andy_phillips1

I would like to thank you all for your comments and in your tact at not being too vicious with me. I have decided to hold fire for now and see what happens after B&G get their images. If they are unhappy I will of course offer everything I can to repay although obviously the day cannot be redone. I love photography and perhaps quitting completely would be a tad premature but I do however now realise my limitations and if I do ever approach another wedding it will be with many hours as a second shooter under my belt and even then possibly for free to build my portfolio. I agree it is immoral to practice on paying customers but in my defence I did not see it as practicing I honestly thought I could handle it and that all wedding photographers had to start at wedding number one. How wrong I was.

Thank you for your reply. Yes I agree I have to just go with the flow for now and pray they like them more than I. I guess my post is to highlight that wedding photography is not to be taken lightly and only those at the top of their game should approach and then with caution.

Ok here goes. As a hobbyist photographer I decided to delve into the world of wedding photography. I have done many portraits and family shoots that have all been received well. The person who asked me to do the wedding like my work and thought I would be suitable for their daughters wedding. I agreed to do this but advised them I am a beginner and that my price would be low due to my lack of experience. We agreed a price of £350 and no contract was issued. On the day I arrived at 7am to take candids of the bride getting ready and shots of dress/shoes etc. I arrived at church early to capture groom waiting for his bride. I captured what I could of the service even though the vicar refused shots being taken in the church during the ceremony and I had to take them from outside the hall. I then captured as many group shots outside as possible in the worst of wind and rain. I accompanied them to the reception dinner and celebrations throughout the night taking as many shots as I could. I finally left at 11pm. I have never worked so hard in my life and getting home to bed was bliss. My package to the bride includes over 350 digital photos all edited and then some extra duplicates of black and white/ sepia and photoshopped pictures. These will be presented in a bride and groom memory stick boxset and gift wrapped. A large diamante frame with 5 prints inside. 2 a4 frames with prints inside. A musical slideshow of photos set to their choice of music. A a3 photo album with in excess of 50 photos of the day and a 2019 calendar highlighting their day. I spent nearly £200 on this thus taking £150 for myself for my time. My nightmare is I hate the images I have taken and know as I worked alone I missed some big moments. I feel like I should apologise when I hand them over and even offer them a full refund. I take my hat off to seasoned wedding photographers and agree you do get what you pay for. Do not scrimp on your big day for a budget photographer when those pics will be with you for the rest of your life. Any advice on where I go from here is much appreciated but please no hate, I genuinely tried my best but obviously that just was not good enough. I will step away from weddings and stick to my comfort zone of portraiture from now on.