Wedding season has well and truly began with weddings in Runcorn, Widnes and Liverpool already under my belt this year!

Last week I joined this lovely couple to photograph their guests arriving, the lovely ceremony, grab some reportage with guests afterwards, confetti action, a group shot and then some informal portraits before they headed off to their second venue.

Photography is the one thing that really remains after the day is gone. I personally would prioritise it over anything else because I'd want to remember how it felt to be with the people most special to me.

Honestly, when it comes to photographs on your wedding day, the candids are what you'll love most- because they are just real pure emotion!

Candids are beautiful because they are unplanned and natural, but it takes a lot of skill and experiences in reading people, watching for key moments and predicting where the action will be to capture them well and clearly. It's all about the "decisive moment", not haphazardly snapping the shutter in random directions on rapid fire!

I've seen apps advertised recently on social media aiming to replace pro photography. "Don't hire a photographer, just get your friends and family to send you their pics on our amazing app" they say.

"We couldn't afford a pro photographer so we got our friends to do it instead". Cut to the app showing, seemingly professional shots of a wedding- lovely, crisp, bright, nice depth of field, defo not the reality of your Mum with her iphone, blurry finger in frame, or your little nephews POV right up your nose, or badly lit snaps of you cutting your cake looking like you've got ten chins as a random flash hits you smack in the eyes.

I mean, the fact they are using stock library images of weddings to advertise their app says it all really doesn't it?

I completely understand not everyone can afford quality professional photography, but honestly, if you go down this route of leaving it to luck details will be missed, important moments lost AND you will get nudes....🤣

My suggestion? Look for a pro in your budget, and pay for the best you can afford, because no one regrets good photography if you have funds to allocate to it.

But, if you really can't afford professional photography, I'd task a trusted friend to be on photo duty rather than trusting random pics from everyone. Someone needs to be committed to capturing the action consistently, even if it's not a professional camera, because you don't want to feel like you missed something. But make sure they like being on their feet, don't mind the stress and pressure, know when to follow the action and when to step back and let things happen without being in everyones faces, and love running around like a blue arsed fly because they will need to magically be everywhere for a long long time simultaneously being unobtrusive and not detracting from your moment...!

Or just hire a professional, someone with a consistent portfolio of work you like, who's within your budget whatever that may be.