Hiring a professional wedding photographer can be one of the most expensive parts of your wedding.
Good news… You really don’t need to hire a professional photographer to take pictures at your wedding!
There are lots of fun ways to save money and get wonderful photos of your special day.
So, if you’re trying to save money on your wedding by being thrifty, taking care of the wedding photos yourself makes a lot of sense!
Here are 4 great ideas for obtaining your own unique wedding photos…
Ask all your guests to bring their digital cameras and take as many pictures as they’d like. Later on, everyone can download their photos to Flickr, Webshots, Picasa, Shutterfly, or other photo-sharing websites. That way, you and your guests can order individual prints or download favorites. If you have a good photo printer and photo paper, you could even print your own wedding photos! This way, everyone gets exactly the photos they like. It’s far cheaper than paying for professional photo packages. Plus, all of the photos will look natural and fun, rather than posed. You can even put the best ones in your own wedding video.
Provide disposable cameras (or rent fun cameras!) for your wedding guests to take photos during the wedding and reception. It’s a great way to capture candid shots of everyone having fun. Ask that guests leave the disposable cameras in a basket by the door before they leave. Then, you just develop all of the photos (you can either get prints or save them all on a disc). This lets you pick and choose the ones you like best. Plus, it’s easy to share them with all of your guests online. I’ve seen some of the best photos of a bride and groom that were captured by a disposable camera. If you’re trying to have a Green wedding, there’s even a refurbished disposable wedding camera!
TIP: Make a list of some of the photos you definitely want. Be detailed about who, where, when and what should be in the photo. Share this list with your closest friends and family at the wedding who have digital cameras, so you’ll be sure to get the shots you want. TIP: Divide up the list among several different people. That way, you won’t overload any one person.
Go to a local portrait studio (like Sears, Walmart, or Kmart) and have them take photos of you in your wedding attire. They have lots of very affordable photo packages to choose from. At the wedding itself, you can still have everyone bring their digital cameras (or provide disposable cameras if you want to guarantee having lots of candid shots). That way, you will have professional photos as well as casual photos from your wedding day!
Take your wedding clothes with you on your honeymoon and take your own wedding photos at lots of scenic places while you’re there! Others (yes, even strangers) will be more than happy to take photos of the two of you at a variety of interesting locations. This is a very fun and creative idea. Plus, it takes the stress away from worrying if you’re going to get exactly the right shot at your wedding or not. This is for couples who don’t take their wedding photos too seriously and appreciate spontaneous moments over traditional and staged ones.
I enjoy helping women find clever ways to plan their weddings on a budget. My goal is to help you stay creative and save money at the same time! When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my husband, reading, and creating 3D artwork & Native American beadwork.
