Today we are going to be talking about photographing a friend’s wedding, what to expect and should you do it in the first place?



Angus sent in a question and said, my friends like my street photography photos and I’ve taken photos of them in the past just for fun. When meeting with them they said they have confidence in me. The problem is I’ve never photographed a wedding before.



I have all the equipment I need including backup equipment. But I’m not sure if I should photograph their wedding as my first or even how much I should charge them?



Should you photograph a friend’s wedding?



This is a tricky one because it comes down to your confidence level.



Clearly, your friends have trust in you and they like your photography as a whole, which is excellent. You have the equipment by the sounds of things. It really comes down to how comfortable you feel.



There are going to be people who will listen to this podcast who are professional photographers, and they’re going to say “ don’t do it because you could stuff it up”.



You know what? They’re right. 



There are a lot of things that could go wrong and may even lose a friend in the process.



But, What people need to understand is sometimes the bride and groom want photography done for their wedding, ask friends because they want to save money, they feel more confident with a friend doing it, or they don’t value photography as a whole and just want to get it done the cheapest way possible.



Regardless of how they feel, don’t worry about people giving you negative advice and saying you shouldn’t do it.



1. Offer the wedding photos as a gift



What I think you should do is maybe use this as an opportunity to think about doing wedding photography and see if you like it.



Think of it this way, 



You could offer the wedding photos as a wedding gift.



By doing so, you can say to them, 



I am going to photograph your wedding. But I have no prior experience. I will only photograph the ceremony, bridal party, family portraits and a portion of the reception. After that, you’re allowed to sit down, enjoy the meal, and enjoy the festivities.



They may want more from you and it’s up to you if you want to do it. Think of yourself first as it is a big responsibility and will be a super long day.



2. Setting Expectations and price



You asked if you should charge your friends to photograph their wedding? 



I think you shouldn’t, especially for your first wedding and by not charging, it will reduce the stress of photographing your friend’s wedding day.



I would also ask your friends to sign a one page document that lists the price of $0 and what you are going to photograph, how you will deliver the photos and when the photos will be ready. 



Even though I’ve photographed weddings for a long time. I only ever offer free weddings to close friends as a wedding gift and I still get them to sign a contract.



I think your friends would be understanding, I think anybody would love to get their wedding photos as a gift.



The fact that they like your street photography, which a lot of wedding photography is about candid moments,