by Glynn Ferguson
Oh please hire a real photographer; your friend just won’t do. If I’ve heard this once I’ve heard it a thousand times. Why would you trust the photos of your most cherished moments to an amateur? I had to field a call from a great personal friend of mine, who let a friend of her daughters’ photograph the wedding. She gave her a fee that most would associate with a Craigslist “professional” and wondered eight months later when she would see some wedding pictures.
Too many times when a couple uses a friend it is due to a tight budget. This is one area where you should splurge. Unless the friend you are asking has been taking WEDDING photos for years, has great reviews, is licensed and insured, and has provided you plenty of sample work to view—STEER CLEAR! No matter how much you like them.
Either your photographer is a friend and guest or they are a vendor on your wedding day. The line between the two is hard to understand. If they are a friend and totally wreck your photos, forget to do shots of the groom’s side of the family or your first dance, then you’ve probably lost a friend if you say anything. A professional is more apt to make sure you get the shots you desire and think of photos that will highlight your personality and your unique relationship.
At a recent wedding the couple had asked a friend to take their wedding photos. As soon as the ceremony was over the friend headed to the bar and from that point on every shot was either out of focus or tilted slightly to the right.
So, beware when you ask a friend to shoot your wedding or you may want to shoot them, if things don’t go the way you envision.