Nina Bashaw
- Jun 25, 2018
- 3 min read

6 reasons why you need to hire a professional wedding photographer

Sometimes I hear of bride and grooms choosing not to hire a professional wedding photographer for their wedding day. I hear a variety of reasons why they makes this decision and sometimes it comes down to budget, they feel as if they can’t afford it. And sometimes they feel like a friend that has nice camera can snap a few shots and call it good. Or to be quite frank, sometimes people just don’t value photography so therefore they choose to not hire a wedding photographer. All of these reasons I just stated break my heart and the majority of the time newly married couples have mentioned how much they regret not having a professional wedding photographer. So if you are on the fence about why you should hire a wedding photographer, here are some reasons why you should seriously consider investing in a professional wedding photographer.

1. A professional wedding photographer is an expert in their own field!

Some of my favorite shots from a wedding day are candid, in the moment shots, ones that can not be re-created. A good wedding photographer is alert to these moments and knows how to capture them at the right time. If you have someone that is not trained in wedding photography, more than likely they might be overwhelmed and distracted thus, missing out on those quick little moments. A non-professional aka “friend with a nice camera” might not have adequate camera gear to shoot a wedding, such as lighting, lenses, backup gear, styling kits for your jewelry, dress, and the like. There is so much gear and lots of little things that a true professional carries with them at all times. Small things like a step stool, I’m short so I always have mine with me.

2: The power of posing and direction!

As a Columbia, SC wedding photographer, one thing that I have studied and perfected is the power of posing and knowing angles! If you have someone that is not trained in posing you more than likely will be sorely disappointed with your wedding photos because they will be shot from a bad angle or poor posing. A professional will also know what poses work for each couples height differences, body type, face structure, cropping, rule of thirds, lighting and much more! They will also know how to give direction to you as the bride and groom as well as to your bridal party and family.

3. Your friends and family should be able to truly enjoy the wedding day.

If you choose to have a friend or family member with a nice camera to photograph your wedding but they are also a guest, it is highly possible that they won’t be able to really celebrate and enjoy your wedding. Also the other is true, if they are a guest at the wedding that is just going to “snap a few photos”, then they might not be very committed to getting all the shots that they need to get to photograph your wedding day.

4. A professional photographer is invested in you!

When you hire a professional wedding photographer, you are paying them for their time, talent, and expertise. They will go above and beyond to make sure you love your wedding photographs. They will treat you with kindness and respect, you are their priority that day. When you hire a professional wedding photographer, you should be signing a contract, this is another way that they show they are legal, professional, and that they value your business!

5. No strained friendships

This where the saying “don’t mix business and pleasure” comes into play. When you hire a professional wedding photographer, you can avoid the potential sticky situation of your friend not delivering good quality images that you likely expected for your wedding photos. You thus avoid the any tension and don’t have to worry about any damage to your friendship.

6. Invest in your memories!

You can’t go back and reshoot a real wedding, it only happens once. You want to have all those moments from your beautiful wedding captured so you can look back at your wedding with fond memories. Can a true professional wedding photographer be expensive? Yes, but how sad it would be for you to cut out wedding photography because you didn’t hire a professional wedding photographer. After all your wedding photos are the one tangible thing you will walk away with after you say “I do”. Invest in your memories with a professional wedding photographer!