It’s a tempting idea for some people – particularly if you have a strict budget to stick to for your wedding and you are looking for ways to save some cash.

But does that make this a wise idea to consider – or something to be avoided at all costs?

It all depends on how good your friend is with a video camera. If they happen to be a professional then by all means take advantage of that connection. Even then you should not assume that they will do it for free unless they say so. They could be turning down another paid job to film your wedding for you, so you will need to make it worth their while even if they are a friend.

If they offer to videotape your wedding and they aren’t a pro at doing it, then you will have to think of a way to let them down gently. You can take them up on their offer of course, but you should not expect to get a professional quality video of your wedding in return. It all depends on what you expect and what you want to get. If nothing but the best will do, you have to find a way to tell them their services in this respect are not needed.

There are a couple of ways you can do this. For starters you could tell them you have already booked someone to film it for you – even if this isn’t the case. If they happen to ask who you can always say your partner booked it or you simply can’t remember.

Alternatively you could say you want something very specific and you are already in talks with a professional wedding video to provide what you are looking for. It is your wedding and if they don’t get the message or they are persistent in wanting to ‘help you out’, you must be firm until the message does get through.

There have been cases in the past where people have caved in to the pressure of a well meaning family member or friend to let them tape the wedding. And the results are invariably less than professional. You get just one shot at this and if it goes wrong there is no way you can have a rerun – unless you want to hold the whole wedding again of course. And that is an expensive solution.

In the end there are other areas where you can save some cash on your wedding if that is what you want to do. Trying to skimp on the video of the wedding is rarely a good idea, particularly when it comes to relying on someone you know to film it.

The trouble is that most people think all you have to do is point and shoot. But while this is true to a certain degree it is amazing how much people can wobble a camera about when they think they are holding it perfectly still. In addition a friend is not likely to have professional quality equipment to film with. So make sure you don’t skimp. Get a professional in this area – you won’t regret it.

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