Anyone not have a photographer?

We're thinking of not getting a professional photographer for our wedding and just have a friend take the photos. I often find that the professional pics are too staged and I don't want that. We're planning on having a very casual, laid-back wedding, but in a pretty location... hopefully outdoors in a rose garden. Do you think it would be silly not to pay a photographer? It's just that I live in Ireland and they cost upwards of 1500 euro and I'm trying to stick to a budget. Has anyone else not had a photographer and were you glad or did you regret it? Also, does anyone have any other suggestions instead of either paying for one or having a friend take the pics?

I'm newly engaged and have only started planning so this is all new to me...

I'm experienced with weddings and your idea is good. As long as you do get lots of images to remember the day by, you can choose the best.

Photographers often ruin a wedding by taking over, and making to big a thing of the photo's. Informal might make a change. Few people ever want to look at them again anyhow.

Getting married on July 25th and not planning on having a photographer. Instead we are leaving 10 disposable cameras on random seats and as each camera can take around 35 pictures this should be plenty. Plus there are the guest's own digital cameras.

Our reasons are because we'd much rather have relaxed photos than staged and we'd probably end up with a shouting match if the photographer tried to stop family taking photos. My view is I'd be paying him so I say who can take photos.

Also the cost comes into it if you're on a budget, anything with the word "wedding" in front of it trebles in cost straight away.

hey, i think there are 3 things you shouldnt hold back on in your wedding, that is your dress, his kilt (if hes scottish like my lad lol) and a photographer. I would like to look at proffesional photos that were taken that captured the mood of the day and the best moments that I would be able to show to people who couldnt make it. If it was me i would regret not hiring someone to take some good pictures :) there are other ways to budget thought ;) www.confetti.co.uk have some good ideas :)

If your going to spend money on something, spend it on a good photographer. The wedding only lasts a day but you will have the photos forever. When interviewing a photographer, make sure to look at lots of their work, with more than one wedding shot from beginning to end.

Don't listen to these horror stories everyone else is saying, my photographer shoots photojournalistic (candids) and more traditional posed photos (that your parents will want). He also put in the contract that we will have our photos within 2 weeks after the wedding. Just pick your photog carefully and you will be very happy with the results. Good luck!

My auntie never had a photographer and my mum took all the photos. They came out nicely. What you could also do that wouldn't cost much is get some disposable cameras and put one on each table so guests can take photos and then you have a variation. Relatives will also take cameras most likely so you could ask for a copy of theirs too if you wanted.

Hope this helps and congrats on the engagement and wedding.

at our wedding last year we had a professional photographer. we didn't really want one one as we would have been happy for the casual stuff like you but the wife's parents wanted one and they paid for it so we didn't mind. However its been 8 months and we are still waiting for our photo's
cost about 拢900 so they better be worth waiting for. we have called her and she says she is busy and we have to wait our turn ??

We had a photographer but I have been to weddings where there wasn't one. If that's what you choose to do, make sure the friend had a good camera of course. But also consider having disposable cameras on the reception tables, for the guests to take pictures and have a basket set up for them to put the cameras when they are done. With a little card on the table that says something like we are interested in getting your views of our special day. You'll be surprised what kind of candid shots you will get!

Your photographer doesn't necessarily do staged photos in this day and age. You may regret not having nice photos of your big day. I know some people who haven't wanted to spend on a photographer and the "friend" they were relying on made a mess of it all, or didn't turn up on the day! Dont risk it - shop around and go for a recommendation. It's a special day for you both. Have something to look back on.

I have a photographer and I am paying $1,700 for it but I have heard of not using one and putting disposable cameras on every table, letting all the guests take pictures for you, then collect them and print out the pictures. My only concern is what if the pictures don't come out as should be? How disappointed will you be? I didn't want to take that chance.

I got married two years ago and we didn't have a photographer. My husband and I both had good digital camera's we gave them to two trusted members of the family, who took a couple of group photo's then we had disposable cameras on each table for the guests to use. The majority of guests had their own camera's too and sent us the photo's via email. We have about 100 beautiful pictures in an album that we made up ourselves. I have never regretted it at all.

I was going to get a photographer she wanted $500 that was way to much,,,,,,,,since my cat needed emergency surgery I had to cancel her,,,,,,,,,,,my wedding is on the beach,, I have asked a friend to take the pictures,,,,,and i am buying disposal cameras for the reception so the guest can take pictures and I can drop them off for developing,,,,,I will ask another friend to take pictures also at the wedding,I think it will be fine

best advise i could give is buy a digital camera, an good one, get someone who is good with camera's, give it to them a few days befor the wedding to get used to the camers.

tell them to take as many pics as they can

once the wedding is over, sell teh camera on ebay. you will probably loose a few 拢 but much cheaper then a photographer!.

In these days of high quality digital cameras and photoshop, I think it is possible for an amateur to produce very professional looking results (I say that because I am a keen amateur myself!) But I would suggest not relying on random snapshots - find a friend who has a good camera and who likes photography and ask them to be the appointed photographer!

I would go with a professional photographer. Tell them what you want as far as pictures are concerned. Here in Italy lots of photographers will take less photos for less money. My photographer wanted 1400 euros for full sevice and 700 for a half service. It was a great solution for us. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

Im getting married in June and I would say definately fork out for a photographer. If you going to have an amateur do anything I would say let them do a video. A photographer can make you look gorgeus in your photos and knows all the tricks to make your day look extra special when you look back on it. I really think youll regret not having one

You could always check out local photographers to see if they would do a studio session cheaper. It would involve getting dressed up in your wedding attire on a different day, usually before the wedding and going into their studio for an hour or so. You could take important immediate family in too (parents, grandparents etc).

Good luck!

We are not having a professionsal photographer either. We are putting disposabal cameras on each table and asking a friend to take photos. We can make copies ourselves, even burn DVD's ourselvs. So there is no need to spend thousands of dollars having someone else do it.

my sister had 150 guests at her wedding and most of them had a camera they all was taking pic's here and there and on her tables where you have favours she had throw away cameras it worked a treat coz she was getting flashed at all angles and she had the pick of the photo's at the end i wish i thought of that on my wedding day as i spend mega bucks on my photo's

give all your friends disposables, they are in Tesco at 拢13 for 6 , tell alll the guests to take pictures of you. Some of them will be good!

open a flickr acount online and invide guests to upload their pics for you.

Approach a local photography club and invite them along to take pics, you will get at least one willing to do this for the experience.

I think you should ask all your friends with digital cameras to bring them. You'll get loads and loads of pictures, and there will be both wonderful and funny pictures among them. Just make sure you get the guests to share the photos. Maybe open up a photobucket account and give all the guests the username and password.

Just an idea.

Totally agree with pw.i am camera shy and totally hate getting my picture taken,especially posing for them.were having a friend take photos,not posed ones.also gonna use some what the family have taken randomly for our weddin album.the prices are scandalous to

just get someone you trust to do it


y not

it will be more personal then, but my gran got a proffesional to do it for free (dunno how) and the pictures were really good.

it really depends if you are fussed about the quality or if you just want someone to take a few pictures

?

thats a brilliant idea my friend did the same thing she had a fantastic day and has some fantastic natural photos best of luck on your big day its not about how much you spend because not one of your guests will care about if you can pay your bills the week after your wedding

My wife and I are professional photographers and would love to photograph your wedding at NO COST if you can get us out to Ireland - She has always wanted to go to Ireland - we have passports !! <smile>

Not having a photographer is a big risk. You don't get a second chance.
For a photographer in your area try http://www.weddingkeepsakes.co.uk

We got married in Spain,a friend took the photos and they were fab. Why not leave disposable cameras for your guests to take photos from a personal angle?

Not at all a silly idea, i am getting married in September this year and we are also not forking out for a professional is Sydney they are upwards of $2000 (and thats a cheap one), Like you we are on a tight budget.

This is what we are doing, we are having a friend who has a good a camera take some nice pictures of special moments (me walking down the aisle, first kiss, exchanging rings, first dance, cutting the cake etc) then for the reception we are putting disposable cameras (about $5 each) on guests tables to get get candid pics of all our guest (a professional wouldnt even get fun shots like these) My sister is then putting all the photos together in a hard covered coffee table book (we are also doing one for each of our parents) All together this will probably cost us no more then $300 compared to $3000!!!!

I've attached a few links to have a look at... Good luck and do what makes you and your Fiance happy, at the end of the day you two are the ones paying for it all!

I understand being on a budget I'm on one myself. It's a great idea to have guest take photos but you might not be satisfied with what you get. A friend of mine had done the same thing and was miserable about the pictures she received.I understand that you don't want the traditional photos (everyone in lines and rows), but now many photographers are moving away from that so that the photos are more candid and really show the emotion of the big day. Why not check at a local university and a photography student, they would be at least 75% cheaper and would know more about taking pics then the average person. Remember years from now you will really appreciate that you have some great photos. Good luck!

I married a photographer, so I'm probably not the best one to answer, but I know this: mym sister was married 25 years ago, and they decided not to bother hiring a photographer due to cost. She still regrets not having "real" photos of her wedding day. A snapshot cannot replace a professional portrait.

My wife and I had her Uncle do it.
Big mistake, he lost control of everyone and we never got any quality photos.
I would suggest that you hire someone to do a very limited amount of formal photos of the ceremony, you and your wife, and of the wedding party and immediate family. After that rely on candids by your friends and family.

One small thing, DO NOT mug for the camera. My wife ruined some potentially beautiful photos by making faces. At the time she thought it was "cute", 17 years later she will not even look at our album because it reduces her to tears. There were some great shots of her and her now deceased mom and dad, instead of a lovely photo, there she is making a face.

Look for a photographer who specializes in photojournalism. They do more candids and less staged portraits. Unless your friend has serious camera skills, I鈥檓 afraid you鈥檒l be disappointed with the results from an amateur. I have plenty of photos from my friends and family from my weeding, and they aren鈥檛 nearly the quality of those from my pro photographer. I don鈥檛 know about you, but if I had been in charge of putting together my own wedding album, those pics would very likely still be in boxes.

My husband convinced me to let his cousins film the ceremony instead of hiring a pro videographer and it鈥檚 one of the few things I regret. The audio is wretched, the picture isn鈥檛 clear and it鈥檚 often shaky. This also put us in the position of editing the two cameras worth of shots so 18 months later, I still don鈥檛 have what I鈥檇 call a completed film. If I could go back, I鈥檇 find the money to hire a pro for this. You can鈥檛 go back and recreate the day; you get one chance to capture it.