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having family shoot wedding?

RhineSirenRhineSiren
in Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
has anyone had success with family members shooting their wedding?
i lost my job a month ago and need to cut a LOT of excess.
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Re: having family shoot wedding?

  • morainemommorainemom member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We did this 28.5 years when my husband and I got married.
    We still regret it to this day.  We got absolutely lousy photos.

    My daughter got married this past October and wanted wedding photos of the parents and grandparents to display at the reception.  We had to hunt and hunt to find one photo that would be suitable for display.

    The first thing we did for my daughter's wedding was to find an excellent, professional photographer for the wedding.  We booked her 19 months in advance of the wedding and saved the money in the months preceding the wedding.
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  • cat1979cat1979 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    yeah, i agree with morainemom. ive heard to many horror stories about people using a friend or family member as their "photographer" and the fighting that ensued after wards. if for some reason you do go with a friend/family, make sure you get everything in writing, as far as whats expected of them and what all you are getting from them. otherwise it'll turn into a he said/she said battle after.
    you could always check at local colleges and find a photo major that will charge a lower rate. i would just make sure youre getting a senior as opposed to a freshman/sophmore.
    good luck with the search!
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  • kpwedkkkpwedkk member
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We had a pro photographer, and lot of friends and family have pictures from different angles.  You do miss out a bunch if you don't have some of the pro shots. You want to be able to pick someone that doesn't have a bias, or relationship to you or your family.  You expect quality work, and quality editing. 

    Don't depend on guests to take pictures for you though - because then you are giving them a task in your wedding, when they wanted to sit an enjoy the moment of you and your fiance getting married.



    "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." ~ Miss K ~
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  • smokyhillssmokyhills
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    It depends on the family, and on the photographer. If the photographer is at least semi-pro, and you're reimbursing in some way, and you like their work, and they want to do it, then go for it. If even one of these is not the case, it really is better to hire someone.
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  • junglelandjungleland
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The one place to NOT cut corners, is photography... That's the most important part of your wedding day... Don't ever forget that....
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  • JLarkJLark
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    When people ask me about a friend or family shooting I show them my wedding album...not one image in it that was pretty.  If you are going to cut costs do NOT do it with the photography, it's the only thing you get to keep and it preserves the memory and importance of everything else you are investing time energy and money into making your day special.  If you end up with botched photos you will never be able to recreate those moments.  Please please please keep in mind it's not just the wedding day, it's 50 years from now when you dont have them to show your grandchildren.
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