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I guess this comes up for most of us that are known by friends as "the photographer"... I've been asked to be the official photographer at a wedding.
I think I have the equipment sorted. I have my DSLR, and am hiring a flash and an L-series lens. I have a list of "formal" pictures that the bride and groom want.
What am I missing? Do you have any tips for how to "manage" all the guests without getting in the way? Are there any indispensable gadgets that I should consider?
Maybe also relevant:
There's a difference in "doing it as a wedding present" (for friends/family) and "doing it return for money". The "must have"s stay the same, but I would expect a professional to cover most of the "should have"s too.
There are three main groups of kit, the "must", the "should" and the "nice to":
If there are ushers, make them earn their keep and try and get them to assist -- they generally will know who is family, who are friends, and whether they're on the bride or groom's side, and can usually be coaxed into helping (even if it's a gentle nudge along the lines of "the sooner you help get these done, the sooner the bar can prop you up")
Be assertive; Generally, guests are used to being corralled at weddings and are understanding that you're just doing you job.
Make sure you look around and pay attention to those that aren't aware of the camera - for example, children picking up confetti or the ushers chatting up the bridesmaids...
If I were in your position I would have all of that plus a written agreement stating that the couple understand that you are not a professional wedding photographer, you are doing this as a favour (and in the process saving them hundreds of dollars), and thus they cannot complain (or sue you) if the results are in any way not as good as they are expecting. Not that you can't get as good results as a pro or shouldn't try, it's just nice to have that piece of paper...
Regarding equipment, a monopod is very handy in church if you can't get close to the couple (some ministers make you stand at the back) and have to use a telephoto. I'd also add a telephoto lens to the list. Regarding lenses you should he able to cover 24 - 200mm equiv. I've never shot a wedding where I needed to shoot outside this range, sometimes it's nice to have the ability.
Regarding gadgets they don't have to high tech, I have a neck tie with a lens cloth sewn into the back for easy lens cleaning (pat pending). I also always carry: tissues, electrical tape, duck tape, cash, local taxi numbers, a swiss army knife. You never know when they might be useful (at one welding I had to fix the radiator in a 1930s Mercedes Benz in order to actually get the bride to the ceremony!)
Regarding managing people, you need to look and act like the official photographer. Wear a suit and tie, use a battery grip if you have one to make you camera look bigger (everyone at a wedding has a DSLR these days, but most are rebels with the kit lens, you need to stand out). Order people around, but be polite.
Make sure the couple's expectations are realistic.
We asked a friend to photograph our wedding as a gift, and were delighted with the result, because we had very low expectations (mostly because I'm an amateur myself, and know how hard it is to get the perfect shot every time). Our friend did a great job, and we got several pro-quality pictures. But not for every critical moment (for instance, we don't have a good picture of the bouquet throwing, and our ceremony pictures needed a lot of post-processing because the lighting was suboptimal).
Also, do not forget to photograph a lot of the background elements and details. Table settings, rings, placecards, etc... And expecially anything homemade. These are easy to photograph beforehand, you can take your time composing a really good picture, and they make good album fillers.
I would
Some good articles for further reading:
