Would You Buy an iphone Instead of a Photographer?

Cell phone pictures, no matter how great, are never going to compare to professional photos.

Photography is the one thing you really shouldn't skimp on. Even the nicest iPhone isn't going to be the same as a professional camera and a professional photographer. Just keep shopping around until you find a photographer in your area whose rates you can afford!

Agreeing with the PPs but also it would be kind of a drag for the BP to have a "job" throughout the entire night. I think a professional photographer is always a good investment.

I agree with the ladies above. The photographer knows how to take photos. Doesn't matter how good the iphone is, they won't be able to capture that moment as good as a photographer would. PLUS, everyone will be drinking and you'll get a bunch of drunk selfies if you only use the iphone.

If you NEED phones and it’s a choice financially between phones you need for critical day-to-day communication or spending $ for a wedding photographer, I’d pick phones. But if you’re wondering if a couple good phone cameras replace the pictures you’ll get from a professional wedding photographer? Absolutely NOT.

Instead of spending money on two phones, ask your guests to take their own photos and use a hashtag so you can keep them. Maybe buy a few disposable cameras and leave them around for guests to play with. I would still highly recommend a professional photographer. The difference in photos has more to do with who is behind the lens rather than the quality of the tool.

I feel like a photographer is a necessity.

Even the best phone camera is still not going to be as good quality as photos taken on a professional camera. My mom has a new iphone and she just printed some photos she took from it at Walgreens and, when blown up to a larger size, they just aren't that crisp. Phone cameras just aren't at the level of DSLR cameras in terms of resolution. Plus, the photographer is able to take way more pictures. Your bridal party will have other responsibilities. And when you are walking up the aisle and at the altar, do you want your bridal party to be trying to take pictures of that moment while simultaneously standing up there with you?

This is a TERRIBLE idea....really it would be a better idea to find a student photographer or an extremely budget one.

I am a pretty good iPhone ‘photographer’ and have a pretty pretty active Instagram account with my photos....I wouldn’t even imagine doing this. I might(probably) not even allow cells phones at the ceremony.

Just to give you some perspective...

—iPhones are 1k+ you could get a good Photographer for that
— I have 5k plus photos on my phone right and maybe 1/20..and I’m being very generous I would consider printing/hanging. If you zoom In they are blurry or just not great...they are just snapshots
— they won’t print/edit like you we hoping
— even a super talented professional photographer takes 100s or pics and only are able to use a few. Your friends and family might luck out and get a couple ‘O.K.’ shots but will miss 99.9% of them
— you WILL regret this. It’s one of the reasons people talk regret the most. It would be better to have a cake & champagne reception to make room for a photographer.

It will be the one the one thing you will have to look back on after the wedding & you won’t ever be able to go back and recreate it.

With the amount of money you're spending on the phones, you might as well get a photographer
Plus if you give the bridal party photographer duties, they can't get the right angles during the ceremony

So, I kind of get where you're coming from. I recommend a photographer, but it's not a necessity. In my parents and grandparents wedding days only a handful of people paid for photographers at weddings. Most of the time they just had a friend with a camera. So photographers aren't an ABSOLUTE necessity to have a wedding and be happy. Technically amateur photos are still going to be fun to look back on, but you risk missing important moments with blurry photos or photos with bad angles, or something. So it's really up to you. I've heard of people filling up bowls with disposable cameras and a note asking people to have fun, snap some pics and drop the cameras back in a return box. If you guys need new phones and you are OK with amateur photos, then do it. Just be sure to have a guest you trust who would enjoy it snap some pics of the ceremony and first dance, etc.

There are some things I don’t think people should try and get around. Good, quality photography is one of them. Now, if you are opting out of a photographer - I wouldn’t by an iPhone in its place. I’d just have a place for people to share and upload all of their photos. My friend used a Facebook group to get their photos after the wedding.

I had this idea. So to experiment I took engagement pictures on my iPhone and had professionals pictures. The quality and creative angles, how to pose you just right, they bring professional lighting, they edit the pictures to remove background distractions and imperfections. My iPhone pictures my friend took just didn’t compare. Find you a photographer. Trust me at the end of the day you can tell.

Nope, not even a little bit. There’s no comparison. A pro has a camera worth thousands of dollars and a trained eye. Plus, why make friends work at your wedding?

Absolutely no way!

I own an iPhone with a really nice camera. I also own a professional grade Nikon. My Nikon takes pictures that put my iPhone photos to shame even without additional lighting/editing/actual practice as a professional. They aren’t even comparable.

I agree with the ladies, phone camera will never give you the same results as professional photographer. Photographers also know what are the best poses and lighting for pictures to look the best. Also, like Zoe said your BP wouldn't have the enjoyment of the wedding if they had to take pic and video all the time. For us Photographers and Videographer were the first vendors we booked. It's a very special day in your life and you want to make sure it's captured the best way possible.

I say do it! Save the money and get some new phones! Maybe you could also hire an additional amateur photographer to take some pictures. I read in a blog somewhere that a woman went to a local arts college and found a photography student as a back up photographer.

Also dont set your expectations super high for the wedding photos! I'm sure they will turn out fine but if you keep your expectations low you wont be disappointed if they dont turn our exactly as you hoped!

Just my thoughts

Naw definately profressional. Then your party isn't feeling presured to take photis, you can still get blurry ones, they won't have a good time because they'd have to follow yall around and be on the outside not dancing etc. And they could break those phones and you're acrewed more money. So less stressful with a photographer

You realize that the price of two new iPhones is about as much as a photographer?