Capturing Memories

Having shot a fair number of weddings in my time already I have had the odd opportunity to “talk shop” with may aspiring photographers as well as seasoned professionals. Of course it takes all kinds to make the world go around but I would like to address one common sticking points that just keep coming up.
I am usually one of the first to chime in and offer constructive advice when someone tells me that a friend or relative has asked them to shoot a wedding. I mean assuming that the person has a sound working knowledge of the tools they should be able to do a decent job with some preparation, and the right expectations set with the couple. A novice, on the other hand, I would suggest not to jump in to quickly.
The most common thing to come up is gear, “what’s in the bag?” is the common question. To me that question is not so important as” what is the minimum I will need?” Simply stated you could shoot a wedding and get away with it with one camera, one lens, and one flash in a perfect world. We, sadly, do not live in a perfect world. I for one do not ever want to have to stand up in front of a couple and explain why there are no images of the ceremony from the entry procession forward because of an equipment failure. This is why I have backups of my backups as first priority, then comes things like an external battery pack for the flash, or a nice diffuser. We do not recommend backup equipment to novices just to put a monetary roadblock in the way of becoming a pro, as some seem to believe. We say have backups to save both you and that couple from that very awkward conversation.
I was recently speaking with a woman that is an accomplished photographer and knows her equipment very well. She was invited by a friend to shoot her daughters wedding because she did such a nice job on some other photos they had seen. When I mentioned backup equipment the woman’s friend took offense and assumed I was being a snob. Which actually could not be further from the case. If everyone listened to the TV announcer saying “don’t try this at home” we would never know what was possible. So I say, go for it. I only ask that you keep the promise and assume the responsibility for the job that the couple deserves.
Weddings are a unique animal in the photography world. I cannot think of a more stressful event for a novice to jump into. Once you are satisfied with your equipment, either by purchasing, borrowing, or renting, the next step is to set the expectations of the client. Do not be afraid to express your true feelings about the event to the client. If you are worried about a time constraint or lighting at a location discussing the issue beforehand can solve the problem most times as a novice. The client more than likely knows you are a novice, so just be straight forward with them and honest.
Get a shot list from the client and follow it. There are many images that can be expected from a wedding photographer. Without a written shot list the expectations are not set. As a professional, I never shoot an event like this without one. There are places online to find example shot lists. One more piece of advice is do not have the client write down the names of the people involved, but rather their relationship to them. It is much easier to locate the brother of the groom at the event than someone named Bill for example. Especially if you are not intimately familiar with the families.
Feel free to ask any questions, I am more than willing to help.