Professional Photographer versus Free Friend
10 Reasons Hiring a Pro is Important to Your Wedding Day
I know. Wedding photography is expensive and your best friend/cousin/uncle/dog walker has a great camera. Let me start right here. Rembrandt didn’t create masterpieces because he had a great paintbrush. I might own an expensive surf board and lay on my belly in my sporty looking wetsuit and paddle out into the ocean but when it’s time to stand up and ride that wave back to the beach...oh no.
That’s what separates the herd. Wedding photography is just like that. Your friend may take nice photos of landscapes, pets, flowers, etc but that will not be enough on wedding day. Weddings are full of emotions, rituals, crazy lighting problems, family drama, timeline disasters, weather issues—I could go on but only a real wedding professional is going to be able to provide you with the true wedding
photography results you deserve. Here’s why:
1. Professional Photographers are 100% Committed to You and Your Wedding Day.
We are guaranteed to show up—no excuses. I’ve heard many stories about “friends or relatives” who commit to photographing a wedding and then something unexpected comes up in their lives a few weeks before the wedding and they can’t make it. That leaves you scrambling at the last minute to find a replacement only to find most of us are already booked. When you hire and pay a professional, we are contractually obligated to carry out the duties that you hired us to perform as stated in our contract.
Contracts protect both you and the photographer, and set expectations for both parties. The contract will state what the photographer is obligated to provide and when, and more. You want that assurance! What? Your friend didn’t have you sign a contract? Now you can’t even really be mad they backed out at the last minute because hey, they were doing you a favor. Even if they showed up, you probably wouldn’t get photos like this:
2. Professionals Have Experience Specific to Weddings
Nothing except experience can properly prepare you for the dynamics of a wedding day. Owning a nice camera does not equate to experience in managing timelines, directing large groups of people, troubleshooting weather/lighting issues, understanding posing, or just being qualified to document the most important day of your life. There are so many moving parts on wedding day and without experience specific to weddings, almost any good photographer might be overwhelmed. Timelines are the first to go wrong and only a seasoned pro knows how to makeup the time lost when a bridesmaid shows up late for hair and makeup, or a groomsman forgets his suit. Did your church (which you LOVE for all the beautiful stained glass that is so prominent in the dark sanctuary) tell you they do not allow flash photography? Most do not.
Does your friend and the nice camera know how to manage that? You DO want photos during your ceremony don’t you? Maybe you’re getting married on the beach so there’s plenty of light there. Sure there is and most of your photos are dark silhouettes against a bright sky. Professionals know how to handle that. When it’s time to line up for the family formals, it takes a seasoned pro to efficiently manage with finesse your big extended family who are eager to head to cocktail hour but now have to line up for photos. We also know where to be during a ceremony to be certain we don’t miss the groom’s expression when he sees his bride for the first time, the rings being slid on a finger or the first kiss. There’s no “do overs” for those moments and not having that captured would be truly disappointing. But you can’t hold a friend or relative accountable for that since they are doing you a “favor”.
3. Pros Carry Backup Gear
If your cousin drops his nice camera, chances are you'll have a lovely album full of iPhone photos after the wedding is over. Professionals carry backup cameras (heck I almost always have TWO around my neck at any given time—much to the dismay of my chiropractor) multiple lenses, extra flashes, batteries, cards, and tons of other technical extras that help us create epic images. If during the ceremony your friend fails to check his battery and the camera dies, so will your photos. You can’t exactly stop the action while he asks around for some extra AAs. A professional wouldn’t let that happen but just say it did (cuz I never say never), we just reach down and pick up that other camera and keep going without missing a beat. My best backup is my second shooter, another pro who is also capturing your big day from a different angle assuring you those priceless moments are captured in photos.
4. All (Good) Cameras Are Not Created Equal
Even if your friend was willing to stand in a driving rain storm while you say your vows (remember when I said professionals were committed?) would their equipment hold up? Probably not. Mine did. Did I mention DRIVING RAIN????
5. Professionals Don't Take Photos
We are artists. We don’t “take” photos. We interpret through our cameras what we see with our eyes. Our individual styles are reflected in the photographs we create. So when you are pinning away on Pinterest or scrolling Instagram feed for stunning wedding ideas, keep in mind the ones that usually stop you in your tracks were made by professional photographers. Photography is our art, our passion.
6. Security
We know how to protect your images and do it well. Memory cards fail. Digital files become corrupt. Your friend/photographer’s computer crashed with the only copy of your images.
Professional photographers have systems in place to prevent those nightmares. When I leave a wedding I come home and start downloading files immediately. Then I back them up to an external hard drive. Then I back them up again to the cloud. Short of Armageddon, your images are safe with me.
7. Insurance
Yep, just in case Aunt Edna trips over my gear, we’re covered. Some venues will only permit photographers with liability insurance to work at their venue. We have that too.
8. Continuing Education
Even the best camera cannot deliver if the photographer does not have the knowledge to maximize it’s potential. As a member of the Professional Photographers of America, I never stop learning. Professional classes help me stay on trend with wedding styles and advancements in equipment, software and technology.
9. The Full Wedding Experience
We do more than photograph your wedding! There are so many elements of wedding photography that only a pro can help you navigate. First we will meet (as often as you like) to be sure we are a good match. You will spend more time with your photographer on wedding day than any other provider that you hire so it's important you trust your photographer and personalities mesh. I also want to understand your vision for the day so that my images meet your expectations. Sometimes that means knowing what questions to ask a couple—pros know. If it turns out my style doesn't match your vision, I will refer you to another pro who's style fits yours because I am personally invested in the delirious happiness of my couples. Part of the wedding experience with your photographer should include helping you create a realistic timeline to capture the images you dream about.
It takes a great deal of experience and knowledge to make those images you swoon over on social media and only a pro can help you plan the proper amount of time and the logistics necessary to successfully accomplish that. Most likely, an amateur photographer doesn't have a clue about it. A professional wedding photographer is a wealth of knowledge and if you need help choosing other wedding vendors, we can help you with suggestions of other pros we regularly work with. Here's some of my favorite wedding professionals. Most of my brides also request bridal portraits and an amateur photographer is unlikely to understand studio or outdoor lighting that will yield the quality portrait you want on display at your wedding. Professionals also offer creative guest books, gorgeous custom wedding albums and quality prints—all superior to the usual commercial available products. You are our priority and a professional will always make sure you know we've got your back!
10. The Proof is in the Pudding (wow, that’s a very old expression but it still applies)
You will honestly not be able to contain your excitement at how gorgeous your wedding looks when your pro photographer gives you your images. I’m talking about crying, laughing and uncontrolled posting on social media, calling your parents, snuggling with your new spouse for the rest of the evening kind of happiness. Pros document things you didn't even know were happening during the day while you were busy celebrating your new life. They show you your wedding day from the perspective of all your loved ones. They affirm your amazing decision to marry your best friend.
You will feel like it was worth every single penny and you might even email your photographer and tell them how much you love them. It happens!
It is understandable why comparing a professional photographer's prices to someone just starting up or a talented friend might sway you to go with the cheaper option. But take into consideration the reasons why professional photography is expensive and then weigh out how important professional vs. amateur services actually are to you. Your wedding photos are one of the only tangible takeaways from your wedding day. Be sure to make them a priority.