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Why are vendors and experts still recommending disposable cameras to their brides?

I saw another "expert" recommend that disposable cameras are still a great way to capture the memories of the wedding day. Wow! in 2010 when digital is all the rage, everyone owns or has access to a high quality digital camera and you can barely buy a cell phone without one. I still see blog posts and articles recommending these as a "favor" or "way to save money" on your wedding. Maybe to entertain the kids, but not to capture your memories!

I'm obviously biased because it's the service we offer. Its an affordable, private and effect way to collect photos from every event (not just the reception). But, even if you don't necessarily recommend SeeYouThen, please don't guide your brides towards disposable cameras.

Even if you just did the simple math on 20 tables x $3-5 dollars/camera and then you need to get them developed, the economics (let alone the poor quality) just don't make sense anymore. Can you imagine spending $200 for disposable cameras today vs. just asking your friends, family and guests to help capture the day?

Our brides collect typically over 1000 photos from their friends, family and guests across 3-5 events and that doesn't even count what you get from your professional and all that for $59.00.

Sorry if I sound like a SeeYouThen billboard, but I'm honestly concerned about the amount of articles that are out there that still recommend them. What do you guys think? Is the disposable camera (one time use camera) dead or am I off base?

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Permalink Reply by Embroidery Fashions Boutique on June 7, 2010 at 10:51pm

I agree with you. Just recently we attended a wedding and there were disposable cameras on the table. Not one person at our table used the camera. Why? because we all had our digital cameras with us. You are not off base at all.

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Permalink Reply by Sheatara-lynne Sanderson on June 8, 2010 at 11:29am

I want to have disposable cameras at my wedding. I want to have one or two on each of the guest tables and have them use them to take pictures from there point of view at the reseption. But thats all I think they are good for. Not use them for the ceremony thats what a photographer is for. And you can get the disposable cameras at dollars stores for like 2$.

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Permalink Reply by Andy Drake on June 10, 2010 at 1:35am

You have the exact right idea, getting everyone's perspective, but why not capture that from every event? I agree totally with you that your photographer will hopefully capture your moments with a style that no friend or family member will, but what about....

Bridal Showers, buying the dress, vendor visits, bridal shows with mom, parties, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, getting ready, limo drive, 10 different perspectives of you walking up the aisle with your Dad, the limo to the reception, waiting to be announced, (OK, now use your disposables if you'd like but why?....)

Take the $2.00/table investment and buy some "business cards" and put your personalized SeeYouThen URL on it and put them on the table at every event plus the reception and carry a few in your purse. Give them to friends and let them know early on (way before the reception!) that information about your wedding is available on your "private personalized website" and a place to upload their/your photos is provided for everyone to upload and get access to everyone's high resolution digital photos. Would you mind taking pictures "For me". (They can even email their photos from their phone to your SeeYouThen website) If you follow this advice I guarantee you'll collect over 1000 high-res photos that you would never have received if you had not "asked your friends and family to "fill their cards".

Here's the big advice that I hope you take me up on...
Even if you don't use SeeYouThen, use these words when talking with friends... "Will you take pictures "FOR us/me?" You really need to let people know you'd like them to help you capture your wedding events. (Same exact concept of the disposable camera (poem cards, favor tags) but tell them to use their cameras and make it easy for them to get them back to you in their "original size" and "Qualtity (not downsized at facebook or spread out across emails and photo sharing services".

I know it may seem crazy now, that your friends, family and guests would'nt take pictures "FOR YOU" but typically people don't. They take pictures for themselves. I hear it everyday when a bride doesn't take this advice and "waits" for all the pictures to roll in and none appear because people took a few snapshots for themselves but figured that the "pro" would capture it all. "Why does she want to see "MY Photos" didn't the photographer "take enough?".

I'll hop off the soap box now. But let me leave you with one last point. Every photo is historical, these extra 1000 photos are for 10,20,30 years from now. You have a real opportunity that you mom didn't. She may have an album or a few photos of her wedding, but you have an "entire" paparazii team at your disposable if you "just ask". (a stack of low quality, low light 4x6's from 20 cameras).

Good Luck! Let me know if we can help!

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Permalink Reply by Phillip Brunelle on June 10, 2010 at 12:04am

Brides get wedding photographer info, wedding photo tips and more on wedding photography in this Wedding Photography Article

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Worthington on July 15, 2011 at 5:49pm

Phillip Brunelle Photography is a SCAMMER!! BEWARE!! Dont listen to a word he says. He lies every time he opens his mouth. We booked him for our wedding in June 2011. He showed up missing his front teeth from rot, sweating profusely and reeking. He took photos, we paid him in full and we never heard from him again. Never saw a single photo of our special day. He's a sickening individual. Heartless! He must be shut down!!!