Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer, PLEASE.

It happens all the time, brides everywhere decide to not spend the money on a professional wedding photographer. They choose to go with a friend or family member with a "nice" camera. Now, I'm not trying to disgrace the beginner photographer or anything like that. I know budgets really do matter, but I just wanted any brides who happen to be reading this, to understand that you if you want images like you see wedding photographers create, then you need to hire a professional wedding photographer.

During the month of June, I've had two inquiries asking me if I could edit their wedding photos that a friend took, because they didn't turn out the way they were hoping or imagined, or whatever the excuse may be. The thing is, I can't. I can't "photoshop" bad lighting, or an unfocused photo. While photoshop is an excellent tool, and I wouldn't want to work with any other program, there are limitations. Professional wedding photographers get the image in their camera, with their creative eye, not in editing in photoshop. If you were to look through their memory cards before the editing, the pictures would still be amazing. The editing is something the just adds that little spark, or finishing.

Brides, I want you to know that I'm not asking you to hire me (even though I would love to photograph your wedding) but I am asking you to reconsider cutting corners on your wedding photography, because at the end of wedding, after all the flowers have wilted and your dress is boxed up–all you have left is that your married to your best friend and you have beautiful images to prove it.