Couples Snub Wedding Photographers In Favour Of Family & Friends With A Camera

Wedding season will soon be upon us and while there still will be confetti, elegant cars and a pretty dress, there won't always be a professional wedding photographer. 

New research has revealed that the use of professional wedding photographers is in decline and many brides and grooms are actually putting the pressure of capturing wedding day photos on family members or friends. 

The survey, carried out by North West based wedding venue Heaton House Farm, found that 36% of the 1000 people they surveyed wouldn't be hiring a professional photographer to capture the most precious moments of their big day in 2016 and that 1 in 3 of them were going to rely on granny or best friend to take their photos. More are also opting to use GoPro cameras to capture their own video footage they can easily share on social media channels as well. 

Asking a friend or family member to capture your wedding photos may seem like a great money-saving idea but it's a lot of pressure to put on someone who, most likely, would just prefer to be celebrating your big day with you. Plus, even if they have a great Instagram portfolio that impresses you, it doesn't mean they'll have the necessary skills to capture wedding portraits you'll be pleased to hang on your wall.

The data collected in the survey clearly backs this up with the results showing that 1 in 5 (19%) of those surveyed, married in the last 3 years, who used a non-professional photographer on their wedding day were actually disappointed with the results. However, it would seem that some of the disappointment could have been avoided if the soon-to-be married couple actually took the time to look at the photos their chosen family photographer has captured in the past as out of those surveyed, only 1 in 5 reviewed their chosen photographer’s previous work before appointing them. At least if you higher a professional photographer you'll have a portfolio you can view before you decide to hire them, reducing the chances you'll be disappointed with the end results. 

We're not saying that non-professionals can't capture great images as the rise in popularity of photography-based social media sites as well as editing apps means more are developing great photography skills but this doesn't mean they're able to take on a whole wedding day photography assignment successfully. 

Commenting on social network portfolios, Sarah Heath, marketing manager at Heaton House Farm, said that: "More people are beginning to notice loved ones’ talents that were previously hidden and this has led to an increase in people opting to invite skilled family members and friends, who they can pose in front of whilst feeling totally at ease, to photograph their special day.”

Even though they may feel at ease, it doesn't mean the day will run smoothly as the survey discovered that many of the newlyweds didn't take the adequate measures to ensure the smooth running of the photography process ahead of the big day when working with a non-professional. However, if they'd employed a professional instead, this is something which they wouldn't have had to worry too much about as they would have created a photographic plan / list for you. 

Unfortunately, even though some may think it, shooting a wedding is not as easy as buying a big camera with a bigger lens and turning up at the church. You are going to be capturing the most important day in the couple’s life and if you can't prepare accordingly then it's definitely a job you should leave to the professionals who are more than happy to take the challenge on. In fact, a group of professional wedding photographers who were recently questioned said it was an amazing thing to be able to do. The same group of photographers also said they shot around 28 weddings a year earning, on average, £1520 per wedding which suggests that even though less people are hiring professional wedding photographers, they don't really need to worry about finding a new occupation just yet.