Sister wants me to shoot her wedding (someone talk me out of this)

pgriz · Mar 3, 2012

Fokker didn't mention it, but that thread was started by Kerbouchard as a bit of an inside joke. He has many weddings under his belt, and despite that... There were still issues out of his control.

hw13 · Mar 3, 2012

Instead of shooting her wedding as a gift, would you be able to help contribute to her photography budget if she needed?

Then you're still giving her the photography as a gift?

fokker · Mar 3, 2012

pgriz said:
Fokker didn't mention it, but that thread was started by Kerbouchard as a bit of an inside joke. He has many weddings under his belt, and despite that... There were still issues out of his control.

Yep, started as a joke but **** got serious when he, an experienced wedding photographer, showed us the resulting less-than-stellar pictures due mostly to the non-cooperative client-friends. A good example of one of many reasons why people will recommend not shooting for friends/family.

gsgary · Mar 3, 2012

What you really mean is your sister has not found one cheap enough

mxblitz · Mar 3, 2012

gsgary said:
What you really mean is your sister has not found one cheap enough

I can't say for sure but you may be right. Our parents are actually paying for everything though.

Part of the problem is that the guy she is marrying is a pastor at a local church and knows a LOT of people so their guest list is pretty large. While I don't have all the details, I do know that they are spending $7k just on the catering. They may be looking for ways to save money anyway they can. If so I think they have their priorities out of whack.

My wife and I had a pretty inexpensive wedding 9 years ago (~3k total) and we got a cheap photographer. The pictures turned out pretty bad (photographer used an on-camera speedlite with the flash pointed directly at us for the formals which introduced some very nasty shadows). At the time I had just purchased my first digital camera (a Canon s230 digital elph) and the snapshots I took at the wedding were much better than the ones taken by the "pro" we hired. I really regret that now and I don't want my sister to go through the same thing.

As for the engagement/bridal photos, I think I'll just buy a 50mm f/1.4. Renting a lens like that isn't cost effective for me where I live because I'll have to have it shipped. Do you guys recommend the Canon or the playing the lottery with the Sigma? (keep in mind I've got a 60D so no microfocus correction)

cgipson1 · Mar 3, 2012

7K on catering? Ouch! I would recommend a small wedding, and put the money as down payment on house!

I have a Sigma 50 1.4... and it really is a nice lens. They seem to have gotten the bugs of it in the last couple of runs... so I wouldn't worry too much about it. I understand the Canon is a nice lens too, though.

mxblitz · Mar 3, 2012

cgipson1 said:
7K on catering? Ouch! I would recommend a small wedding, and put the money as down payment on house!

My father's cousin owns the catering company and my sister actually used to work for them. They feel pressured to use them even though they would rather go with someone cheaper. I think my parents would like to keep it small but my sister and future brother-in-law feel differently. Also they are moving to Alaska right after the wedding so this is also like a big going away party.

cgipson1 · Mar 3, 2012

mxblitz said:
cgipson1 said:

7K on catering? Ouch! I would recommend a small wedding, and put the money as down payment on house!

Click to expand...

My father's cousin owns the catering company and my sister actually used to work for them. They feel pressured to use them even though they would rather go with someone cheaper. I think my parents would like to keep it small but my sister and future brother-in-law feel differently. Also they are moving to Alaska right after the wedding so this is also like a big going away party.

So let them chip in! lol! That is a really crappy thing to do to your parents, IMO! Good luck.. and I am staying out of this from here on in.. not my business!

I had a good friend who's daughter was getting married. He gave her a choice: Wedding of her choice or a SIGNIFICANT down payment on a house. She chose the wedding.. Disneyland, coaches, fairies, horses.. etc... like 70k. They were divorced six months later.....

mxblitz · Mar 3, 2012

I'm making assumptions based on the bits and pieces I've heard so I may not have everything straight.

I think I will take my chances with the Sigma. I looks like I can always send it in for calibration if it isn't right. Just need to talk my wife into letting me get it.

DiskoJoe · Mar 5, 2012

Man no one has faith in you at all do they? This would be a piece of cake. You are family and would know most of the guests. They would probably be comfortable around you. They only thing you probably need is a 70-200 for the ceremony and you would be set. You have two decent primes that I would use for the reception. Go buy yourself a flash whether you do it or not.

Now will your work come out as good as $1200 photographer? Maybe, maybe not. You have no pic links so I have no way to tell. But she is not going to spend that much so she is not going to get anything decent to begin with. You could practice your ass off for the next 8 weeks and man up and do your sister proud.

DiskoJoe · Mar 5, 2012

mxblitz said:
cgipson1 said:

7K on catering? Ouch! I would recommend a small wedding, and put the money as down payment on house!

Click to expand...

My father's cousin owns the catering company and my sister actually used to work for them. They feel pressured to use them even though they would rather go with someone cheaper. I think my parents would like to keep it small but my sister and future brother-in-law feel differently. Also they are moving to Alaska right after the wedding so this is also like a big going away party.

Damn they have money like this? Tell them to buy you the gear you need and do it yourself.

Robin Usagani · Mar 5, 2012

DiskoJoe said:
Man no one has faith in you at all do they? This would be a piece of cake. You are family and would know most of the guests. They would probably be comfortable around you. They only thing you probably need is a 70-200 for the ceremony and you would be set. You have two decent primes that I would use for the reception. Go buy yourself a flash whether you do it or not.

Now will your work come out as good as $1200 photographer? Maybe, maybe not. You have no pic links so I have no way to tell. But she is not going to spend that much so she is not going to get anything decent to begin with. You could practice your ass off for the next 8 weeks and man up and do your sister proud.

Sorry dude, got to disagree with you here. No wedding gig is a piece of cake. Always expect for worse and be prepared.

Also, $1200 photographer is probably not good either. All of the good ones usually charge $3000+. You cant judge someone work based on how much they charge though.

MReid · Mar 5, 2012

You can find a decent wedding photographer for $1200. but you could just as easily have a disaster at any price point if you don't look at a lot of work from the photographer you choose.

Don't do it yourself.....imagine if you mess it up (likely) ...."awkward".....