SR

I would recommend renting an 85 mm and a 70-200 mm 2.8 that would help a lot. Aperture priority would work just remember to use compensation mode to adjust. And check out some videos on off camera and camera flash. The man thing in wedding images is capturing the moments and facial expressions, I’m not a pro yet but I’ve shot about 15 weddings, I would also recommend practicing on people before the event and look at some posing images to have an idea. Cheers !

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

" Well it seems that she doesn't have too many options because I just found out her entire wedding budget today and it won't stretch to a pro photographer."

So not everyone's wedding includes the top of the line everything. There are people for whom those things are not essential.

Sounds like the venue is just some hill somewhere. No facilities were mentioned so it doesn't sound like a rented "wedding venue". No mention of a limo. Cake and food could easily be homemade or even potluck (I've been to a couple potluck weddings). I think you're making assumptions based on what you see when people hire a pro photographer.

My second wedding cost around $2000. Including a dinner at a nice restaurant for 20 people. The limo was the family car. The wedding was at the restaurant.. I took the photos (or to be more precise, my camera got set up to take a sequence of shots). Everyone else had a cell phone, which they used.

In the end there will still be photos. The OP and the guests together will take care of that. And if the photos are not professionally produced, it is my experience that the marriage will survive or not, independent of that. And in my experience, the photos will be brought out to look at for maybe a year, then they will be put away until they are inherited by the children. After that they will be brought out occasionally at family gatherings to see photos of what their ancestors looked like. At least that seems to be the way it works in my family.

Too bad you (or the local version of you) will not be given the opportunity to bid on this job. It happens, but there will be others for you. My sympathies are with the new couple who are setting their own standards and making their own choices, not depending on "what everyone else does". You are right that these choices don't always work out, but I would say that those instances are much less often than your post implies.

fotoman150

Ok
Point taken

I’m just going from experience when I offered free services.

One time I lowered my price and the bride had two limos and two cakes.

Twice I offered friends free weddings and they hired someone else at the last minute and left me with no way to fill the slot with a paying job. They disrespected me by hiring someone else when they could have just paid me. Never again.

I still predict the OP will make all this effort and buy new equipment and scout the location and waste time and they will hire someone at the last minute because a family member will cough up the money. Wait and see.

fotoman150

OP tell us what happens in the end. I’m very curious.

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Wrong guy! I never said that! You must be thinking about someone else!

Bill Stockwell was one of my most influential teachers. Bill revolutionized wedding photography back in the late 1960s He also influenced Monti Zucker and many other prominent wedding photographers. I never said anything about 35mm photography not being applicable to wedding photography. Nobody took my customers away! Bill was from Oklahoma City and I was in Canada at the time. After taking Bill's courses, my wedding volume increased.

Some of the posts here are bizarre- yours take the prize!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

OP:
Assuming that the wedding is a few months from now, you might want to bookmark this thread so you can find it after the wedding. I think a report on what you wound up doing would be of interest to everyone who gave advice and might even help someone with a similar problem.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you want to be a better photographer, go to better weddings.

fotoman150

Beans to buckshot they find and hire a photographer with money they get from a family member. Anybody want to wager?

Glenn Reiner Loc: Sacramento CA

My wedding go-to-lens is a Canon 70 - 200 mm f2.8 IS - surely you can find an equivalent to rent. I use it sans tripod. Excellent closeups. To hell with flashes. Goood luck!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Whenever the subject of wedding photography occasionally emerges on this forum, the threads tend to go off the rails.

I have to say that I do not ever want to see anyone fail at wedding photography- an amateur, a rookie upstart or a seasoned professional. Taking bets on the outcome of the wedding in this conversation is in poor taste- to put in mildly.

I sincerely hop Rose prepares herself and her gear properly and does a successful job for her friends. If she lived in my city, I would be pleased to have her come out of a few assignments with me my crew and observe and get in some on-the-job practice.

Wedding photography can be a challenging, creative, satisfying and profitable career or avocation for a competent, resourceful and patient photographer but there is a downside. Some folks on this forum have a tendency to want to "shoot the messenger" when bad news, potential pitfalls, a negative critique or a few harsh realities enter the conversation. Folks shod be well advised before undertaking any project where a client needs to be satisfied- it is no longer a hobby. With all the positive and negative aspects in mind, any person is in a better position to make a rational, conscious and knowledgable decision.

There are certain kinds of advice that, as a long-time wedding photographer, give me the chills. Ideas like renting a lens can be harmless for other kinds of work but going out on a wedding with unfamiliar gear, perhaps well used or abused, is dangerous. Not being familiar with the flash technique is a problematic issue.
Even if you put all the technical issues aside, one must be familiar with the pace, structure and emotional aspects of a wedding celebration- even a small, private, casual wedding can be a challenge for the uninitiated. Always being in the right place at the rig time, anticipating the action and being read to shoot- focus, compose, set exposure, waiting for the peek expression are all acquired skills. And what about the formal shots- portraits, groups, knowing how to drape a gown or train, adjust a veil, where to place bouquets- and all within tight schedules and small windows of opportunity.

Money issues! As a business person- I never look into anyone's pocketbook! I have had clients with very modest weddings spend disproportionately lard sums of money on their photography and lavish opulent weddings where the photography was not a priority and their expenditure was minimal. The only question that is scary is when the clients couldn't care less about the wedding photography BEFORE the wedding and AFTER, once they experience the emotion and excitement of the day the PHOTOGRAPHS take on a significant degree of importance and if they are dissatisfied...y'all don't wanna know!

The best advice I can offer is that all photographers should QUALIFY their potential clients regardless if they are well paid, poorly paid, or working pro bono! Make certain that everybody is on the same page as to expectations of quality and quantity. Make sure the client knows what degree of cooperation and time you need on the wedding day. Most importantly- under-promise and over-deliver. Tell the client exactly what you experience is and where your level of expertise or lack thereof is at. Honesty IS the best policy!

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I would suggest you go to Amazon and get a copy of Don Feltner's "$54.000 a year in spare-time Wedding Photography. He included all the shots in a Wedding and lots of tips. I see they have five copies for not much money. - Dave

fotoman150

I would advise you to scout around for information and advice but don’t spend any money just yet. I think they will find the money for a pro even if they only pay him/ her a small fee and they will not pay you. Then you can enjoy the wedding as a guest.

zcarxrg Loc: Corpus Christi

I was in the same spot a few years ago for a wedding that took place on the beach in San Diego

As previously suggested I looked on line and downloaded a checklist of images to acquire. I purchased a Canon 80 D ( crop camera) with a 24 -70 2.8 ( also suggested…). I did not have a flash available during the mid-day ceremony but that is a good idea. There was time between the wedding and reception so I purchased an electronic picture frame and had it running when the reception started. I also had an I pad available so I could send group photos directly from the camera to the I pad for QC but my "assistant" disappeared.
My having a "real camera" ( mid- tier product ) and the bride and groom not being professional photographers resulted in comments that "all my photos were good" compared to what guests provided.

It would also be a good idea to get a second shooter to get images from a perspective that you will not be able to get... you can shoot the ceremony while they get alternate angles of the wedding party and images of the guests, etc.

I checked with the minister before the ceremony and verified it was OK for me to get close for pictures but having 110 mm at the long end meant I was no closer than some of the guests during the ceremony.

You tube , you tube, and you tube were great references. Good Luck