If you could rent any lens as a guest...

[bennielou]

monica at my wedding my cousin just asked if I wanted him to take some shots of us getting ready before we went to the church, this was before the pro was even around. That's what I would do, and like those above said when the pro sets up a shot ignore it, there is no need for the same shot in 2 different camera's. There is probably 70% of the day that there is no photographer around, early in the day when the bride and groom are getting ready, there are always members of the weddding party standing around while the posed shots are being taken, and depending on how long thier photographer sticks around, there might be some really really great shots towards the end of the reception...because I'm sure everyone will still be sober!

I'm not sure what kind of photog you had, but most people I know get there as the bride and groom prepare, and don't leave until the tail lights on your limo fade away.
If your photog wasn't around for 70 percent of the day....they sucked. Harshly sucked. Don't blame the rest of us for your experience.

On a side note, if it's not too personal, where did you find this "pro"? How much did you pay. You don't have to answer that, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

[behanana]

I'm not blaming anyone for anything, the professional we hired for our wedding was a friend and we got a deal, in turn we got all of our pictures on a cd unedited, but with the copyrights. My wifes cousin in a wedding photographer as well and she did the editing for us afterwords as a favor, my cousin does shoot weddings out in Boston, but his true tallent lies in doing candid photography of kids and families. Now what I'm saying is that my cousin, who was not in the wedding, came to the hotel where me and my groomsmen get dressed and ready, he took shots of us doing that. He also kind of hung in the background while our possed shots were taken before the wedding started at the church, now my wife and I did our seperate shots before the ceromony and saved the group shots until afterwords, while me, my family, and groomsmen were getting shots taken, my cousin went and took some shots of my wife who was hanging out elsewhere in the school attached to the church. After I was done, he did like wise with me and my guys, as we were walking around waiting for my wife and her girls to get done he was taking shots of us. I'm not saying that the professional wedding photogs aren't there, I'm saying there is alot that goes on that the pro isn't able to take pictures of because they are busy with the set up shots or other parts of what needs done, all the things they are hired for. As a friend going to a wedding, if the OP wanted to take shots and stay out of the professionals way there are a great deal of opportunities to get really nice shots, and ones that can mean alot to the bride and groom, but ones the hired professional doesn't have the time or man power to take. I'm guessing as a professional wedding photog you might take and assistant with you to help, but are you also going to bring someone along and pay them just to walk around and take random candid photos of the wedding party and family of the bride and groom? That is the 70% I'm talking about.

 

[jake337]

If it were me I'd regret bring the 70-200 or 24-70 as a guest - too big and heavy.
I'd rent the 85mm f/1.4G and leave the flash at home.

Then you have something to lust after.

Or rent a 50 1.2 ai or the noct!!!