Does everyone have a wedding photographer?

Ok, since we are only inviting our closest friends and family (about 45 people) to our wedding, it seems weird to me to have a stranger following us around snapping photos.. he would probably be the only person at the ceremony that was related or close friend.

Plus, I don't care about high quality photography... just should good shots of the wedding party and decorations.

Does everyone hire a photography? Is it weird not to?

should read *wasn't related or close friend

It is definitely not weird by not hiring a photographer...I didnt have one...pics taken by my 'appointed' relatives are up to my expectation.

Now with the digital cameras(at least those higher pixel!!)one can snap as much as he or she likes....surely some will turn out the way you want it.

Just approach those friends/relatives that enjoy taking pics for others.

It is certainly not weird to have a professional photograper too, it all depend on your budget.

Congrats:)

i don't

It's not weird. That's just one more HUGE expense you can cut. You could even get a video camera and have one of your friends video and one of your friends take pictures.

my family did mine i would save the money

You may think it not important now....but some years from now you may regret it! Especially if you have children who want to see what your wedding day looked like...

We just had a friend of the family take pictures for us. HOWEVER, that is the one thing that I would redo -- I wish that we had hired a professional.
You can hire the pro and have them there for 15-30 minutes to get the group shots and then have someone in the family just go around and take snapshots.

I dont think everyone hires a photogrpaher, I've read several posts here where people have said they didn't hire someone. I think that you should only hire a professional if the pictures are very important to you and you don't know anyone who'd do it for free! I don't think it's weird not to, it's all about what your priorities are and where you want to spend your money.

Yeah, photography is one of the most important things of the day. Thats really how you see your wedding is through your photos. And your children, and your children's children all see your wedding day through these photos.

One big regret my wife and I have is not hiring someone BETTER, let alone hiring someone.

PS: where are you? I'll do it for under $500

Hi, No not everyone hires a wedding photographer, so long as you have someone reliable to take your photographs why bother they are so expensive. I remember being shopping one day and a wedding party came out of the register office and asked me to take pictures of them i did and i do hope they came out OK, and i was just a stranger passing by.

NO you don't NEED one you could put a disposable camera on ever table collect them at the end of the night and get really good snapshot throughout the night.

If pics aren't that important to you i would skip them, or have a friend take the pics. We're still debating about the photography issue. I want the pics, so we have some nice portraints, but we're out of money.

yes thats what people do..if you have the money to spare for that then go for it....its not weird having someone around taking pictures of you....if you dont want them there while picking out stuff or getting ready then let them know...you are paying for it so let them know what you want...most of the time you meet with the photographer and they let you know what you are paying for..then tell them what pictures you would like to have....easy...

My family has offered to take pics, and we have decided to put cameras on the tables at the reception. I think that will be enough. Don't bother spending that kind of money if you don't have to.

the best and cheapest thing to do is buy disposable cameras and let your guests take the pictures, if you want picture during the ceramony ask a close friend to take the pictures with a digital camera.

Well, if you don't care about the quality.
We were amazed to see the difference from the photographers snap shots and then the exact same picture from a family members camera. Even thought they had a good quality camera the photograph was a higher pixel which makes an amazing difference.

Maybe ask around if anyone has a good good professional camera or try finding a photography student to give you a deal.

The camera on the table- quality was bad, half the pictures were black or too dark. Not worth the money either!!

You don't have to if you don't want to. It would not be weird. I think there great to have. They get all the best shots of wedding moments. You should do it! ERRROOF!!

No, it isn't weird, and no , you don't have to have a professional photographer....BUT...you only do it once and I cannot emphasize to you enough how very, very precious those pictures will become to you as the years go by. It might be well worth the cost of hiring a professional in the sense that you 'get what you pay for'. You might hire a professional to get all of the 'big' shots that are essential to the photographic record and then put disposable wedding cameras around for your guests to capture images with, as well. Just my thoughts. Happy wedding and best wishes for a lifetime of happiness!

I can tell you this, my sister was married without a professional photographer, and she's been married for over 24 years and she still regrets it. She does have snapshots, but there truly is no replacement for a professional photographer.

I am marrying a photographer and although it does feel weird, we are hiring a professional because the pix are very important to us (as you could guess they would be considering his line of work). That is one expense I consider a must myself, after knowing the regret my sister has over it.

Not everyone has one, I was concidering not ahving one for mine, but i decided too, and honestly, I am so glad i did. He will be there to catch the moments that othr people dont think of. And the moments that you do want to remember, like the cake cutting ad the first dance, wouldnt you like the picture to look like it belonged in a frame. Besides, its your day to shine, you put all that work into your hair, makeup, dress, shoes, ect, you should be able to get beautiful pictures that you can remember for the next 50 years.

you don't have to but i highly recommend it...you are going to wish you have these images later on in life

We hired a photographer, and it is definitely our biggest expense. The reason why, is I have seen too many horrible wedding photos done by a friend of the family or relative.
Plus, if a friend or relative takes the photos & you don't like them ~ you don't really have recourse & there could be conflict.

Have you considered hiring a photographer for the posed shots of the wedding party & ceremony photos only? This can save you a lot of money. Plus, since the photographer will only be there for a short time, it may not seem so intrusive.

As many people have suggested, place disposable cameras on the tables at the reception & let the guests snap away. It will be fun to see what pictures they come up with :)

A good photographer blends into the crowd so you don't notice him/her. Mine was awesome and I would recommend him any day.

WIth that said, if you're on a small budget, then perhaps place a disposal camera at each table and ask your guests to take photos. From what I have heard and seen, some of the best pictures are taken this way.

Congrats.. No, not everyone hires a wedding photographer if whats most important to you is a couple good shots then so be it =) Ask family end friends to take some shots with their digi camera ;)