Smart Ways to Save Money on a Wedding Photographer

Smiling brides and their handsome grooms who think they have their dream wedding in hand may be in for a big surprise when faced with the whopping price tag that accompanies a wedding photographer. Fortunately, there are alternatives to investing thousands of dollars on a professional photographer, without sacrificing what is really important: beautiful, lasting mementos of the couple's most special day.

Picture Perfect

Hiring a professional photographer for the wedding can quickly spoil even the best planned wedding budget. Many couples needlessly spend thousands of dollars on a wedding photographer. If you have your heart set on studio quality photos for your wedding, consider limiting the amount of time you will use a professional photographer's services. Do you really need the photographer four hours before the ceremony? Is it necessary to pay the professional to come to the reception?

Organize your time so that all shots of the wedding party and solo shots of the bride are taken in the hour prior to the ceremony. Following the ceremony, keep the photographer on for another half an hour to get shots of the bride and groom together. Forego the use of the photographer at the reception all together, and rely on several trusted friends and family members to take reception shots instead. Limiting the hours in such a way will result in huge savings.

Hire a student

Look into enlisting the services of a photography student from a local college. These students will own or have access to high quality cameras and photo editing software, are usually quite talented, and are eager to operate in a professional capacity. Because you are helping them gain experience, you will secure their services for a significant bargain.

When choosing this route, ease your fears of wedding picture disaster by thoroughly interviewing your candidates. Spend time studying their portfolios and talk to them in depth about your expectations. If possible, hire two students who will use separate equipment as extra insurance. The cost of bringing on two students will still be significantly less than many professionals.

Enlist the Family

If you really want to save on the photography costs, look to a friend or family member to fill the role of the paparazzi. Arm one or two trusted people with semi-decent digital cameras and give them all of the specifics as to what shots you want.

Go Disposable

The best photos are quite often those that are spontaneous. For this reason, disposable cameras scattered throughout the reception hall are a great way to cut back on wedding expenses. Use a professional for the photos during the service and rely on the many special, often humorous photos that your guests will capture during the reception.

Capturing the memories of your wedding day is possible within any wedding budget. Whether you choose to pay for a fabulous but outrageously overpriced professional or enlist the help of the photography student who lives next door, the end result will be the same: you will have forever preserved some of the most special moments of your life.