A More personal Wedding?

Hmmmm you kind of sound like a spammer with a link in your first post...

But we were having just us and 18 guests at our ceremony. Then 150 afterwards so I think it's a great idea!

Hello Maddy and welcome to hitched.

Budget weddings can be amazing. I have done weddings where sisters have made the cakes, mums have made the bunting and hand picked wild flowers everywhere and they have been just as amazing as the higher budget weddings I have been to.

The disposable cameras are a great idea as well and is something I have also seen at previous weddings.

Photographer wise though and this point has been argued endlessly on this forum its not just the person having a flash piece of equipment, its the person who is taking the photographs that makes them amazing. A good photographer will also in no way make you feel like you have a stranger at your wedding they will get to know you and will want you to be comfortable with them being there otherwise they can not do there job properly. At the end of the day if you can not afford a photographer/videographer then finding other ways of getting a story of your day is absolutely great but do not disregard a professional because you feel they will make people uncomfortable because a good photographer won't have that effect at all.

Several weddings I have done were ones where the couple weren't even going to have a photographer and when they received the photos they were really glad they had. I am not trying to sell me but have a little look around as you only get one chance to get these photographs and they will be the only physical reminder (apart from the rings) of your day.

THIS

Sorry if your not, and each to there own but paying £1000 for a video and making your own dress sounds a bit strange, buy a video camera for £300 and spend £700 on a dress!

I invite my friend to share my life. They are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together.

Have you made any dresses before? I've made a few dresses over the last couple of years but I don't think I'd be ready to make a wedding dress. And it would take a lot of time! Plus if you make a dress you'll make it to fit yourself so why do you say you would need someone to take it in for you?

I've shot weddings where the bride and groom did almost everything themselves and they were deeply personal, fantastic days. I would have to agree with Ami though about the photographer, and not just because I am one. As Ami has pointed out, if you look for a photographer who specialises more in a reportage style, you should hardly know they are there and getting a disk only package should keep the cost down. There are many people who own great cameras who will happily show you their best work. what they won't show you is the number of shots they took before they got that one great one. Owning the right tools is less than half the battle, as my wife will attest after examining my DIY skills :-)

I am having buget wedding but I have said all along that I wanted a good photographer, as at the end of the day you things you have after are memories, photos and the rings.

I personally don't see the point of a videographer.

The cost of disposable cameras and the developing them, out weights the amount of decent pictures you would get, the usual people drunk taking pictures of their shoe is not what I want to have to pay for.

As for the dresses someone here on hitched did make their BM's dresses and they were lovely, but as for a wedding dress you can get the cheap enough in the sale that would probably cost less than the material and time.

Regarding the photographer, I know it is against Hitched dogma, but you don't absolutely need a professional if you really are keen to save money. However, I wouldn't rely on disposable cameras (notoriously poor picture quality/lots of drunk pictures of people's ears) or just getting guests' photographs, as they may well miss important moments for you. If you have a relative/friend who is a decent photographer with good kit, appoint them as your "official" photographer and tell them what important bits you want to make sure are covered. You won't get the same quality as if you paid a professional, but you will at least make sure that you don't miss anything and it'll be less haphazard than just hoping that guests take pics at the right time.

We had my BiL as our photographer (not professional, but a very keen, skilled and experienced amateur, with decent kit) and he did a really amazing job. I'm sure if we'd had a pro, there are a few things that might have been a bit crisper etc, but for us, that wasn't worth an extra £1000. Decide on how important photos are to you and how much you're willing to pay. Though I must say if I had the choice between spending £1000 on a "shoot it yourself" video and the same amount on a pro tog, I know which I'd be picking.