Has anyone opted to not have a photographer?

My FSIL got married last year and they were able to get an "elopement package" (even though they didn't elope). Basically, the photographer came for 2 hours, captured their first look, the ceremony, and a some shots of the couple and their families during cocktail hour. Might be something to look into so that you still have some pictures from the day but don't have to spend a ton of money to have someone there all day

I didn't want to have any regrets after the wedding. I hired both photographer and videographer. After the wedding ot is nice to see what really happened during the night.

Many couples that skip almost all other traditional aspects of a wedding will still choose to have a photographer. My brother got married on the beach and we went out to dinner afterwards. There were like 10 of us but they still wanted to have those memories on paper. This is not something I could dream of skipping.

To your point about prices being inflated because it's a wedding, I would agree on most fronts. However, a wedding photographer has to be an extreme professional. If they miss the first kiss, they miss it. If their battery dies as you are cutting your cake, there is no photo. This is much different than a family portrait session, where you can come back and re-do it if it doesn't turn out well. Weddings have lots of little memories that will be important to the bride & groom and the wedding photographer is getting paid to capture them all.

I friend of mine had a beautiful outside wedding and decided to hire a friend to do her pictures. Big mistake. They were sooo dark she tried to fix them and we all looked like ghosts. She was short and didn’t use a stool to take the pics so all the guests are looking down. Photographer was my first vendor booked after the venue.

I cut my budget in other areas (things unrelated to guest comfort.....like my dress, flowers, HMU, accessories) to be able to get a really fantastic photographer because it was VERY important to me to have beautiful photos.

Budgeting is so difficult with everything in the wedding industry being so expensive. I'm planning my wedding and like everyone else, looking for ways to cut expenses. Photography is NOT the place to cut corners. Those photos will be your memories for the rest of your life. Things like no programs, online RSVP-ing, no favors ( I find this such a waste of money) and making your own decorations can save a lot so that you can afford a decent photographer. : ) Thankfully, I make wedding bouquets for weddings all of the time, so I can do my own and will make our cake myself and will be doing the invitations myself as well. Just please don't skip the photographer. You can't go back and do it over. Congrats!

Aside from the venue, my photographer was the first vendor I booked. I had her on standby for me before we even finalized the date/venue because she wouldn't let us book until we had that done but I was sure I wanted her as my photographer. When it's all said and done, we'll have paid about $3k for her services, but that's worth it to me. Photography and videography are the only tangible things you'll take away from your wedding aside from your marriage itself, so I couldn't imagine NOT getting photos or getting crappy photos.

All about your priorities, what you're willing to spend, and what you want to take away from your wedding. This is something you'll never be able to totally redo.

I don't think that skipping the photographer is the way to go. There is a huge difference between amateur and professional photos. One of our friends did this and her pictures are just terrible. Reception was fine, generally there is less difference there but you need a good photographer for the ceremony and maybe a few poses.

You can save money by hiring someone for only a few hours and then let guests do pics at the reception. That way at least you know you'll have some good quality pics to look back on.

The photos are the only physical thing you take away from your wedding. I strongly believe it's not a place to skimp.

We're having a photographer for the ceremony and formal photos after only, not the reception nor getting ready. It was a really affordable way to capture the important moments. Is this an option for you?

We weren't going to have a photographer, and then we were going to have a friend do it, then we hired a photographer. I found the cheapest one in my area and went with him, which his photo don't look the best but oh well, i hate having my picture taken anyway. At least we will have something to share with those not invited to the ceremony, which is a lot of people. We skipped out on a videographer because we wlill have a book worth the ceremony script written in our as a keepsake so that worth the pictures will mean more than a 15 minute recording of our ceremony. Going to have friends film the dances.

We decided to find a photographer that offers “elopement packages.” We are not eloping but we are having a very small wedding and a small lunch reception afterwards so we will not need professional pictures taken at the lunch. Usually elopement packages include up to 2 hours for a couple hundred dollars (depending on your location).. Maybe this would be a good option for you? For us the most important part is our ceremony and formals afterwards so the full package wasn’t needed.

Do not I repeat do not skimp on photography. You are going to really regret it if you do. Like others said, shop around and get price’s

My father has since passed away and my best friend / matron is Honor diagnosed with breast cancer. I can’t imagine not having any photos or videos of them on my wedding day. Please do not skimp on your memories.

Photographer was my NUMBER ONE THING. Like, got the groom now I need the pics. I cared more about that then my dress! we originally were going to forgo a DJ but when we did venue tours everyone kept saying how they do so much more than play music, so we got a cheaper one. we didn't spend a lot of money on flowers or decor either.

We were not going to have one, we are on a really tight budget and photographers are extremely expensive. I can't spend over a thousand dollars on pictures I just don't have it in me, that could go to bills or the house. I think I'm just going to have all our friends and family send us the pictures they take.

To me, photos (and great photos at that) were a non-negotiable. I bought my dress, signed the venue contract, and signed with our photographer probably in the first week of wedding planning. I had been fawning over portfolios before we even got engaged!

I would highly recommend getting a photographer, as a Bride there is SO MUCH YOU MISS. Try to have one for before the ceremony and at the ceremony, even if it is just for a few hours. Maybe 2 hrs or so. I LOVE my photos, I could not imagine having them. Please try to cut your budget in other places.

My friend did this and she says everyday how much she regrets it because most of the photos are very low quality and blurry. It also bugs her that she will not have a photo album to show her kids someday.

Of course this is different for everyone, but personally I would rather not have like flowers or something than a photographer. It is the only thing that truly can help capture your day, and someday down the road you will be so thankful that you have the photos.

It might sound a bit pessimistic but can you imagine if one you ever passed away? Wouldn't it be nice to have the photos to look back on when your missing your loved one?

I think you’d ultimately regret not having a photographer. You will have so much going on throughout the day that you won’t be able to really let everything sink in and admire all the work and planning you put in. That’s the job of a good photographer... you don’t want to miss a thing and you’re going to want to look back on the day for years to come! And maybe even share those photos with children/family/ etc. I think there’s other things you can opt out of to minimize cost but I don’t think a photographer is the right one

Hearing my parents and future in laws talk about their weddings, I realized that there aren't a lot of pictures of either of them. I don't know if this is something they really thought about until their children were getting married. I don't want to have that moment in my future. We're cutting a lot of things (programs, STDs, favors), but photography is one thing that I stood my ground on. Pics are one of the most tangible things you'll take away from your day.

A friend of mine used some program to collect guests photos from her day. They could upload them to a cloud. But not a lot of people did them. And they weren't necessarily the best. PPs had a lot of good ideas to minimize this cost, while keeping some quality: student/new photographers, fewer hours, "elopement" packages, etc.