One great way to save money on your wedding today (I would NOT have
recommended this 10 years ago) is to have a couple of friends use their digital
cameras to capture your images. In all likelihood, one or two of your friends
already have good digital cameras and memory cards and would love to help you
out with this part of the wedding. You can have them upload the photos to a
photo service like Wal-Mart's, and you can then pick up a DVD of your pictures,
giving you time to use your home computer to decide which ones you want to print
(or have printed). You can also do all the editing you need at home.
One of the great things about having a couple of good friends take your
reception photos is that they know you in a way that a professional photographer
doesn't. They will know that you are going to get a big kick out of some things
that a professional photographer might miss in his quest to get all the shots
he thinks are important. Still, take the time to talk with your friends
to let them know what pictures you expect them to get, as well as what you'd
rather they didn't bother with. This will ensure you do get all the great photos
you expect. Also, be sure to have two photographers. This way, they can both
enjoy the party and get all your shots. In addition, it gives one the chance to
head to the reception to get photos of your guests arriving and to get ready for
your big entrance, while the other stays behind to get the traditional
post-ceremony group shots.
One thing you will probably want done professionally is a portrait. My sister
Claudia used the above technique to get her ceremony and reception shots, then
went to a commercial portrait studio (in her case Sears) after she came back
from her honeymoon. The resulting photos were gorgeous.
The lowest professional quote for Claudia's wedding pictures was $1200, for
time and a select number of prints. Additional prints would be extra, and at a
premium because they are copyrighted by the photographer. Claudia got her
pictures using the above combination for under $400, including a huge, framed 24
x 36 portrait from Sears (bonus!). And she can reprint all her ceremony
and reception photos whenever she wants, cropped or edited the way she likes,
without paying an upcharge to the photographer.
My favorite little known incentive for handling your photos this way is the
fact that most (not all) professional photographers purge their backstock after
2-10 years. So if your favorite wedding photo gets ruined in a flood seven years
after your wedding you may be out of luck when it comes to replacing it if
you used a professional. If that photo is on a CD locked away in your safe
deposit box, replacing it is going to cost you the price of the photo, and no
heartache necessary.
