Best friend asked me to shoot his wedding....

If my best friend want me to photograph his wedding, I would just quote him the price as I quote Others then cut him a xx% of discount for the frinedship as a gift. The rest will be as normal service/coverage with contract, retainer fee, etc. In fact, my best friend (my bestmen when I got married) is getting marry and I would do just that.
Would you rather bend over backward to help your "best" friend or watching him go shopping for Photographer when he has zero knowledge about wedding photography? How would you feel if he ended up with GWC photographs his wedding.
As wedding photographer, you go above and beyond at every wedding for B&G that you have never met before, why not go above and beyond for your Buddy.
In the end, if what you do make your heart happy, that's what matter, IMO.
Doesn't matter what, good luck and have funs Chris!!!!

Is he really your best friend? Is the relationship mutual? What does he do professionally, and would he give you $X,000 of his product or service if you asked?

Is this the type of "best friend" that comes over without being asked, spending his weekend off to help you build your new deck, asking for nothing more than beers and pizza in return? Or, is this the kind of "best friend" who only calls you when he needs to borrow your pickup truck?

For my best friend, I'd do it without question. If anything, I would charge him my costs for the album and prints (and it would be the best album I've ever done). He would insist on instead paying me my full rate, and we'd probably wind up meeting somewhere in the middle.

I don't know what kind of best friend you have.

Tigerkn wrote in post #15765241
How would you feel if he ended up with GWC photographs his wedding.

If my best friend (hypothetical, since he's already married!) asked me to shoot his wedding and after explaining to him why I wouldn't/couldn't, he acts like an ass getting all pissed off and everything, asking me to find a photographer looking for "Portfolio Material" because he doesn't want to spend that kind of money, then it wouldn't bother me one bit. Let him have his crappy photos. And if the friendship is ruined, then IMHO, it wasn't worth having him as a friend anyways.

But then again, my best friend wouldn't do this...which is why he's my best friend.

nicksan wrote in post #15765263
If my best friend (hypothetical, since he's already married!) asked me to shoot his wedding and after explaining to him why I wouldn't/couldn't, he acts like an ass getting all pissed off and everything, asking me to find a photographer looking for "Portfolio Material" because he doesn't want to spend that kind of money, then it wouldn't bother me one bit. Let him have his crappy photos. And if the friendship is ruined, then IMHO, it wasn't worth having him as a friend anyways.

But then again, my best friend wouldn't do this...which is why he's my best friend.

I agree. I would bend over backward but I wouldn't break my back nor making it worst while I am trying to help. I would definitety and respectful backing out from accepting the photographer hunting job and let them be on their own. Then just go to the wedding without any gear and have a fun time .

Yeah, if I was best friends, I wouldn't want to shoot it at all. I would find a really good deal for them.

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chrismallet wrote in post #15765502
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That's another one of my options. Figure out what they want, tell them my normal price, then discount it and say "this is my wedding gift to you." Sign a contract, retainers and everything but still party after I'm done.

How can you party while you have to photograph them party? Maybe bring your best 2nd Shooter and have him or her to handle the last 30 mins (only) so you can party.

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I think your best friend is really saying, "Hey man, can I borrow a couple thousand. I'll pay you back later (maybe)".

I'm covering a friend's wedding next month. First time I've been asked to cover a friend's so it will be interesting to see how it goes. He's a good friend so I wasn't comfortable charging him so it's my gift to them.

I hear what others are saying about not being able to enjoy the day as you are shooting but the way I see it is that it's about them, not me. So if I can help by being the photographer then so be it.

I'm covering up to the first dance then the cameras will go away. I'm going to give some old cheap p&s cameras to a couple of the younger kids who can then take over. I've done it once before at another wedding after the official photographer left and it worked really well.

tim wrote in post #15764098
You can be part of the wedding, or you can photography it, not both.

+1

I have done a few friends weddings and they are always the hardest of the year. Your friends want to see you having a good time/socialising and being a normal wedding guest and you want to deliver the best photos ever, the two just don't go well together, its not possible to be both properly.

When your first starting out its not so bad as fiends feel like they are helping you get started and you are keen to shoot anything you get chance to but 200 weddings later its definitely nice to be just a guest.

I have a good friend getting married later this month and he thankfully realised I couldn't be both an usher and a photographer and wanted me to have a good time so he asked me to help him find someone else to shoot it which I was very happy to do.

Really looking forward to the wedding later this month, first wedding in quite a few years that I wont be working at!

The other thing you have to consider is if you have a wife or partner going with you to the wedding, even with lots of friends their your other half can end up feeling like they were at the wedding on their own if you are off taking photos all day.