Cutting cost- Photographer

Honestly, there are a million other areas you could cut costs, but photography should NOT be one of them. I felt the same way - I don't think I am very photogenic either and almost ALWAYS find a reason to hate a picture of me; however, after having our engagement shoot and seeing the quality of our pictures, I am BEYOND pleased we decided to invest in an experienced photographer. If you do feel like you would only like coverage for 5 hours, that's fine! Just make sure your photog does get some good pics of your reception for you to remember. Those pics always end up being a complete hit!

I think having the photographer leave after all of the major events is totally fine. Maybe have them stay for 30 minutes or so if dancing just to get a few candids. Most photographer’s packages can be customized. Just tell them your budget and how many hours you’re looking for and go from there.

As a photographer and a bride I think one of the most important parts of the wedding planning is your photography. After everything is done and all that money spent the photos are the things you will have forever to look back on. As far as whole day vs. half i think your right about the photos being not so great and they tend to not be as artistic but it captures the fun. Yes guests might take some photos but they’re not going to get everyone and all the moments you might miss while your doing other things.

I think 5 hours is ok. especially if you just want certain moments recorded or captured only.
You can even have a friend with a nice camera or good photo skills do it to be honest. I'm sure you have friends thatre going to take a ton of pics anyway.

View Quoted Comment I agree with this. We originally had our photographer booked for 6 hours but we wanted to do our posed photos before the ceremony, so it made our timeline with her a little odd. We chose to add another hour of photography. She would have let us add a half hour though. She stayed until 9 pm and that was plenty!

You could always try a newbie. Often times they are more enthusiastic.
I personally didn't worry about hiring photographer for the whole day. I will have 2 photographers for 5 hours. They will shoot pics an hour before the ceremony and about 4 hours into the reception. We will have all our 'special events' ie garter toss done by then and i think everyone will just be partying by the time so i don't need professional pics of all my drunk guests lol

I think it depends on what photos are important to you. For us, we are doing a first like ahead of time and I want the send off pictures too. I think as long as you know what pictures you want to get and can schedule those in, you’re good.

I think everyone has a list of things that they want to splurge on and ones they don’t. Good quality pics are important to me but I completely understand what you mean, I was getting overwhelmed looking at the prices especially because we want a full day of coverage. I think you will be really happy once you get the candid moments back from your big day. You could always opt for shorter coverage and get some good ones at the ceremony and of you and husband. Also this is where social media can be useful, create a hashtag and have your guests post their pictures with your hashtag to get good ones of your guests (hopefully not all selfies) Or you can search for a new up and comer photographer and probably get a better price

To save money, we skipped “getting ready” pics and had the photographer start with first look and leave once dinner was served (dessert was plated, no cake). Happy with the length of time. BUT we had a 2nd shooter for about 90 minutes—highly recommended! Key moments happen so fast and they also did a divide & conquer (one did first look while other took decor pics).

Yes it makes sense! Our photographer offers a wedding package for $1200 that includes 8 hours and all photos. We did not care to have "professional" photos of the reception so we are doing it by the hour. She will be there for all the getting ready stuff, ceremony and family/group photos afterwards as well as some of just FH and I but thats it. She has been invited to stay for the wedding as a guest though.

Photography is definitely an area you should take into high consideration. Memories fade over time but the pictures help you rmeember these special moments that you may forget down the road (like your send off or your crowd crying as you walk down the aisles). Your photographer has a bigger job than just capturing you and FH they are capturing the day and the emotions of everyone celebrating it with you! My Photographer and I have been in contact pretty regularly for the last 9 months sending photos back and forth of what I want captured and some of her favorite moments to capture and its been amazing because it gets me super excited!

I only have my photographer for 5 hrs and I think it will be plenty. I mostly want pics of me and FH so I'm not too worried about all the extras. Its still costing a pretty penny.

Yes, many photographers offer shorter packages or charge per hour. You can definitely ask them for 5 hour package, you won’t offend anyone lol.
If you don’t care about “party” photos of guests dancing, you don’t need to keep photographer until the end. Depending on your day of timeline, you could skip getting ready photos & start with your first look or ceremony photos (if you’re not doing first look). Then you could cut the cake right at the beginning of reception or right after dinner & then have photographer leave right after that. 5 hours should be plenty for this.

I think a few minutes of candids will be fine to end the photography. Most vendors also offer hourly rates.
I find the package is more useful for people who want a lot of photos taken, the engagement photos ect ect. If you just want a few hourly is fine

In my opinion, I think a great photographer is one of the most important things to spend money on. I personally don’t feel I am particularly photogenic either, so for me it is important to have a very experienced and talented photographer that can take photos that make me look and feel photogenic. That being said, my photographer will only be at the wedding for 6 hours. We will have about an hour and a half before the ceremony to do some pictures and then she will be there for the first 30 minutes or so of dancing and to do some quick shots of us during the “golden hour”. Our photographer even recommended only having them there for a short time during dancing. She said 30 minutes is enough to capture the fun and get some shots of a lot of the guests without it getting super repetitive.

I think minimum for a wedding is 6 hours. The only way I would cut cost is by removing reception all alone and cutting pictures of getting ready. Now I do agree with Cassi 100%. This is the one thing you’ll always have to remember your wedding day. I had a high end photographer so I was only able to do 7 hours instead of 8 that I had originally planned. This was with sacrifice and I do not regret it. I look at my pictures back now even the one of people dancing and it brings it all back. For reception as long as you’re able to include speeches, cake cutting, first dances and 15 to 30 minute of dancing is more than enough. I have the most beautiful pictures now dancing with my dad while crying and my husband crying with his best friend and brother speech. You want those moments!

This is a 2nd wedding for both of us and from experience....I could care less about the photos during the reception. This time, we hired a photographer just for getting ready, the ceremony, and family pics during cocktail hour. We have a mirror photo booth for the reception.

I know exactly how you feel Dana. I love photography and I want photos to remember the day, but there's no way I'm spending $2000 on photos. I'm having a trusted friend to take photos with my Canon. Like someone said earlier, photography is #1 for some people but that does NOT mean you have to spend money you are not comfortable spending!!

We are having a photographer for less time—3 hours total. You can also check with local colleges and perhaps hire a photography student or reach out to friends that are shutterbugs. There’s also Angie’s List and similar gig sites where you may be able to find a more affordable photographer. Good luck!

From my research, I've seen photographers offer packages based on time. 6 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours etc. If your ceremony/reception is 5 hours, you could ask for 6 hours. Also, keep in mind that the photographer will probably work with you. If you tell them you don't care for pictures during the dancing, they could probably do only 3 hours and offer you a different rate. Or you could propose a price based off of how much time you need them. Don't be afraid to ask them to work with you. If they are spending less time at the venue, then you should be able to pay less. If your wedding is a Saturday during peak season, they may be less willing to cut the day short because they could make more money on the same day with someone who needs them longer. Hope that helps.