Can't afford professional photography

I personally think it's a bad idea for many reasons. A wedding is one event that you need a professional for. There are a lot of people and a lot of special moments that need to be captured it's so much different then a kids b-day party or a bridal shower or something you only have one shot and if you miss it you don't have another opportunity. Second if something goes wrong and there's a shot missed or the photography comes out terrible you can't be upset with a friend. Third people get sick what if she's sick that day and can't make it a professional always has a back up photographer with a friend what would you do? Lastly, quality it's your wedding day you want a professional they know what to do with lighting, what kind of equipment to use, and your pictures will be amazing! Just shop around you can and will find someone that is budget friendly. Here''s on pic from our e-shoot and my photographer only cost me $450 it can be done.

I'm having my cousin do our wedding pictures. With a professional camera, and the right poses, the pictures will come out great. Just keep a list of all the poses you want to do to make things easier.

A friend told me, "Do not skimp on photography." You don't have to pay outrageous prices though. If you search a bit, you can find someone who will do it for a price you CAN afford. After weeks of searching, I decided to contact the photography who shot my future sister-in-law's wedding. Just because I was marrying her brother, he offered to do our wedding photography for $300. We're going to get unlimited coverage and all of our photos on a disc. I thought we were going to have to settle for an amateur from craigslist, but I didn't give up and it's a good thing thing I didn't! Ask your friends and family if they know any photographers? Sometimes it really is all about who you know (and who they know).

I have mixed feelings as I had my mom do our E photos and they turned out great! However I am hiring a pro for the big day I don't want to mess around like it was said above you only get one chance to get the good shots! I will lean towards telling you not to skimp but I'm sure you will get some good ones either way!

Well, photos are very important. it is necessary to have a professional take your life time pictures..

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I think it is up to you. Hiring family is tricky because if something goes wrong there is no space between professional and family. I don't think having your sister do it is necessarily bad, but it will cause her to miss the wedding. Yes she will be there but my FH and FFIL are amateur photographers and they say when they're shooting they don't really get to experience the event.

Well, I'm going to give a different suggestion from everyone else...Nearly 8 years ago when I was married, we didn't have a photographer or even a main person taking pictures. Our friends and family took plenty of great pictures and we had disposable cameras placed on the reception table with cute instruction cards detailing special moments we wanted them to get pictures of (bride and groom kissing or holding hands, groom dancing with bride's mother, cutting and shoving of the cake, etc.). Saved a tone of money and the pictures were great. We are renewing our vows next year. A friend and a cousin who are semi pro will be doing our main pictures, but I am going to again put the disposables on the tables for our guests to catch those special moments. Not even a professional can get everything.

I ran into a situation similar to this. I have a good friend whose hobby is photography. I decided to have him take pictures and to hire a professional company. That way, my friend can take photos at his leisure and have a chance to enjoy the wedding. It also provides a backup, in the event that my friend has a problem making it to the wedding.

Pictures are very important to most couples. If you don't care about them, don't hire a pro, but if you even remotely think you'll regret not having pics, then hire a pro. Go for a basic package, ask for a minimum number of hours. Hire somebody who's relatively new in the business. Cut the budget somewhere else.

P.S. Pictures taken with disposable cameras and a professional photographer are in two different universes. There isn't even a point in comparing them.

Also, there's just a "little" more to wedding photography than poses and clicking a button. But I'll let pros explain that,

I think not having a "pro" is OK if that is the only option, I do not think a sister is a good idea though, how will you get family pictures? I would be upset (and she would have been also) if my sister was not in my pictures....

My brother would be devestated if I didn't at least ask him to do it first! But then again he is a professional photographer with all the equipment already. Not a wedding photographer persay - he actually does Videography and photography for a whole series of dirt tracks (along with a radio show and and and LOL) but honestly I believe as long as you have ONE decent print to give to family and friends the others just get shoved in an album and tucked away somewhere never to be seen again.

Not true, I have about 60 prints hanging up... but how will your brother get to be in the pictures? I guess I wanted pictures of my whole family as much as I wanted them of my DH and I... But I did a whole TTD session of just us

I paid a professional only for 3hrs. To get the family the bridesmaids groomsmen and DH and I.

I put disposable cameras with flashes on the tables with a list of ideas of shots to take. I am happy I paid the photographer but I got amazing shots from friends, as well as great shots from teh disposable cameras. I don't think you neeed to pay someone for a full day of coverage. We paid $400 for our photographer and I think it was worth it, but I was not willing to pay $1200 for a full day or more and I am thankful I did not.

Also give your own camera to a friend to take shots so you will have some immediately.

To me, a real photographer is worth cutting back on things. But I cherish pictures and want to make sure I have beautiful out of the normal day pictures.

With that being said... I was in a wedding and they also couldn't afford a photographer, they hired a family member who liked taking pictures but wasn't qualified for it by any means. He had a normal camera and a tri-pod and he took the most random not good by any means pictures.. he got a shot of me eating with a mouth full of beef (I'm sure they want to remember that the rest of their life) A shot of my to be blunt breast hanging out while I was decorating the day of in a rush and the shots of their vows and everything were from a distance because he didn't think he could come up while they were in the middle of the vows. Also our poses were one of the bride/bridesmaid. Bride/groomsmen bride/her family bride/groom, bride/groom/his kids. groom/groomsmen and groom/bridesmaids. that was it. Con't

I had to ask him if it was possible for her and I to get a picture and he was like oh yeah and we were facing the damn sun so our eyes are closed. AND a few of us had a great idea for a picture involving golf carts because we were at the country club and he couldn't figure out how it was going to look (after we told him) and he bagged the idea.

So there are just a FEW examples of my experience with a family photographer. I completely understand not being able to afford one, I am floored also by some prices I have seen, but I think it is an investment worth skimping on other things. I hope this helps and you look around more... google and ask photographers if they can work with a certain price. Good Luck to you!

Call a local college and ask, they have photography classes, they even have teachers and students that would like to make some money on a saturday. Heck I know amazing photographers that are in highschool. Just make a good list and make sure those pictures are taken. I would have your sister take pics too just for back up. But she would want to be having a good time that day and be a guest not work.

If you honestly can't afford a pro photographer, I am sure you can make it work with your friend taking the pictures for you. You will probably end up with some good shots and then you can always edit them in photoshop to enhance the way it looks. Just make sure you have exhausted all of your options, and make sure that you can come to terms with the fact that your friend isn't a pro and that her pictures might not be that great. I think we underestimate sometimes how much talent/skill the pros have. We thought we couldn't afford a photographer, but we moved some things around in our budget and decided what was the most important. After the day is done the only thing we will have to remember that day visually are the pictures. I can't even remember what I ate for dinner the night before sometimes, so I definitely need some good pictures from the wedding to help me remember and relive that day. Whatever you decide to do I hope it works out.

If you are having difficulty affording a professional photographer, there are a few options. First, is your sister good? My moh is doing our engagement photographs and she is not a pro (although she jokes that with the prices that the pros charge, maybe she should look into a career change). Also, will your sister be too choked up to handle it? And will she have a good time if she is taking photos (another reason a lot of people hire pros)

Another option is to look at your local university. I know that this sounds strange, but if they have a photography program there, there may be some students (upperclassmen) who are looking to go into that as a career and might do it cheap for the exposure and to build their portfolios. I say upperclassmen because they have a little more experience in getting the shots they are asked to get. The down side of this is that they are not pros (though some may have shot weddings before)

We have a professional just to make sure we get certain shots, but my SIL and FH's niece (who is in her high schools photography class) are taking photos as well. That way we get posed and candid photos!! Originally we were just going to have SIL and FH's niece...at the last minute we found a photo that made us a deal. We also didn't want family missing the party BC they were trying to get all the photos!