...But I know someone who will do it for free!

I can't count how many times I've heard this line from brides-to-be looking to save a few (okay, many) bucks as they plan their wedding. I also can't count how many of those brides have either called or e-mailed me half hysterical when all was said and done because their free photographer: 1) didn't show up; 2) missed a ton of pictures; 3) screwed up most (or all) of the pictures, or; 4) spent more time socializing/drinking/dancing/hanging out than working.

It's highly likely that, during the planning process, someone you know - a friend, a family member, a coworker, etc - is going to offer to provide some service for free. Although they may mean well and have your best interests in mind, this isn't a good idea for a handful of reasons. Let's explore a few.

1 - Conflict of interest.
There's no way to understate how difficult it is to remove oneself from the excitment of a wedding day and become a worker. It's natural to want to mix, mingle, and socialize with the other guests when you know people. And it's hard to pull yourself away from that environment and get to work. So while the volunteer photographer is busy chatting away with folks he hasn't seen in decades, he's not taking pictures and he's missing those oh-so-important moments.

2 - No guarantee of experience. 
The number of people looking to get into the wedding business has increased exponentially in the last few years. To anyone looking for their "big break", a friend's or family member's wedding seems like just the ticket! Unfortunately, what this means is that even though you're receiving a free service, you're also allowing someone (with whom you have some sort of personal relationship) to turn your wedding day into their experiment. There's no guarantee that the person will do their job correctly or well, and when it comes to taking photos, there's no room for error.

3 - Potential for the relationship to sustain irreparable damage.
Either of the above scenarios can yield similar outcomes: you'll be left without usable photos, or with no photos at all. And what happens to the relationship you have with the person who let you down? Sadly, in my experience, I've seen one too many relationships and friendships have wedges driven into them because of things like this.