My mother hired a photographer how has only done one other wedding!

L Stuart

I have talked to her and seen the pictures, i like them alot. but i am freaking out about the faced that she has only dont one other wedding. Do you think it will be ok?

fallbride1109

Well, IMO, it's not ideal.  But more important is that you are comfortable with your photographer and like their work--even if it's not alot to go by.  Every great photographer started somewhere!   

photogbride12

I'd be concerned. You only get to do this once . . . new photographers really should be shooting with a pro as a second shooter for a number of weddings before attempting it on their own.

Tanq&Tonic

I agree with stephie.  I think it would be prudent to meet with her and understand her level of experience and how much planning she's thought through.  IMO capturing nice pictures isn't the difficult part.  The part that requires experience is knowing how to work with groups, how to make sure you don't miss shots (eg, taking a cute pic of the flower girl just before the ring exchange), making sure you back up memory cards during the day, and how you adjust your style / schedule when things go wrong -- lens breaks, you run behind schedule, etc.  It's grueling, and important that you either have the experience, have observed in great detail, or have planned meticulously.

I might even consider getting your photog a copy of the ceremony script in addition to the day's timeline to be sure they know how & where to be.

hthrlarson9

i would go do some research and go over the must have shots that you want

toothpastechica

as long as you make your own list of must have shots, like the wedding she has already done, are comfotable around her, i would say go for it. Also just because she doesnt have lots of wedding experience doesnt automatically she doesnt have photography experience. Maybe have chat with her (since i would assume  you would want to before the wedding anyways) about your concerns.

Cony&Ben

Ditto PPs. Make sure you give her a list of shots, a copy of the ceremony program, and a day of timeline. Also, if you're having a wedding rehearsal, ask her if she would be willing to attend. Our wedding is going to incorporate Filipino traditions so I asked every photographer we met with if they would attend the rehearsal. Most were willing to attend and some even offered to photograph it for anywhere from $50 to $200.

tingleys87

oh I understand how scared you are, my brother hired his friend who is going to school for photography to do our wedding (its his gift to us).  I am absolutly nervous, but ive looked at her work and we have emailed back and forth.  I like her work she seems super nice and we are meeting with her in a couple of weeks for engagment pictures.  As nervous as I am, everyone has to have a first wedding... and Im just going to make the best of it and make it easy for her by making a list of pics i want.

serabelle

Get a contract! Very important! You'll want the timeframe of how long it takes to get the photos back, what happens if she gets sick day of wedding?, do you get a cd of the images? Print rights? Ask to see the entire wedding from the other one she did. Generally the quality they produced from their last wedding will show what you will get. If she refuses to show you, I'd go with someone else! I mean, every photographer has to start somewhere, but most start out as a 2nd shooter/assistant before being the main photographer. Will they have and assistant with them? Do they have a website? Pay taxes? If they don't pay taxes, they likely aren't a "legit" business & means they don't have insurance. Some venues won't allow an uninsured vendor in their venue. It doesn't mean she'll do a bad job, but she likely is still learning & your wedding photos could suffer from it. I've also seen a new photographer do an amazing job... it can be a gamble.

@tingleys87 - most photographers will be a 2nd shooter to a wedding before they're the main one. Has she ever been a 2nd shooter? You'll want a contract!  I've seen friendships ruined over wedding photography. Weddings are a whole other animal & if this friend hasn't done a wedding before, maybe she can shadow another photographer before your wedding?

Must shoot list: As long as you don't have like 50 things on this list it can be a good thing. Give them TOO big of a list, then they'll be too busy reading off the list rather than capturing more shots & that usually ends up in missed shots. If you have a family friend who can help with the group shots, that will help you (someone who knows who people are & can help round em up the day of).

laurenes

Mostly Ditto to previous posts. She if she's been a second shooter. You defintely want to know

1) What's her back up plan? People get sick, cars break down. Our photographers are part of some professional community where they could get last minute subs if need be (we had two photographers at our wedding).

2) Is her equipment insured? Does she have doubles of all of her equipment? You don't want her camera breaking the day of. Our photographers had doubles of all their equipment.

3) What will she do with the memory cards when she switches them out? Chances are your photographer will have to switch out memory cards at some point in time. Ours told us that the husband (we had a husband/wife team) would keep all of the files in a fanny pack so that if (god forbid) their car was stolen, equipment stolen, or something otherwise happened to it, they would at least have the files saved for us. They uploaded them immediately on getting home and would have them backed up.

4) Also, does she have any upcoming weddings? If she's got a few more scheduled before yours, that could give you a wider range of her work before signing a contract. Also, can you go ahead and do an engagement shoot with her before signing a wedding contact? That can give you a feel for if her style/personality will work for you.

I think in an ideal world you always want to go with an experienced photographer, but there are tons of fantastic amateurs out there who take great pictures and often have the added bonus of being less expensive when their are starting out. Meet with her, ask her the same questions as you would a seasoned pro, and see if you still feel comfortable with her. It's quite normal for people to go to several vendors before making a decision, and you won't be ending her world if you decide to go with someone else.