so worried about the cars. Sometimes the numbers are more important than the glamour, so a cheap and cheerful venue that can accommodate 300 is preferable to a very smart place that can only have 40.

If photographs are very important to you then paying for the best (the best that you can afford, at the best bargain you can negotiate) will be sensible. If you really aren't too worried, maybe you can find a compromise.

I have a good friend who's a wonderful wedding photographer. He's very expensive, but I've attended weddings he shot, and have seen how much work he puts into it. The results are simply breathtaking. I won't advertise for him here, but you can PM me if you're London/SE and would like a personal recommendation.

HOWEVER, we have decided that our limited budget will be better spent on things that are more important to us. When a friend of mine got married her favourite photo of the whole day was one that I snapped, of her kids and their cousins in the registry office, watching the ceremony, all holding hands. It was adorable, and it was only through luck that I got it. Sometimes luck's on your side - espeically if you tell people in advance you're not having a photographer so could they please try to take some good ones