What does a professional photographer do for you? (Part Two)

We have all heard the expression, "You get what you pay for." This saying can be applied to wedding photography as well. Now I am not saying that you won't get great photos unless you hire a photographer for $10,000, but I am saying that if you are looking for someone to cover your wedding day for $150.00, you had better be okay with the possibility that you won't get decent photos, if you even get them. For someone to be invested in your day, you need to be invested in them. As a wedding photographer, I develop a relationship with my clients and we have both invested a lot of time, money and planning into their event. I work full-time as a wedding photographer and I want you to have a fantastic experience and beautiful photos to remember your day. I won't go too into this, if you want some good reasons to go with a professional, check out this previous post.
What I want to share with you today is a photo taken by a guest versus a photo taken by a professional. The bride confirmed that she had originally thought she would just have friends take photos and put a disposable camera on each table and save money by not hiring a wedding photographer.

This one is from a disposable camera:



This is a photo I took of the girls at about the same time:



I was as happy as the bride that I was able to photograph her with a group of her friends - imagine if she only had the disposable pic to remember the moment! It wouldn't have captured the feeling and excitement of her wedding; the drab colors and grainy appearance really change the mood of the event and the way it is remembered. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy disposable cameras or have guests take photos — those photos give you several perspectives of your day! But entrust a professional to get the photos you are counting on to show to friends, family and future children!
So please, please choose a professional for your big day — speaking on behalf of all professional wedding photographers, we want to make sure you have a great experience during your wedding and photos to cherish and show off after it!