Now they're mad at me !!

[bigtwinky]

Like others have said, I think you did the right thing.

It comes down to your comfort level. If you feel you don't have the gear and/or experience, good on you for putting your foot down and saying no. More people should say no in situations like this.

They'll get over it.

 

[sjluto]

You are absolutely correct! We didn't have much of a budget for our wedding photographer and had people offer. I turned them down because I didn't want to end up with something terrible and have hard feelings.

My suggestion, and what I ended up doing (sort of) is to tell them to go to a local college or post on some message boards saying they are looking for someone to take wedding pictures on a X budget (or free). You're willing to give someone a shot who's looking to strengthen their portfolio. Photography majors, art design, etc. They are out there!

I made a post on a message board looking for a photographer on my $750 budget and was really picky about the type/quality of the photos. Someone replied back who said she had taken pictures of children/families for years and was wanting to see about getting into weddings. We were her first and she was awesome! She now charges 3500 and is booked 2 years out.

You did the right thing. Stick to your decision!