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Should I Have a Friend Photograph My Wedding in Gloucestershire or Should I Hire a Pro Photographer?

With the proliferation of budget priced digital SLR cameras, there are more people entering  photography as a hobby than ever before. Everyone seems to have a friend or family member who is "into" photography. It can therefore be very tempting to have such a friend  be the official wedding photographer at your Gloucestershire wedding. While this may seem like a good way to save a considerable amount of money on your wedding - there are a few points you should probably consider before making that decision. Of course if your friend so happens to be a professional wedding photographer already, and has offered to photograph your wedding for free as your wedding present, so long as you like the style of wedding photography they produce (and you obviously get on with them well already as they're your friend) then I would think it's a no-brainer.

If however they just have photography as a hobby, your choice may be more difficult. Firstly, are they such a good friend or family member that they will be heavily involved in your wedding? I would not, for example recommend the father of the bride or groom's best friend be the official photographer even if they are already professional wedding photographers. Father of the bride or best man is far too an important wedding job to ace them also photographing the wedding. It is very difficult to enjoy the day as a guest and also be the official photographer.

Similarly, if the wife or husband of the official photographer is attending as a guest this could have some impact on your photographs. The photographer may be torn between being with their spouse as a guest and capturing the candid moments of your wedding. If this is the case, it would be wise to suggest that the spouse bring a friend to be with during the wedding whilst the photographer captures the photographs. From a technical point of view, you should also ensure that your wedding isn't the first wedding your photographer friend has photographed. Wedding photography is one of the most challenging types of photography as moments come and go in an instant and cannot be replayed or repeated - it is vital therefore that you get someone who knows the wedding ceremony intricately, or the important moments will be missed.

On a more technical note,professional wedding photographers always take spare equipment. Your friend may have a fairly decent camera - but what if the camera or lenses break down? Professional wedding photographers always carry at least one spare camera, often two along with a selection of lenses and spare lenses. This is alongside numerous spare batteries and memory cards as well as spare flashguns, light stands, soft boxes and umbrellas should the weather deteriorate and they need to take the formal group photographs inside. This contingency kit is worth it's weight in gold should something go wrong. You can't just come back and try again tomorrow like you can with other photo shoots.

The other aspect you should consider is that of professional indemnity and public liability. Any professional photographer or photographer operating in a church or other public place should absolutely have public liability insurance. This is absolutely necessary should someone trip over their camera bag or tripod, or should the photographer cause any other incident. You may be held liable by the venue should your photographer inadvertently cause any damage to the venue or anyones property whilst photographing your wedding. It is therefore important that you have a contract with your photographer whether or not they are your friend, detailing exactly what you expect, to ensure no disappointments caused on either side.

Handled correctly, your friend may be able to produce some wonderful wedding memories for you, but be sure to consider the above points before accepting any kind offers, no matter how tempted you may be.

About the Author

Steve Causon is professional wedding photographer based in Gloucestershire, covering Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands as well as the rest of the UK. As the owner of Your Hand in Mine Wedding Photography, he has numerous happy brides, grooms and guests as clients. His wedding photography approach is journalistic, fly on the wall - rarely interfering or posing shots, preferring to capture the day naturally. More details can be found at Your Hand in Mine Wedding Photography

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