Djedi

Yes, everyone does have to start someplace. Like perhaps working for a pro six months?
"YOU ONLY GET 1 CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT !!!!!!!!" So, if you go for it, don't forget the valium!

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

It's been more than 24 hours since the OP dropped this hot potato and he hasn't been back to acknowledge any of the good advice. Have we been trolled???

skingfong Loc: Sacramento

I was asked the same thing. I said no. But if they would hire a professional wedding photographer, I'll be happy to add some pictures to what the pro shoots. The pro and I worked very well together and coordinated things well. During the wedding ceremony she took the stills while I took the video. While shooting stills together we directed the subjects to look at which camera during the shoot. I let her know that she had priority and could override me at anytime. This took off all the pressure on me the and friendship I had with the couple. Everything turned out great. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

marty wild Loc: England

What flash power do you have in your bag? Minimum three batteries and four cards set folders and swap card s every hour if you have no facility to back up to lap top. Set your self a list up and do not deviate from your plan! Do not be frighten to ask people to move out of the way. Shoot twice keep an eye on your histogram if there's lots of white. Shoot raw you can pull quite a bit back. Most of all enjoy your self.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

More likely he's hiding under the bed from the comments !

canon Lee

Lots of good advice given here. Shooting a wedding is about being in the right place at the right time and prepared with your camera settings. You can only learn this by doing a lot of weddings. There are 2 lighting situations to consider, "low light" & "out door light". Shooting a wedding is not like any other type of shoots. It's a changing situation. I strongly suggest that if you want to keep a friend, tell him to hire a pro. No doubt you aren't getting paid, which tells me your friend is using you and might be a bit tight on his budget.
However if you really want the challenge here are some helpful musts. You need a fast lens (F2.8 fixed aperture) if in a low light situation, like a church. If you are in a tight or limited space ( like shooting in a small bedroom) you will need a wide angle lens ( 10mm~22mm)! You will need a high powered flash. Bring at least 3- 8GB cards, 3 batteries for camera, 3 sets of batteries for you flash. You will need an assistant. If you don't have this minimum equipment you are not ready to shoot a wedding.
By all means take tons of shots, you can get a few that are keepers. Be prepared to have a long day, 10~12 hours & at least 4 hours post editing. Are you sure you really want to do this? If so good luck!

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

Probably!!!!!

RonL

No way and no how. Unless you love the idea of "performing without a net", think twice. See if you can get a wedding PRO to let you second shoot for him/her sometime and see how much fun they have on the big day. But starting out as THE photog with 0 wedding experience - WOW! That would be a gutsy move.

Maik723

Do it........That's right......... I said, DO IT. Explain your level of experience to your friend, including your reservations and limitations. If he/she is still game, stress to them that you will do your absolute best. You might consider doing it for free and consider it a gift. Do it just for the experience. This way,,,,,,,less pressure. Take 85mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm with 2 bodies. Scout the church and reception place. YouTube wedding photography to watch and learn the basics. Gain confidence, be strong and assured, then get your butt out there, cover this wonderful event and make us proud. Good luck.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

If you feel you MUST do it....then:
1) set expectations on what they can count on. Which will be the posed shots only. . All the "live action" will be a crap shoot if you dont have experience.
2) prepare....everything that has been posted up to now is true.
3) its a military level planning for the live action.
You need to know ahead of time where you need to be and have pre-set your settings in C1 (canon) preset .... when the bride is coming....flip to it.
4) servo mode always.....for stills take 3-5 shots ALWAYs ...double that for every 5 people in the shot...you dont have time to chimp to see if all the eyes are open etc. ....you will lose the guests....servo always means always getting the shot. If you forget and leave it in one-shot...all live action photos will be blurry.
....100 other tips...google is your friend....

Wedding photography is the hardest of all pro work. One chance. No do-overs. I love it because i am a stress junkie and watching the bride cry tears of rapturous joy when i show the photos is worth the sleepless night before the day....and I dont sleep well the night before ....

Good luck....and you need to post your experience :-) ...the rest of us all had our first wedding at some point. 2nd shooter doesnt count. When you are primary....the weight is on you.

qualtalk

I would definitely echo these comments. I'm pretty good at landscapes and things like shooting my great-nephew's baseball games with a 300mm lens, but I would never even consider being the primary photographer at a wedding.

I did offer to take informal shots at my niece's wedding earlier this year, especially at events where the pro wasn't shooting, like the rehearsal dinner and the after-reception bonfire. And I was very careful to stay out of the pro's way when she was shooting the actual ceremony and the reception. (The pro had 3 shooters and an assistant, btw, and those photos were spectacular.) My niece was thrilled when she was the final versions of my shots, and they were a nice complement to the pro's shots.

That said, we do have a friend who is having a super-informal wedding and reception at our local wine shop. I asked the bride-to-be if she was having a photographer there; she laughed and said, "No way - this is super low key!" I offered to take some informal shots throughout the evening, and she was thrilled beyond belief.

This one I'm okay with because there are no expectations; other than that, it's strictly backup photographer for me!

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

Don't!

aellman Loc: Boston MA

I couldn't agree more. You are taking a tremendous risk. Wedding photography usually entails more than just photography (herding cats), and it is different from any other form of photography. It is a task for experienced shooters only. >Alan

14kphotog Loc: Marietta, Ohio

I have not heard back from org. poster. One thing might be is it's a small wedding and its all they can afford for pictures. They may not be looking for any fancy pictures. That is a great way to find out if you really want to do weddings. Or have we been messed with ??????????

tinwhistle

I Didn't bother with reading all 5 pages of replies, but I'll bet there were several that said "don't do it". My sentiments exactly, especially if this is a first wedding (for the couple), and a full blown ceremony. To take on that type wedding is to tread on very thin ice. Let a professional wedding photog do it...