Did you marry without hiring a photographer?

Fuck no I wouldn't get married without a photographer! The ONE tangible memory you get from your wedding, and you want to leave it up to your guests?

Wow. I just can't understand the logic there.

I think photography is detrimental, in my opinion there's nothing more important then having those pictures years down the road to look through and be reminded of such a beautiful event you planned so carefully for all of those you love, and trust me alcohol is important to me too. Lol.

Please Hire a pro! I think you will regret it down the line when you have no formal pictures and none of things you thought were important

Cell phone pics do NOT look better than professional pictures. You know pro photogs take candid pics too, right? Please hire a photographer!! You will regret it if not!!!

If you're worried about making sure you have the right candids, take that into account when choosing your photographer. Go through their portfolios--if they have a bunch of pictures that look like the bridal party is posing for prom, don't hire them. The great photographers will have tons of candids and set the right vibe with their photos.

Stop being lazy. Hire a photographer. You're fault you have 4 months to go. Sorry.

HIRE.

Photographer is my #1.

If you're not going to hire one, don't expect any decent photos. I think you will be really disappointed if you have no quality images to look at and remember your wedding day. You will never get to redo that day; the photos are the one thing that will last. At least get yourself a 1 hour package to do couple portraits of the 2 of you. You don't need an expensive 8 hour package, but please at least hire a professional for a very short couples session.

Hire a photographer. Stat. If you rely on guest photos, then they will end up blurry, people standing in the way, over exposure, under exposure, and no details. iPhone photographers are not the greatest photographers. They will be out of control during the ceremony trying to get the best shots because they are over shooters, and they'll end up disrupting your wedding. You'll end up getting crappy photos. They are definitely not better than a professional photographer, who actually KNOWS how to take candid photos (this is called photo journalism). IMO, It's also not polite for adults to have their phones out when they're at a social event.

Hire one and do it fast!

Photographer is the thing I prioritized most and is probably my most expensive vendor (food and bar are separate vendors...if you combine them though, it's only slightly more than my photographer).

Even before I got engaged, the number one piece of advice everybody gave me was invest in a good photographer. People even told me they'd be willing to eat self-catered hog dogs and drink soda if it meant I had a good photographer (definitely not doing, just wanting to hammer home the point that the photographer is super important).

At the end of the day, all you have left is your rings and the photos. Scale down everything else. Don't skimp on the photographer.

UPO: I think it's ok to not have a photographer IF and ONLY IF you are totally ok with just having random candids that may or may not have the people you are most interested in (i.e. Family, bridal party, etc). My friend recently got married and realized that she had no use for hundreds of pictures. She said "what am I going to do with hundreds of pictures of myself, wallpaper my house?" Also, my grandparents shared that they have been married for 71 years and only have two pictures from their wedding which doesn't bother them at all!

I didn't think photos were that important to me but I would very strongly recommend hiring a photographer. FYI, we hired ours at about 4 months out.

Our photographer captured very meaningful moments-- some of which I never once thought about whether I was being photographed for. Like dancing with my best friends-- she took a bunch but there is one that captured us all SO perfectly that it makes me smile so darn hard.

The photos remind me of our special day. If I didn't have the beautiful, teary-eyed photos of H as he saw me walking towards him, I would be so regretful. I get to relive those beautiful moments every time I look.

Hi there, I'm someone who thought a photographer wasn't important.

I seriously regret it. I'm still very sad about it. I have no good, professional pictures to remember my day. Yes, my family took pictures with their professional cameras, but the photos are candid, not professional.

I wish I had nice professional photos to hang on my wall and make a photo book out of. I never would have guessed that this would be a huge regret for me, but it is. I'm even considering getting dressed up again, getting hair done, and going and getting professional photos done.

Hiring a photographer wasn't important to me because I hate pictures. Someone pushed so I met with a few (of course the first one was the cheapest one I could find). Then I met with my photographer (who was more on par with price than the first one). Boy what a difference between the two of them!

A photographer will get the candid shots. Can also do the editing.

Besides all of the shots of the ceremony are probably going to have people's heads arms hair hands etc in it unless your guest stands in the aisle as you walk down. It's one of your biggest days. Have a way to remember it.

Even if you can't get a real wedding photographer this close out, at least put out an email to a local university and hire some photography students to do your wedding. Or something. Pics are the most lasting memory you will have.

I would hire a photographer because I wouldn't want my guest to think their only coming to my wedding to take pictures of you & your future husband. So I would try & find a photographer soon if your wedding is in 4 months. lol

Photography was my number 1 need. We don't take a lot of pictures in our day to day life so I want really amazing quality wedding pictures to plaster our lives with. I'm actually meeting with a photographer next Saturday

Check out the "Pro BAM" posts here. The pictures are usually so breathtaking and always put a smile on my face, even though I'm some random lurker.

Don't you want to feel that way about your own wedding, looking back?

I never thought I would need a photographer but please trust me and everyone else, it is so important and worth it!!