Would we regret NOT having a photographer at our wedding?

[Gettingmarriedissoexpensive]

Spurred on by the thread of the person who didn't get her proposal photographed, it has got me thinking about my own wedding.

Photographers are so flipping expensive so I'm toying with the idea of not bothering... however do you think we would regret this?

Has anyone not had one and was happy with their decision? Thanks all!

If I was getting married again I wouldn’t have a photographer, but I have people I know that can take nice photos. I’d have a designated person on each side (bride and groom) to take photos and then set up a link where everyone can upload photos from the day. I like more natural photos over staged ones.

I've been married 22 years, can't remember the last time I looked at our wedding pictures so from that angle, it was probably a waste of money. (And, a fairly torturous experience at the time).

But, with that said, from a family history perspective, your Grandkids and Great Grandkids will probably find them priceless in 100 years time.

My sister spent a fortune on a photographer and videographer for her wedding and the best photo of her wedding was snapped by my DH.

This is true - my great grandfather was a photographer and I have my nan and grandads wedding photos that he took on display in my living room. They both look so young and beautiful, it was 1945, just at the end of WW2 when my grandad returned home and is in his full uniform, with my nan in a dress she made herself and looking like she could be a film star of that time

This is true - my great grandfather was a photographer and I have my nan and grandads wedding photos that he took on display in my living room. They both look so young and beautiful, it was 1945, just at the end of WW2 when my grandad returned home and is in his full uniform, with my nan in a dress she made herself and looking like she could be a film star of that time

We got married on a very tight budget 17 years ago and I advertised for a photographer who could use the experience to do it cheaply. Ended up with a mature student who needed one for her portfolio for uni doing it for free (we obviously gave her gifts!) She did a gorgeous job and despite not actually wanting to be a wedding photographer, went on to make it her primary business.

I got married 8 years ago and had a photographer and videographer. Since then my husband, our grandparents and several aunts/uncles have all died. The photos and videos are precious to me and our children and I don’t regret having them.

You can still get the disposable cameras. I'd just think of the specific shots you want of you/groom/family/bridesmaids and get someone to take them (asking permission and sorting with celebrant if religious) - then leave cameras on tables asking for at least one group selfie/shots of dancing/speeches. Or forget the disposable cameras, and get someone to sort you an online place for people to send their shots/videos of the day, but still do the table ask.

I think it’s one of the most important things to get right.

I see a lot of people local to me looking for hobby plus level photographers- so cheaper than the £800 you pay for a standard wedding photographer but someone with some skill and who is going to be focusing on getting the shots you want.
I do have my wedding photos displayed on my walls and in a photo book on my coffee table- I don’t regret the money I spent. We don’t do Facebook or instagram though.

Generally the disposable cameras on tables are not worth it. They are expensive to get developed these days (looking at £30 pounds to get a camera and developed) and peoples skill level is poor (they often need good lighting etc which weddings are notoriously bad for)

I used to work developing them and I can safely say people would develop a few hundred pounds worth and get maybe a few in focus shots per camera (the rest are kids thumbs, blurry types) and 1 or 2 properly decent photos out of the 10 cameras in a pack. It was the era when people had one on each table

We tried to avoid that with a qr code, asking people to send phone photos. We got some nice ones, but nothing compared to what our photographer got. The friends one tended to be very selfie style, very much the same few people in them and it was hell trying to get pictures people to send the pictures we saw people taking! It seems a common experience in bride groups that its hard to get the photos off people

We almost didnt get a photographer, but are glad we did as my Dfil died unexpectedly after the wedding. We got some nice photos that we knew we definitely wanted, which somehow no one else seemed to capture. Eg. Not one person took a photo of me and my sister!

We aren't a family that has lots of photos together, and dsil was visiting from abroad. We were surprised at how many photographs we had of him were simply from weddings, and how many people used our photos of him or asked for them

We had a disposable camera on each table and a “documentary style” photographer. I’m so glad we had both. One had loads of silly candid pics and the other really lovely high quality natural photos of people enjoying the day (he obviously did the standard stiff staged photos aswell). It was expensive but an expense I wouldn’t scrimp on. I know people that hired photography students or family friends with a
good camera and really regretted it

I didnt think i would get access to sons wedding photos so i took my own. They were the same as the professional ones you couldn't tell the difference when printed off. Get a pal to take them on their phone

Honestly, it's my favourite thing we paid for. It's the time I've looked best in my life, with the money we spent on hair, make up, dress, suits etc - it's worth the spend to be able to look back on those and remind yourself! Whilst some guests took the odd nice pic, the photographer was the only person to capture lots of different bits of the day and some of the key memories. We have them displayed all up our staircase and 10 years on, I still smile when I see them

The best pictures I have of myself are my wedding pictures. We had them taken about 1hr before, during and just the ceremony to capture the family photos. It was still expensive but at least I have really lovely photos of the day. I would have regretted it if I hadn't had them done.

No you won't.

I think I've taken better photos at weddings than professional photographers have.

Get your guests to send you photos of the day. Or appoint some close friends and family for the job.

Editing isn't too difficult these days. And you can choose inexpensive ways to bring all the captured moments together in various formats.

A lot people don't even look at their photos much except for a few key ones they have displayed

My cousin handed out those little cameras at his wedding last year you can still buy them

I had a photographer and a video guy. the photographer was amazing we only did a few stage photos then she blended in the back ground and took some fab photos. we have moved a few times since and eventide we pack and unpack our wedding album we spend ages looking at it. it's even more nice to look at as we have lost a few people since particular some who were so young 😪 the video guy was amazing too and captured the ceremony and speeches perfectly caught a good few moments that we didn't see at all. After going through the while wedding thing I think there are a few things you can cut back on but sorry for me photographer etc would not be one I wouldn't have

We had a very low key wedding but I’m very glad we splashed out on a photographer. It was the only time we were able to get so many family and friends together because of distance and to have really beautiful photos of that occasion really means something. I would say it’s an important part of the day and one that you will continue to have pleasure from for years to come.

We got married 33 years ago and did have a photographer. It was expensive and of course we rarely look at the album now.

I'm so glad we have those professional ones though. DH died recently and our adult DDs and I did go through them. We selected some beautiful ones for the visual tribute we were putting together of his life which, along with plenty of other pictures, was played with backing music in the crematorium during his funeral.

They are part of our enormous family photo archive really, and represent a very significant event in our lives. I will now find them very poignant, with added significance.

So, I would caution against skimping on the photographer. I did baulk at the price all those years ago, but I really don't regret it at all. I probably wouldn't have them for the whole day, but for the pictures after the ceremony and for some of the reception.

We weren't planning to, we had friends who were keen amateurs, but both felt anxious at the thought of us "relying" on them to capture memories of the day, so we hired a photographer in the end. I think it was worthwhile, though like others we hardly look at our album. And the wedding photo we have on display was taken by one of the keen amateur friends.

If you're not going to get a photographer, nominate one or two friends to take photos for you and if you want "group" shots then ask the best man or maid of honour to line them up. Don't bother with disposable cameras - they're expensive, developing the pictures is expensive and the pictures are shit and fade. Just ask wedding guests to share their photos and make up an album from the best ones.

We didnt, because we hated going to other people's weddings and having to wait, starving while photos went on. My aunt took some candid shots and manahed to get both families vaguely in a group for a picture each but other than that it was relaxed with lots of food.

I had a photographer as part of the package but had a look at the link he sent to the photos and never followed up with the photobook and just downloaded a couple of the group shots and saved them on my phone. I just wanted to get on and enjoy the day rather than stand about posing.

We got married 30 yrs ago we had a photographer, seemed essential at the time. I absolutely hate having pictures taken of myself at any time, I’m the normal looking person in real life who looks like a crazed serial killer in photos. I hated the photography experience on the day, objectively the photos are lovely and I actually look nice in them, the photographer was sensitive and not too intrusive but I’ve only looked at our photo album 3 times since we got married I’m just not a photograph person. My remaining grandparents who are obviously no longer with us, did feature heavily in our photos, which is what I wanted, but posed and dressed up photos is not how I want to remember them, I much prefer casual family photos of them in their garden or away on holiday looking relaxed. My DS and DIL got married last year, at short notice due to family illness, and a friend of theirs who’s hobby is photography took photos for them as a wedding gift and they are honestly lovely, relaxed couple shots, adorable pics of close family of them and their children and very important family group photo ( they already know they will lose at least 1 family member soon) much less pressured than an expensive professional.

Thank you all so much! Loved reading your stories! I will let you know what we decide x