When my RAV4 is cold in the morning, it sometimes gives a little puff of blue-ish, white-ish smoke on start-up. So I took it into my Toyota dealer to have it looked at. I dropped it off at 11:00 and picked it up half an hour later. The mechanic told me that it could be one of a couple of things, but most likely it was nothing. If the car uses more than a litre of oil in 5000 km, then bring it back.

The cost for half an hour at the shop for a mechanic to tell me it was probably nothing? $50. But you know what? I don’t mind. I wanted the car to be looked at by a professional. By someone who knew what he was doing, because it was more important to me that it was done right than that it was simply done at all. I paid not just for his time, but for his expertise, his experience and his unique knowledge of cars like mine. I went to the Toyota dealer to have my car looked at, because they were the best person for the job. You might want to bring yours to a Ford Dealer.

In the same way, if you care that your wedding photographs are done right, find a professional. More than that, find a professional whose style and vision is something that you like. I have a very definite style to my images that will appeal to some and turn others off. That’s okay. I want to attract brides to me who are attracted to my style. And it’s okay if you want to go somewhere else because you prefer their style to mine. 

And yes, a professional will cost more than just getting your brother in law to take the pictures, just like getting a professional to look after my car cost more than getting my brother-in-law to look at my car.

If it is worth it to you to know that it is done right, to know that you are entrusting some of your most precious memories to a professional, then it is worth it. For peace of mind, yes, but also for the results.