Best alternatives for wedding photographers in 2024
Lense ― November 16, 2023
Best alternatives for wedding photographers in 2024
Don’t want a photographer at your wedding? No problem. Here are the best (and cheap) alternatives for wedding photographers in 2024.
‘Why are wedding photographers so expensive’ - is a phrase we hear a lot. And we agree!
That’s why more and more couples are ditching traditional wedding photography for more authentic alternatives. That way, you still get plenty of memories of your big day. In this guide, we will list our 4 favourite alternatives to wedding photographers!
Do I need a wedding photographer?
Deciding if a wedding photographer is a must or not is a pretty personal call. A bunch of factors come into play – your budget, the photo style you’re after, whether you lean towards authenticity or perfection. Figuring out if it's worth the investment can be a bit of a head-scratcher. Let’s break down the pros and cons of hiring a wedding photographer.
What exactly is the job of a wedding photographer?
A wedding photographer is responsible for taking pictures at various moments before, during, and after your wedding ceremony. They specialize in creating whatever aesthetic you have in mind and deliver high quality shots. This is something that’s hard to replicate with cheaper alternatives, but not impossible! To sum up the pro’s:
You get professional wedding photos
They use storytelling to create a visual narrative of your special day
you get memorable shots of your special day
They minimize stress by taking care of the pictures
They capture couple and group shots efficiently
Why should you think twice before hiring a wedding photographer?
As mentioned before, there are downsides of hiring a wedding photographer. Here are some of the biggest reasons why you might not want to hire one for yourself:
It’s too expensive. Highly experienced wedding photographers can charge anywhere from 5-10k or more!
You are having a small wedding
Some might find wedding photographers to be too Intrusive and ruin the flow of their wedding.
You don’t want your wedding to feel too formal.
Setting up shots can be very time-consuming.
Lack of spontaneity.
Digital age makes it easier to find cheaper alternatives for wedding photography.
They don't capture candid moments like your guests with their smartphone
Alternatives for a wedding photographer
Now that you know more about the pro’s and con’s of wedding photographers, let’s look at some alternatives (or additions) that you should consider.
1. Collecting wedding photos from your guests with a disposable camera app!
In today’s age, almost everyone owns a phone with a great camera. Your guests already take lots of pictures of your wedding, but you might never get to see them. It can be a hassle collecting your wedding photos from your guests the normal way, luckily, Lense App has the solution for you. It is a great alternative to buying expensive disposable cameras for your wedding.
When your guests scan an QR-code, their phone will turn into a disposable camera without needing to downloading the app. They even get a lock screen notification for easy access. Everyone will be able to take a limited amount of pictures, just like a real disposable camera.
The best part about Lense App Is that all the pictures will get combined in a shared album. You as the host can decide which pictures you want deleted and whether your guests get to see the pictures.
By using this disposable camera app for your wedding, you get to relive your special moments through the POV of your guests. These behind-the-scenes moments are something that a traditional photographer will never have access to. Lense incentivizes your guests to take more pictures, and you actually get to see them all! This is by far the easiest and most fun way to collect photos from your wedding guests.
✅ Pros
Collecting wedding photos from your guests.
Capture every special moment.
Capture candid moments from your wedding through your guests’ POV.
A fun way to keep your guests occupied.
No app download necessary for guests.
What does it cost?
There is a free plan for a limited number of guests. Paid options can range anywhere from $5.99 to $99.99.
2. A photo booth at your wedding
When talking about authenticity, what is a better way to achieve that than having a photo booth at your wedding! It is not uncommon to see one at weddings nowadays. Your guests will love this, especially after a couple drinks. There are two options: DIY or rented photo booths.
Rented photo booths are ones that you rent from a company and usually come with someone to set it up and help your guests to take photos. A fun alternative to a wedding photographer indeed, but it is typically not very inexpensive.
DIY photo booths can be set up by yourself. This is definitely cheaper, and it can be more fun than renting a photo booth. Apart from any decoration that can make the place fancier, you only need a stand, an iPad with a photo booth app installed.
✅ Pros:
A fun way to take group / couple photos.
Seeing guest’s photos.
What does it cost?
Assuming you already have a Tablet or iPad, costs should only be around $50-$200 for the photo booth app and any decorations.
3. Have a friend or photography student take photos for you!
There might be a chance that one of your friends or family has a passion for photography. You can ask them if they want to take pictures at your wedding. Chances are, they do!
Having a friend take your wedding photos might give you less professional pictures, but they probably will end up being more authentic. In return, you can offer them to skip the wedding present or give them a small amount of money. There are also plenty of photography students willing to take on projects like this!
✅ Pros
Can take couple and group photos.
Getting great ceremony photos and candid photos of your guests
What does it cost?
Way less than a professional photographer. In case of a family or friend - probably zero dollars. If it’s a student, a couple of hundred dollars or for free to put in their portfolio.
4. Sharing regular disposable cameras at your wedding
The past few years, old school disposable cameras are making a big return. Guests love playing around with these, just like in the old days. It can be so much fun to see all the photos that your guests take. Besides that, you get stylish old-school photos from your modern wedding.
There are some downsides though, that’s why we prefer the Lense disposable camera app instead:
Here is why we dislike using traditional disposable cameras for your wedding:
Disposable cameras can be pretty hard to understand for guests
The photo quality isn’t the greatest.
It is pretty hard to actually get to see the photos yourself.
Guests always forget to enable the flash.
That said, sharing disposable cameras at your wedding can be a very fun way to keep your guest occupied.
What does it cost?
Anywhere from $10-$50 per camera.
Verdict
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference and the budget that you have. Wedding photographers are expensive, but there are plenty of alternatives. You can’t go wrong with a DIY photo booth, giving out disposable cameras or having your friend be the photographer. Though, our personal favourite is to use a disposable camera app for your wedding, like Lense. It is an easy and fun way to capture everyone’s memories and have them all appear in a shared album. But we really recommend combining these different ideas together.