When you start planning your wedding, you enter into a whole new world that can come with a shockingly high price tag.  It’s natural to look for places to cut corners, but here are some facts to consider before hiring an amateur photographer for your wedding day.

1. The number one regret of couples after the wedding is not investing more money in a photographer.

When the wedding is over, all you have left are your photographs.  Unfortunately, it’s not until AFTER the wedding that most couples truly realize this.

“I’m a professional blogger whose wedding pictures were ruined because I hired an amateur. Even though I did all of the right things (showed her photography styles I liked, furnished a shot list, asked if she owned her own equipment–she lied about that one) I still got crappy, blurry, point-and-shoot looking snapshots of my wedding.

I have literally been heartbroken for years over this. I had a re-do photo shoot with my husband on our first wedding anniversary. Though we included all of our decor and DIY projects, a re-do can never fully capture your wedding day. There is no mom and dad dancing, no first kiss as husband and wife, and no funny kid antics…photographers and brides have one shot to get it right. Just one. I blew it by hiring an amateur, and there is no way to ever repair the damage done.” –Christie O. Mountainside Bride

2. An amateur doesn’t take your wedding as seriously as a professional, and it shows in his work and performance.

A professional photographer has invested thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, in quality equipment and education.  She’s only as good as her last wedding, and her reputation is on the line with every couple.  She can’t afford to bail on you a week before the wedding because something came up, or disappear with your files after the wedding.

“Knew a guy who had a camera store in a strip mall in a moderately fancy area of town…He said he’d be glad to do the shoot…he took 12 bazillion photos. Came back from honeymoon a week later, went to the store check in hand to get the photos, closed, gone, out of business, store for rent.

Called, called, called, found his residence to be a mobile home in a distinctly NOT fancy area of town. Went to get the pix, ‘Oh, he moved yesterday, left no forwarding address…’  We’re still married (I got to keep the bride, even if not the pictures of her) and it has been 18 years so far. She’s still furious…” –  Mike Arman, Florida

3. You need a photographer with specific wedding experience to guarantee high quality images, no matter what.

When things don’t go according to plan, and at some point you can expect that they won’t, an amateur won’t know how to recover.

“Professionals have experience in how to use poses, angles and lighting to enhance their bride’s best features and hide the imperfections.  Every bride wants to look their best. Professionals can do that – amateurs, because they are amateurs, can’t always pull it off.  A pose that may look fantastic on one bride, may not flatter another bride.  Professionals have worked with brides in all shapes and sizes and know which poses look best for which bride.” Tracy Wimberly, Any Occasion Photography

“The stress and variables of wedding day photography are not something to be taken lightly. It’s literally the fastest moving day you can ever imagine…If you are not prepared for that, or know how to handle those situations, the walls can close in very quickly! Even the best photographers in other genres can struggle. Wedding photographers have to learn to fire off great shots quickly, sometimes with fast changing light. Even with experience it’s hard, trust me! Throw into the mix guests wandering into frame, iPads being held aloft for the picture uncle Dave just HAD to get…. Experience and skill will help get you through most of this, but without it, you are losing limbs out there!” – Nick, Studio 1208

4. An amateur can’t afford a backup, which means you’re left without a Plan B.

You need a back up for everything on your wedding day so that you’re covered, no matter what happens.  An unprepared amateur can leave you with nothing.

“I recently had a couple who hired an amateur photographer who had a car accident and was unable to show up to the wedding. He did not have a plan B in place, and since he didn’t have any backup staff to cover the event – the only photos taken of the most important day of this couple’s lives were random cell phone shots from family and friends.” – Cindy Pierce, Wedding Planner at the Addison

“As world-famous Chase Jarvis says, ‘You don’t get to be in the PGA by being sorta good at golf.’ Professional Photographers make it work no matter what the circumstances are. Whether it be raining, or there’s a huge distraction at the venue, a professional will use the best of his/her abilities to get the best possible images.” –Adam Rasheed

5. An unprofessional photographer can ruin your wedding day.

A wedding photographer must be both assertive and engaging in order to take the images you want without irritating you or your guests.  This requires experience, professionalism and the right personality.

“I have heard stories ranging from how their photographer showed up in sweatpants and a sweatshirt on their wedding day, to their photographer showed up stoned…I have even heard stories of how a photographer changed their mind and decided they couldn’t have their digital files (after that was what they had agreed on and paid for, but was never formally written into their contract.) The photographer then held their photos ‘ransom’ until they came up with $2000 more than they had already paid.” – Amy Zellmer, Custom Creations Photography, My Photo Biz Coach

6. Hiring an amateur means more work for you.

An amateur photographer won’t automatically know what shots to take or the traditional timing of events.  If you want all these details attended to, you’ll have to learn what needs to be done yourself and make sure they do it.

“An experienced wedding photographer will come to a bride with a shot list and work with them to determine every moment the couple would like captured. An amateur who is not experienced with wedding photography will not know what moments are most important, therefore putting much more pressure and work on the bride and groom to ensure they get the shots they want.” – Cindy Pierce, Wedding Planner at the Addison

7.  You’ll miss moments you never even knew happened.

When going through photos after the wedding, couples are often surprised at the many funny and moving moments the photographer captured that they never witnessed.  An amateur isn’t going to capture them, and you’ll never know what you’ve missed.

“My sister-in-law hired a fashion photographer ‘friend’ who gave her a next-to-nothing deal to shoot her wedding. He missed so much. Important wedding moments. Her dad walking her down the aisle? Not covered. Kiss at the altar? Out of focus…he just looked panicked and out of his element all day. I am sure in his own genre, or with more time, he would be great. But that counts for nothing in the aftermath. All she was left with, was some bit part memories of her wedding day, which for her (and us) was devastating.” – Nick, Studio 1208

“We were married before becoming professional wedding photographers so we, like so many couples out there, didn’t realize what it meant to hire a professional…She also missed our first kiss and come to think of it, she didn’t capture a single kiss by the two of us the entire day.” – Brian + Briana Elledge, Divine Light Photography

Your wedding day only happens once; make sure you hire a wedding photographer who gets it right.

This blog was posted with permission from Book More Brides.

What most couples who are planning a wedding don’t know is that saving money by hiring an amateur DJ for your wedding comes with a high price tag.  Before you make a decision you regret, here are some things you need to know.

1. There’s a high probability that a cheap (or free) DJ won’t be in business by the time your wedding arrives.

Many low-priced DJs aren’t charging enough to support their own businesses for the long term; you’re just financing their hobby.  Meanwhile, your wedding is 6-12 months away or more.

We’ve received those calls from desperate couples who had a “friend of a friend” DJ cancel on them last minute.  It’s not pretty.

Do you want to risk the possibility that the cheapie DJ is bankrupt and out of business before your big day?

2.  Amateurs are less invested in their performance than a wedding professional.

The amateur DJ is doing it “for fun,” and if something goes wrong, it’s not a big deal.  A wedding professional, on the other hand, risks his entire reputation and livelihood with every performance.  One bad review can destroy his business and he knows it.

At one wedding, the DJ brought along his wife and newborn.  Their table was littered with MacDonald’s bags and his wife decided to breastfeed the baby during dinner.

Would you rather have an entertainer who is 100% invested in his business and performance on your wedding day or someone who does it as a hobby?

3.  A wedding is a unique event that require the skills and experience of a wedding specialist for a smooth, flawless ceremony and reception.

It’s about more than just playing music.  Your wedding DJ is responsible for coordinating the timeline, orchestrating the introduction and flow of events, working with your other vendors, managing the guests, reading the crowd and making sure the right song is played at just the right time.

Even a DJ who is quite experienced in the club setting will be at a loss because she simply isn’t familiar with the flow of events and how to prevent disasters when something goes awry.

One inexperienced DJ mistakenly announced a special dance with the bride and her grandfather because he forgot to update his notes.  The entire family started crying because Grandpa had passed away two weeks earlier.

Are you willing to place the outcome of your wedding in the hands of someone who doesn’t “do” weddings for a living?

4.  Your guests won’t dance without an experienced entertainer who can read the crowd and keep the momentum going.

You have to play the right songs at the right time and in the right order to maintain dancing.  Oftentimes, the mood changes and your entertainer needs to change the program to maximize the dancing along the way.

If she can’t mix from one song to another, you’ll have gaps of “dead air” or awkward rhythms that will frustrate your guests and clear the floor.

Many couples think that providing an amateur with a set list of songs they love will be enough to make a fun wedding.  It’s not.  You need someone with experience to work with your requests and what your guests are responding to in order to avoid an empty dance floor.

One bride regrets hiring her DJ because he played “Unforgettable” five times during the wedding because he didn’t know any other slow songs.

Are you willing to sacrifice the fun at your wedding to save money on a cheaper DJ?

5.  The MC (the guy or girl on the microphone) has a huge impact on the mood and outcome of your party, for better or worse.

An obnoxious DJ with an abrasive voice will irritate your guests and dampen the mood of the entire party.  Professional DJs invest in vocal training and practice to optimize their performance.

I personally witnessed one DJ and embarrass everyone by making suggestive comments to the bride over the microphone.

Do you want just anyone acting as your wedding host or do you want a professional speaker you can trust?

6.  Your special events may not happen if you don’t hire a specialist who’s experienced in channeling the flow of events.

Who will direct your bridal party and guests at the ceremony?  Who’s going to line them up for introductions?  Who’s in charge of making sure the toasts, special dances and dedications go without a hitch?

Just having the equipment and knowing how to push play doesn’t guarantee the people wrangling skills you need for a fun, smooth reception.  In most cases, your entertainer is the one who makes sure your special events are executed as you’ve requested.

One inexperienced DJ forgot to bring the couple’s First Dance song; they were forced to dance to Barbra Streisand, who they can’t stand.

Will you risk leaving your special events to chance or do you want to ensure that everything is done according to plan?

7.  An amateur doesn’t have the experience to include your unique requests in a way that truly expresses your personality AND keeps people dancing.

You can’t make your guests dance to the songs you like if they don’t feel the same way.  Your DJ needs to read the crowd and have the experience to build sets of music around your preferences.

An amateur DJ can play the songs you request, but lacks the experience necessary to make it work.

One bride told us her DJ played the unedited version of Sexxy Back during dinner and had five minutes of dead air while he queued up the next song.

Do you want your guests on the dance floor all night or is it acceptable to have large chunks of time with no dancing?

8. An amateur DJ has inadequate or non-existent backup equipment, which means that if something fails you have no music at your wedding.

A fully functional backup system on the premises is essential to making sure you have music at your wedding no matter what.  Most amateur DJs won’t have a backup plan if a speaker blows or a laptop crashes.

We were approached at the end of one wedding by a DJ in the next room who asked if he could “borrow our speakers” because his were broken.

Are you willing to takes your chances without a backup on your wedding day?

9.  DJs who charge less invest less into their equipment, which means you have inferior sound and performance at your wedding.

A stereo system that sounds great in your living room doesn’t sound good in a spacious wedding venue.  Professional speakers and equipment are necessary for clear sound that has impact at low volumes, so your guests can speak at the tables even while the dance floor is thumping.

If you want your guests to actually hear your exchange of vows at the ceremony, you’ll need professional equipment and an onsite tech to make sure that happens.

One DJ showed up at a venue for the first time without ANY speakers or mixer because he’s been told that he could, “use the venue’s sound system” and he didn’t call ahead to verify.

Are sound issues like blasting music or impossible to understand audio acceptable on your wedding day?

If you’re not planning to have any formal events at your wedding, and you’d like a cocktail party more than a dance party, it may make sense to save money by hiring a non-professional.  But if you’re investing thousands of dollars on creating the perfect day, please don’t jeopardize it by hiring someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Your wedding day only happens once; make sure you hire a DJ who gets it right.

This blog was posted with permission from Book More Brides.