h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One bit of advice from personal experience as an art photographer:

Don't ask your friend or relative who's an outstanding landscape or fine art photographer to shoot your wedding. Wedding photography is a very different kind of photography. Your friend probably won't like doing it, Aunt Edna will be upset that you don't have the standard wedding photographs, and the relationship will end up strained.

Hire a regular wedding photographer to do all the standard stuff, and ask your friend to come and take whatever photos he or she wishes as well.

Another alternative: buy disposable cameras for all the tables and let the relatives take whatever photos they want. If the photos end up lousy, it's their fault.

I'd have to disagree on this point. For our wedding we got a friend to do it who was 'semi-professional' (i.e. he was hoping to be professional). He had a great time and the photos turned out beautifully. The thing is to find someone who wants to do it and has /some/ experience in composing pictures.

We saved a heap of money, and I think ended up with better photos than all those I'd seen as 'examples' of professional photographers work. In this case I think that's cause our friend cared about the subjects he was photographing.

Of course if you don't have a friend that cares that much then you're stuck forking out lots of dollars for a package you may not be happy with.

I found a photographer who shoots in 35mm, and her daughter does the video.
They'll be done in 2 weeks or less. They'll be put in an acid-free album. I'll have every single picture. I'll have the negatives immediately. I won't have to pick and choose per sheet which photos I'll have. I won't have to go throught the photographer for copies. She can do black and white, and charges $40 for a roll of 24. She can use her computer to black and white any color photo I want changed over.
I saw her work. I like her. She met me at the church, and we discussed shooting places and options. She works out of home, so I'm not paying for her hoity-toity office in the just-so part of town and her office staff.
The video will have a custom cover with our picture and information. I got to choose the style of music.
I bought the largest package she offered, and we made a deal. If I use less time, she throws in a second album of all the pictures and a second video for my parents.
All this, and for less than a "regular professional" photographer and videographer charges just to show up!
Keep looking, you can find good deals out there!
But, a warning, you must call the photographer ASAP! Call them as soon as you find out your venue is free!
There are only so many Saturdays in a year! In fact, opt for another day, and they might even charge you less.