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!

We didn’t have a wedding photographer and I’ve been married for over 30 years and I couldn’t and didn’t give a shit.
The guests took a few photos so I have got a couple.
I think you should do what best for you.

These days, with everyone having a phone, probably not! I actually prefer the photos taken on mobiles at mine, by friends.

My eldest son is a professional videographer who freelances for TV & corporate events as well as weddings in his spare time & I can tell you there is a massive difference between the quality of good & bad. He has years of training including a degree, tonnes of equipment, drones etc, shoots in 4k & gets most of his work through recommendations.

https://ljhfilms.co.uk

We didn't have a professional photographer but a family friend who borrowed my Dad's camera and was considered the "official photographer".

A couple of years later that I offered to photograph for friends as they couldn't afford a photographer and I realised how difficult it was - trying to co-ordinate the guests and making sure you had all the combinations of family/friends in the photos. Having said that, I enjoyed it and loved playing around with the camera and thinking of new shoots. I ended up spending a lot of money on tripods and additional batteries and took the responsibility very seriously.

A few years later, I was asked to do this again and enjoyed it again.

Part of my enjoyment came from knowing that these photos would become family history. . . And there was a responsibility it getting it right.

So what I would say is:

1. You don't need a professional photographer if you can't afford it.

2. But I would recommend organising an "official" photographer if you wanted 'formal' photos.

3. A good camera and a good eye is needed - a professional photographer will have this plus lots more equipment to get the best photos ever.

It depends what you want really.

I had some professional photos taken but photos from mobiles often catch a much more natural/ realistic record of the event than the professional posed ones. I find myself looking at those a lot more than my " official album"
I think it is important to record something though. My parents got married in the fifties. They couldn't afford a photographer and none of their friends took photos and it's something my mum said she always regretted.
Maybe you could put something on the invites to encourage people to take mobile photos on the day and send you the best?

Most important thing. Photographers are not expensive if you give an opportunity to someone new- we got wonderful photos for £250 all in

Can you just have one for an hour or two, or a photography student? It is so nice to have some dedicated photos.

A couple of years later that I offered to photograph for friends as they couldn't afford a photographer and I realised how difficult it was - trying to co-ordinate the guests and making sure you had all the combinations of family/friends in the photos

This is why some of us have suggested asking someone else from amongst your guests to collect everyone ready for the next photograph.

I highly recommend doing this even if you are paying out £££ for a professional photographer - the photographer should be concentrating on the picture / background / etc. A different person (or people - quite handy if you have a couple of people, one from each side of the family, so they know who 'Aunty Mabel' is) should be gathering the next group of people whilst the photographer is taking the first photograph. They have a copy of the list you, as a couple have put together beforehand, so you don't miss a group you want, on the day.
The other thing to do, if you want quite a few group shots, or want a photo of everyone together, is to start with the biggest (potentially whole) group, before anyone goes to change their shoes / check in to the hotel / to the toilet / for a cigarette / etc, then peel people off...... so 'Everyone related to the groom' then 'Grooms siblings, nieces, nephews and parents' then 'parents and siblings' then 'parents'. The do the same with bride's family. If you start with just parents, or just bridesmaids, then you lose the crown and that's much harder to get back.

Even if you are just having half a dozen formal shots, do them straight after the ceremony and get someone sensible to gather people for the next photo. It makes everything much smoother / quicker on the day and also means you aren't left wishing you'd have a photo with X or Y that you somehow miss otherwise.

We had a tiny (14 people) wedding and a party two weeks later. The photographer is the one thing we splashed out on - we went for someone whose style we loved, even though he was a fair bit more expensive than others, and he did both days. The photos were fantastic! There’s simply no way friends with no knowledge of photography could have done the same work. We have a couple of framed photos out all the time. I know our children will enjoy looking through the album one day - I loved looking at my grandparents and parents’ wedding albums!

We hired a photographer for 4 hours. No getting ready shots. Just the ceremony and a few of us after. Didn’t cost a fortune and we actually spent time with our guests rather than spending hours having our picture taken

Yes

I loved looking at my grandparents and parents’ wedding albums!

It’s funny as people are so different, my (adult) kids never once asked to look at our wedding photo’s, or their grandparents. Again, lucky as I have no idea really which cupboard they would be stuffed in. One set of grandparents did have a wedding photo on their mantle though. I would have no idea where their wedding photo’s went, whether siblings have them or they were thrown out.

Thinking about it, our kids are very trusting to actually believe we are married (we are). They have never seen the photo’s; I don’t wear a wedding ring (had a job where had to wash hands all the time and while I could wear a wedding ring, I just had constant eczema under it); I don’t have an engagement ring as couldn’t wear that to work and couldn’t be bothered with a ring I had to take in/off for work, so told DH not to bother; and DH and I don’t share surnames. So the only ‘evidence’ they have we are actually married is that DH wears a wedding ring. They must be very trusting as none of them has ever questioned it😁.

I had a really small wedding and its my one regret that I didn't have a photographer. We had family and friends with proper cameras taking pictures but I really wish I'd got a professional, even just for a couple of hours to take some group pictures.

I'm looking to set up as a wedding photographer at the moment and would be happy to do it for free for my portfolio - I'm new forest based if you're anywhere near here? Drop me a private message if you'd like to see my portfolio

The only evidence we got married is the actual certificate! No rings, no name changes, no wedding clothes, and I think there are about two photos, both of us in the back of a black cab with our witnesses on our way to lunch!

I didn't want to have a photographer as all my friends and relatives are really into photography so I didn't see the need and couldn't justify the expense However I am so glad that my DH made a deal and invited a photographer just for a couple of hours, who also brought a student with him who was just as amazing. He took photos from the top of the church, during the service, outside the church (while the guests were inside) which there is no way we would have otherwise. Lots of friends took lots of photos but you could still the difference with the professional ones.
No regrets whatsoever.

We had a photographer - she turned up covered in pet hair and then refused to take photos that WE wanted and instead insisted on ridiculous staged photos that all looked crap and were actually really boring to pose for - she didn't even take the traditional photo of the entire wedding group.

The photos that guests took were much nicer and they're the ones we ended up having framed and we looked more natural and happy in those photos because we weren't being barked at by the photographer to "stand there!" - she even told my husband off for putting his hand on my waist so in her photos we actually look really wooden and unnatural.

We just had friends taking pictures. We asked one of them to take pictures we particularly wanted so the usual ones you would expect a professional to take plus one of each couple / guest who came. When we sent thank you cards we sent the photo of them to them.

I think I would have only regretted spending money on a photographer it is one day. You will still have loads of photos.