How to Get Wedding Photography on a Budget

Photography is one of the most important things when it comes to a wedding. Since the typical wedding only lasts one day, it is crucial to have plenty of photographs to remember your special day by. Even though photographers are one of the main ingredients to making your dream wedding come true, they are also very pricey. There are ways and places to find and hire photographers so that they fit perfectly into your budget.

Ask People You Know: The most preferred place to find a photographer is among the people you know. If you have a friend or family member that is great with professional photography, ask if you can have a special discount. You may even be lucky enough to get someone you know to do the photography for free or in exchange for work you can do.

Photography Students: It may be a little scary to ask a photography student to photograph one of the biggest days of your life. Although photography students may be new to the field, they are fresh with knowledge. Photography students that just graduated or are about to graduate are looking for recommendations and pictures to add to their portfolio. Since this is true, you may be able to hire a photography student at a very reasonable cost. Do not be afraid to ask for samples and test runs before hiring them.

Hire Only for Posed Shots: Even if you do not have any photographers in your family and among your friends, a lot of people will bring their cameras to the ceremony and reception. Since so many people at the wedding will have cameras, there will be a lot of great candid pictures to choose from. Therefore, you can hire a professional photographer just for the posed pictures. This will decrease your cost significantly. If you are afraid that you will not get enough pictures from your guests, you can place disposable cameras at each table with fun instructions. You can also assign your most trusted bridesmaids and groomsmen with a digital camera and instructions.

Shop Around: If you cannot find a photography student or someone you know to take the pictures, shop around the professionals. While shopping around, take other photographers prices and show them to a different one. Due to the competition, they may lower their prices to match or be under their competitor's price. Craigslist.org is also a very popular place to find a nice, affordable photographer. Their listings make it easy to compare photographers. Be careful if you go on that site though. There is a possibility of scams and poor quality photographers. Do not be afraid to ask for portfolios, certificates, and a sample shoot.

Well in advance, look for someone of quality. If you decide to go with a professional photographer, be sure to shop around and compare rates. You can even lower your package rate by telling the photographer what you do not want in the package. With careful planning of the photographer, the only thing you need to worry about on your wedding day is smiling. Also, you may not feel so bad about spending so much money on a photographer if you do not hire a videographer. Really consider this. How often will you watch your wedding video over how many times you will look through your wedding photographs? This is your special day. Make it even more special by having amazing pictures to remember your wedding by. It is worth cutting back on other expenses to spend more on photography. However, if you can get great wedding photography, for an excellent price you will be better off.