No Photographer?

MisEsta

Did anyone not have a professional photographer? And if so, any regrets?

LauraT25

Do you mean not have a photogprapher at all, or have an amateur rather than a pro photgrapher?  I think a lot of people have gone with the second option, with mixed results.  I've read a lot of other bride's stories and some people really regret the choice, while others still had great photos.  It requires a lot of research, and really digging into the person's body of work to make a good choice.  You might want to post on a more active board to get more responses - a lot of the anecdotal evidence I've seen was on the Etiquette board.

As for not having any sort of photographer, I'd recommend against that.  I know that it can be difficult to find someone within your budget but post on your local board, post an ad on Craigslist, even ask a friend to take pictures if you truly can't afford anything more than that.  You might be surprised how many options you have once you start looking.  Even if do you get not-so-awesome photos, I think you will regret it if you don't even try to capture a lot of the moments at your wedding.

MisEsta

Sorry, I should have been more specific

We do have a photographer for the ceremony and phtos will be taken of the family and wedding party after, but nothing else.

So Im just wondering if anyone else didnt have a professional photographer for the reception?

LauraT25

Hmmm...I'm not aware of anyone that did.  This board doesn't get a lot of traffic, though, so a lack of responses doesn't mean it hasn't been done.

I think it's good that you're getting a lot of the important photos (ceremony and portraits) taken, but the reception is the bulk of the wedding so it's nice to have pictures of everything that happens there.

smokyhills

My best friend's cousin did. And it did not turn out well. They're still chasing people for the photos, the ceremony was *seriously* disrupted by everyone trying to play shutterbug (imagine 5 people walking up and down the aisle during the vows, all searching for angles.), and I'd say about 90% of the photos were utter crap (poorly lit, poorly framed). To say the bride was disappointed would be an understatement.

michelgauthier

Hello,

This may sound weird, but if you have a professional for only a very, VERY limited time, you should have him during the formal/romantic picture... NOT the actual wedding.

As a photographer, I can get great photo during the actual ceremony...and so does the 200 guests!  its memories but its not the picture you will enlarge and print and frame for you living room for the next 50 years.

The formal/romantic picture is where a pro actually shines. Ask him to do only 5 perfect pictures of you and your husband in that 90 minutes period and I guarantee you will be more happy. These are the picture you want pro. 

Group shot? when was the last time you looked at one and said ''wow... that was such a perfect day!

Michel Gauthier

gymbugmj2k

If you're going to get a photographer, get a GOOD ONE.  Otherwise you'll have that 'shutterbug' horror story.  As far as having NONE for the reception -- I think that's fine if the pictures aren't important to you.  Keep cameras on the tables and encourage guests to take pics for you.  But they won't be as good a quality as a professional (though you might get some awesome candid moments!)

ebbowman5

I say, save and budget to get a good photog, with a good reputation. Pictures are something that you can have/cherish forever.

LauraT25

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_photographer-26?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:d0203744-5b50-4499-babe-088f83674f6dPost:a15fa517-c309-4152-b688-7732e2e0836f">Re: No Photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]I say, save and budget to get a good photog, with a good reputation. Pictures are something that you can have/cherish forever.
Posted by ebbowman5[/QUOTE]

This is my feeling.  We got a lot of amateur photos from our wedding, and most are really bad (out of focus, poorly lit, etc).  There is ONE good amateur shot out of hundreds that we were given.  So I wouldn't rely on that for good photos.

bridetobemo

I cant imagine not having photos of my reception, save and budget to fit in a photographer for the whole day I think you'd regret it in the long run!!

ArtsyMaiden

  We almost ran into the same problem - I really want good photographs to be able to cherish always, but our budget isn't going to allow for a professional all day.  So we are hiring one for the ceremony and group photos and then my FI cousin is going to take additional photos through the whole day - he hasn't done any weddings yet but he is an AMAZING photographer and is starting to build up his portfolio, I am extremely confident I'm going to end up with some wonderful photos!!

TrevorCo

As a photographer, I can say some of my favorite images have been captured during the reception. Look specifically for reception images in the photographer’s portfolio.  Also, many photographers have a fixed rate for all day coverage, personally I think this is the way to. Most of the most amazing moments happen after or before the typical 6 hours of coverage.