# Shooting a wedding in August. A little worried.



## PNWSGM (Jun 20, 2012)

Where to even start.... I got ask by a friend to shoot his neighbor/friend's wedding in August, so I have a while to plan (thank god). However I do need some pointers. I have done some research on here so far and know that I am going to need 2-3 lenses to cover the event adequately, need to make a list of shots I need to get before/during/after the ceremony, I know I need to meet with the bride and groom prior to the big day. I also read somewhere a contract is a very good idea.

Since I only have a D80 body, I was thinking I might rent a D300S. My buddy has one and I've played around with it, awesome body but I don't think he is going to be willing to let me borrow his. I also plan on renting the Nikon 17-55mm F/2.8 lens and a SB-910 with diffuser. I have a Tamron 70-200 F/2.8 right now and figure those two lenses will cover me pretty well, or do you recommend something else?

I plan to meet with the couple at the very least once before the big day that way I can chat with them, work out pricing, contract, see where I am going to be shooting etc. I also might see if I can go out and be an assistant to a professional wedding photographer. 

Lastly, what how should I base my pricing? Obviously I am going to need to cover the gear I rent, so automatically that's about $200-$250. Maybe $500-$600?

Any input is appreciated!


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jun 20, 2012)

PNWSGM said:


> Where to even start.... I got ask by a friend to shoot his neighbor/friend's wedding in August, so I have a while to plan (thank god).



Just because someone asks doesn't mean you should say *yes*. 

"Wanting" to shoot a wedding is not enough. You might want to, but you're not ready from the sound of it. When people come on here and say "I'm shooting my friends wedding because he/she asked me to..." it's one of the biggest red flags in the photography universe. Every guy that walks out of best buy with his new D3100 and kit lens is a wedding photographer. I mean it's no big deal right? I mean, it's just the most important day of someones life. No big deal. 

I would respectfully decline, tell them you're not quite ready, and second shoot some weddings. Get some experience and gather more equipment, and learn more. There are no re-shoots, re-do's, or do-over's. It's playing with fire, and worse, it's somebody else's memories on the line.


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## PNWSGM (Jun 20, 2012)

Rotanimod said:


> PNWSGM said:
> 
> 
> > Where to even start.... I got ask by a friend to shoot his neighbor/friend's wedding in August, so I have a while to plan (thank god).
> ...



I think you meant isn't, and even still haha. I've been shooting for over 4 years I think I have a little more experience than somebody just walking out of Best Buy.

However, thank you for the input.


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## texkam (Jun 20, 2012)

> what how should I base my pricing?


Hire a pro and add your mark up (or not*). Tag along and learn. *The paid learning experience then becomes a bargain.


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jun 20, 2012)

PNWSGM said:


> Rotanimod said:
> 
> 
> > PNWSGM said:
> ...



No, I meant "is", because that's the mentality that _*is *_prevalent and downright scary. People think they're ready, when they aren't. 

In your case, your focal range is pretty good. If you're going to rent, why rent another crop? 

But seriously, you really need to consider the implications of taking on a wedding. It's not just any other job to take, where if you screw it up you can press the do-over button.


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## gsgary (Jun 20, 2012)

PNWSGM said:
			
		

> I think you meant isn't, and even still haha. I've been shooting for over 4 years I think I have a little more experience than somebody just walking out of Best Buy.
> 
> However, thank you for the input.



4 years is not long


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## manaheim (Jun 20, 2012)




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## orljustin (Jun 20, 2012)

Rotanimod said:


> Just because someone asks doesn't mean you should say *yes*.



Bingo.  Just because you've held a camera for four years does not mean anything when it comes to whether you can shoot a wedding and preserve someone's special day.  This bit says that you don't quite get that:



> I plan to meet with the couple at the very least *once* before the big day  that way I can chat with them, work out pricing, contract, see where I  am going to be shooting etc.


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## gsgary (Jun 20, 2012)

manaheim said:
			
		

>



Toffee or salted


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## cgipson1 (Jun 20, 2012)

$2000.00


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## 12sndsgood (Jun 20, 2012)

PNWSGM said:


> Rotanimod said:
> 
> 
> > PNWSGM said:
> ...




How many wedding have you shot in that 4 year time? 

anyway, I'm not going to get on your case as much as others will because i'm shooting my first wedding in 10 days. I have known about it for about 5 months, and wasn't able to find a second shooting position in that amount of time. I would personally hit up your library, read as many wedding books as you can. Most of them go thru the day and you can start to get the planning laid out in your head, i'd suggest you try to use your buddies camera for the day if its the same one you will rent for the wedding. I see bad things if you rent gear you have never used before and use the wedding day to become familiar with it. If need be, go rent it for a day a few weeks before the wedding so you know the in's and outs of the gear. 

Definatly get with the couple to be. Maybe ask to shoot some engagement pictures, this gets you out with the couple. let's you get to know the couple, who they are, how easy they are to work with. Find out all you can about them. what's important to them? Get them used to being around you with a camera so there not as nervous.

 Then sit down with them and find out how many people are going to be there? how many family photos they want? who they want photos of? I got a list of all the family members and how we want to shoot and in what order. In this case we found out about a part of the family that always causes issues so we made sure to schedule them in a way that they aren't there the entire time stirining up trouble. We talked about the photos, it took me about two hours with the bride but it eventaully came out what was most important to her photo wise was photos at the reception of her and her friends and family together. We went thru the timeline of the wedding day completly and worked out a schedule were we could get the pics we wanted. A lot of people don't think about how much time is needed to get photos so you need to work with them to make sure you have enough time to get the job done. And don't wait till the last minute to set this meeting up. The longer you wait, the less chance you get what you want because she maybe planning the day out allready. What time is the wedding? does she want outdoor pics? If so you will want to look at how early you can get them outside because shooting at high noon in August heat with a dressed bride and groom is going to be uncomfortable. My bride and groom hate heat, they allready said they want to get the main reception stuff over quickly so they can get into casual clothes. Just so many things to go thru and get in order to give yourself the best oppurtunity to not screw up there day.

also, have you thought about insurance???


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## tirediron (Jun 20, 2012)

You may have been shooting for four years, but if you haven't shot weddings, you're back at ground zero. Rent two full-frame bodies, 2.8 glass from 14 -200, 3 speedlights (and modifiers), and know how to use every feature without even looking at it. Know all about your flash modes and how to adjust them instantly. You're going to need to meet with the couple at least twice, the wedding planner if there is one, the managers of the different venues, know where to take formats, what their must have shots are....This is a HUGE responsibility; there are no do-overs on a wedding day!  Is your insurance paid up?


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## rexbobcat (Jun 20, 2012)

Maybe if you post examples that give us some idea of your experience it would be easier to help you figure out how much you're worth.


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## PNWSGM (Jun 20, 2012)

12sndsgood said:


> How many wedding have you shot in that 4 year time?
> 
> anyway, I'm not going to get on your case as much as others will because i'm shooting my first wedding in 10 days. I have known about it for about 5 months, and wasn't able to find a second shooting position in that amount of time. I would personally hit up your library, read as many wedding books as you can. Most of them go thru the day and you can start to get the planning laid out in your head, i'd suggest you try to use your buddies camera for the day if its the same one you will rent for the wedding. I see bad things if you rent gear you have never used before and use the wedding day to become familiar with it. If need be, go rent it for a day a few weeks before the wedding so you know the in's and outs of the gear.



I shot some of my cousins, I didn't shoot the ceremony as I more wanted to watch, and then the photographer let me tag along as they did the shots after the ceremony as well. I definitely plan on getting everything laid out on what I am going to do the day of well before the wedding. Hoping to have it all laid out when I meet with the couple so I can go over it with them. 

Definitely plan on playing with my buddy's camera more and playing with the settings.



> Definatly get with the couple to be. Maybe ask to shoot some engagement pictures, this gets you out with the couple. let's you get to know the couple, who they are, how easy they are to work with. Find out all you can about them. what's important to them? Get them used to being around you with a camera so there not as nervous.
> 
> Then sit down with them and find out how many people are going to be there? how many family photos they want? who they want photos of? I got a list of all the family members and how we want to shoot and in what order. In this case we found out about a part of the family that always causes issues so we made sure to schedule them in a way that they aren't there the entire time stirining up trouble. We talked about the photos, it took me about two hours with the bride but it eventaully came out what was most important to her photo wise was photos at the reception of her and her friends and family together. We went thru the timeline of the wedding day completly and worked out a schedule were we could get the pics we wanted. A lot of people don't think about how much time is needed to get photos so you need to work with them to make sure you have enough time to get the job done. And don't wait till the last minute to set this meeting up. The longer you wait, the less chance you get what you want because she maybe planning the day out allready. What time is the wedding? does she want outdoor pics? If so you will want to look at how early you can get them outside because shooting at high noon in August heat with a dressed bride and groom is going to be uncomfortable. My bride and groom hate heat, they allready said they want to get the main reception stuff over quickly so they can get into casual clothes. Just so many things to go thru and get in order to give yourself the best oppurtunity to not screw up there day.



Yeah I have been going over all of these questions in my head already. I plan to get in contact with the couple here very shortly regarding what all they want. The wedding is at their house so I plan to meet up with them and see all the various areas of reception, dinner, etc. The wedding starts as 5:30 is the plan so far, so I plan to be there at around 2:30-3 to make sure I get shots of everything before people start showing up and that way I insure I can get some good pictures of the bride/groom and their wedding party getting ready before the reception. 



> also, have you thought about insurance???



Insurance as far as...?

Thanks for all the input/suggestions. Obviously weddings are very important days for people and they want to remember the day and want it captured extremely well. However, it reminds me of "entry level jobs" In order to shoot a wedding everybody here wants you to have experience, yet how do you gain experience without going out and shooting a wedding?


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## cannpope (Jun 20, 2012)

However, it reminds me of "entry level jobs" In order to shoot a wedding everybody here wants you to have experience, yet how do you gain experience without going out and shooting a wedding?[/QUOTE]


Be a second shooter for as long as it takes before you are really ready...


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## tirediron (Jun 20, 2012)

PNWSGM said:


> ...Insurance as far as...?


 Please tell me you're joking! If you are seriously asking that question, are you even licensed to transact business in your region?


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## jeterisagirl (Jun 21, 2012)

> Every guy that walks out of best buy with his new D3100 and kit lens is a wedding photographer.



Awesome! Im a newb and just walked out a couple weeks ago. It was a 3200 but still, nice to know Im ready for weddings. 

On a serious note, I think the advice of 2nd shooting with a pro is a fantastic idea. I hadnt even thought of it and will definitely do that down the road. Not even ready to second shoot yet :lmao:


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## KmH (Jun 21, 2012)

Per the insurance question, liability, E&O (Errors and Omissions), and Indemnity insurance would be minimum. By being paid to shoot, it's quite likely your homeowners insurance would not cover any damage to your or rented gear. Check with your insurance agent. If not covered by homeowners insurance, look into an Inland Marine policy for your gear.

Some venues will require you provide them with a COI (Certificate of Insurance) that includes them as co-insured.


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## Rwsphotos (Jun 21, 2012)

tirediron said:


> PNWSGM said:
> 
> 
> > ...Insurance as far as...?
> ...


All depends on what the laws are in their sate and city they all vary some require business license some don't and some have certain requirements on insurance.  I would recommend liability as a minimum required or not although it would be best to look at what their city requires and what other photographers in their area have..  Personally I'd be happier if all the states had the same requirements would be much easier to answer that question.


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## 12sndsgood (Jun 21, 2012)

Insurance is to cover your ass plain and simple.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Jun 21, 2012)

PNWSGM said:


> Where to even start.... I got ask by a friend to shoot his neighbor/friend's wedding in August, so I have a while to plan (thank god). However I do need some pointers. I have done some research on here so far and know that I am going to need 2-3 lenses to cover the event adequately, need to make a list of shots I need to get before/during/after the ceremony, I know I need to meet with the bride and groom prior to the big day. I also read somewhere a contract is a very good idea.
> 
> Since I only have a D80 body, I was thinking I might rent a D300S. My buddy has one and I've played around with it, awesome body but I don't think he is going to be willing to let me borrow his. I also plan on renting the Nikon 17-55mm F/2.8 lens and a SB-910 with diffuser. I have a Tamron 70-200 F/2.8 right now and figure those two lenses will cover me pretty well, or do you recommend something else?
> 
> ...



Interesting. Price it like he's betting the farm on your skills and final product


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## Marcelle (Jun 21, 2012)

I have to concur with the previous opinions, I did wedding reportages for 20 years and it is no game, no way to say hold it, we do it again
you take the right pic at the right moment or it is game over.
Depending on the location you need some serious equipment and flash and KNOW how to use it
I don't know how many amateur pics I processed with the faces and nice white dress totaly burned by a bad flash setup...
By considerations for your friends, decline, wedding is supposed to happen only once in a lifetime...so they deserve great memories
and if you decide to do it anyway PLEASE go to a real photographer about printing !! (he might correct and compensate a bit under and over exposures and so on)


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jun 21, 2012)

This is just one of those situations where what might be confusing for you (wondering why all these people are telling you not to do it) is_ clear as day_ to must of us. You're just not ready. Simple as that. This same situation has happened too many times to count, in the real world and on this forum. In fact, something similar probably happens about once every 2 months here on TPF. Sometimes we see the ruined wedding pictures after the fact when a new member hasn't the slightest clue. Other times we get your situation where you've accepted an offer to shoot a friends wedding, but really should not have. 



PNWSGM said:


> 12sndsgood said:
> 
> 
> > How many wedding have you shot in that 4 year time?
> ...



So you second shot one wedding (kind of but not really). And the camera you plan to shoot the ceremony with you plan to _play around with_ a bit to gain experience. I'd feel very comfortable as the bridge and groom about your level of command of your equipment, sleeping easy at night knowing you've _played around with the settings in your buddies camera. _Wow. 



PNWSGM said:


> 12sndsgood said:
> 
> 
> > also, have you thought about insurance???
> ...



Insurance as far as covering your ass because you _obviously _don't know what the hell your doing. Indicative by the fact that you don't even know why you'd need insurance. Again, wow. 



PNWSGM said:


> Thanks for all the input/suggestions. Obviously weddings are very important days for people and they want to remember the day and want it captured extremely well. However, it reminds me of "entry level jobs" In order to shoot a wedding everybody here wants you to have experience, *yet how do you gain experience without going out and shooting a wedding*?



Your logic is severely flawed. Weddings are not an entry level job. _You don't shoot a wedding to get experience_. You practice by shooting less important events. Eventually, you second shoot a wedding behind a seasoned, experienced photographer. And eventually, after you've been a second shooter multiple times, you might work your way into the wedding market.

Man, you really need to take a step back from all of this and stop thinking _you you you_, and start thinking about the bride and groom's memories. That's the most important thing. _You need more experience and knowledge before you shoot a wedding_, simple as that. That is, unless you don't care if you do a poor job or half-assed job-- but then that's really more of a comment on your integrity. And make no mistake, it does become an issue of integrity, to take *on something you're not 100% prepared for and to jeopardize someone's memories in the process*. Think about it.


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## manaheim (Jun 21, 2012)

I think everyone should simmer down just a little.  OP hasn't even said all that much and you're all getting pretty seriously wound up as if he/she is being massively defiant and crazy... vs. just seriously uninformed.

We see this a lot.  To the point we could probably put together a brochure with the things the would-be wedding photographer should be looking into, trying not to do, and how they should probably be considering doing it not at all... and I think our approach to this should be pretty much brochure-like by this point as well.  That is to say... informative, clear, concise, firm but _*calm *_and with some nice glossy pictures. 

Frankly, I tend to think most people would rail against the kind of abuse that gets stacked on these people and go out defiantly and shoot the wedding with no idea and no appropriate gear just to show us all up.


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jun 21, 2012)

manaheim said:


> I think everyone should simmer down just a little.  OP hasn't even responded in a bit and you're all getting pretty seriously wound up.
> 
> We see this a lot.  To the point we could probably put together a brochure with the things the would-be wedding photographer should be looking into, trying not to do, and how they should probably be considering doing it not at all... and I think our approach to this should be pretty much brochure-like by this point as well.  That is to say... informative, clear, concise, firm but _*calm *_and with some nice glossy pictures.
> 
> Frankly, I tend to think most people would rail against the kind of abuse that gets stacked on these people and go out defiantly and shoot the wedding with no idea and no appropriate gear just to show us all up.



A brochure would be a good idea. 

He did respond yesterday, so that's pretty recent. At which time he revealed more things that he doesn't have a clue about. So yeah, he might go out and shoot the wedding in defiance, but not before being told straight up that he shouldn't. He asked TPF for advice, and that's the advice that I'd give him or anyone else on or off this forum.

So if/when he does screw up the wedding to some degree, he'll wish he would've listened.


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## Tony S (Aug 1, 2012)

To conduct business in the State of Washington you need a business license from the Washington Department of Revenue.


Start here for information ... ORA | Small Business Assistance


The Wa. State Department of Revenue business site.... Doing business


 Governor Gregoire wants your share of the money.


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## animotionphoto (Aug 2, 2012)

I think if you're an adult you should do whatever the hell it is you want to. I haven't seen many pointers as you asked for. Instead, you mostly got criticized and basically talked out of it. If I had listened to every Joe Shmo who told me I couldn't do it, or didn't have enough experience, I wouldn't have opened my business 13 years ago. 


Not every wedding is fancy. Most people getting married can't even afford a photographer. I think if your friends know your experience level, they'd be fine with you taking the photos. I say jump in with both feet, but make sure you have the right and enough equipment with backups. Doesn't matter whether your a fisherman, basket weaver, or pole dancer; you need the right equipment.


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## PNWSGM (Aug 2, 2012)

animotionphoto said:


> I think if you're an adult you should do whatever the hell it is you want to. I haven't seen many pointers as you asked for. Instead, you mostly got criticized and basically talked out of it. If I had listened to every Joe Shmo who told me I couldn't do it, or didn't have enough experience, I wouldn't have opened my business 13 years ago.
> 
> 
> *Not every wedding is fancy. Most people getting married can't even afford a photographer.* I think if your friends know your experience level, they'd be fine with you taking the photos. I say jump in with both feet, but make sure you have the right and enough equipment with backups. Doesn't matter whether your a fisherman, basket weaver, or pole dancer; you need the right equipment.



They were considering buying like 20 disposable cameras and handing them out for people to take pictures. Haha. 

Thanks for your words!


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## spicyTuna (Aug 2, 2012)

Post some pics when your done with the wedding.


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