UK Venue Survey Suggests More Couples Opting to Hire Family or Friends Instead of Pro Wedding Photographers

According to a recent survey taken by a popular UK wedding venue, up to 1/3 of engaged couples plan on picking a family member or a family friend as a photographer rather than hiring a pro. This story has been going around a bit lately, but it honestly shouldn’t come as much of a surprise at this point in time.

An interesting tidbit at the end of the study also says that 1/5 of the couples who choose to skip the pro photographer regret doing so and wish their pictures were better. That number, to me, is actually more surprising, but I have to wonder if the expectations are being influenced in that case by the fact that the couple is saving a lot of money.

While the inclination for something like this is to immediately jump to an alarmist headline (they’re so good for internet traffic), we have to keep in mind that it’s a relatively small—if very focused—pool of responses. I have personally had a couple come back to me after a pitch and say they’re going with a family friend, and I’m willing to bet many of you have as well. But, that has been the case for quite some time now and rather than accept that the sky is falling, many photographers have done a great job adapting to the market and have become adept at explaining what advantages come with an experienced professional rather than an uncle with a fancy camera.