On Monday I booked my first wedding. I’m both excited and full of anxiety — but more excitement than anything. Up until now I have had a firm policy that I will not do weddings. I tell people, and also have that statement on my website, that I don’t do weddings and strongly recommend hiring a photographer who specializes in weddings. Well, as you can tell, I was convinced to make an exception this one time.
If you, or someone you know, is getting married I have a great DIY tip to pass along. In these times of a depressed economy and job losses, some people may not even be in a position to hire a photographer for the wedding. If this is the case, I have a fun idea to share. It also doesn’t cost the bride & groom a dollar.
On a photography forum that I visit, there was a discussion in the tips area and this one caught my eye. We all know how guests bring along their point-and-shoots to take their own photos and that’s where the story begins. If the wedding couple won’t be able to afford a photographer, be sure to let the guests know (include it in the invitations) to bring their digital cameras and take as many photos as they like. The couple will arrange to have a digital “download station” for guests to download their photos for everyone to see — and for the couple to keep afterward! It’s as easy as having a laptop with a card reader (that way guests still have the photos on their memory cards but the bride & groom have a copy). It’s also imperative to have someone knowledgeable on how to download photos and using the laptop to ‘man’ the download station for several hours.
Back to where I heard about this in the first place. The person making the suggestion pointed to this wedding photographer’s blog post. I see there is also a suggestion about using Flickr for sharing all the wedding photos.
In this way, everyone wins! The guests still have all their own photos but the bride & groom get a wide selection of images to choose from for their wedding day – with no cost for a photographer. The newlyweds also don’t have to chase down and keep reminding (over and over again) their guests to send them copies after the day of the wedding. Sure, there may not be professional quality images but you’d be surprised how many really terrific images there will be to choose from with a variety of amateur photographers taking pictures through the day. The important thing is to document the day in photos and to save a few dollars as they set out on their new life together as husband and wife.
PS: If you have any additional tips for DIY wedding photos, please leave them in the comments below for others to check out as well! Thanks — I have the greatest visitors!
Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer based in Grande Prairie, serving northern Alberta + Edmonton and area. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.
