In need of some wedding advice

I have been chosen to take pictures at my father-in-laws second wedding. I don't mind taking the pictures the only problem is that I'm no near professional and I'm wondering if my camera will manage the work load. I have an XTI. The only real good lens that I have is the 28-135mm USM IS and a tripod. I'm really on a tight budget and would like to buy something for my camera. What should I do?

What's your budget?

Rent a 17-55 F2.8 IS and a 430EX II or 580EX II flash.

I've heard others talk about that lens and thought about renting it, so I may call around my area and see what the going rate is for lens rentals. I think I can convince my brother-in-law to lend me his 580 speedlite flash. Too bad he has no good lenses. Thanks for the advice.

tim wrote in post #7176161
Rent a 17-55 F2.8 IS and a 430EX II or 580EX II flash.

agree

If you have to decide between a faster lens or your existing lens and a flash, get the flash. QUICKLY learn how to take indoor bounced flash shots in all sorts of rooms/ceiling heights/etc....Good luck!

17 - 55 is a must imo.

how about 18-55 f3.5? thats what i have, do you think it will work?

First off, the kit lens isn't f/3.5. It's f/3.5-5.6, so it gets fairly slow at the long end. If you have a external hotshoe flash and you have not-too-high ceilings to bounce off of, you may be ok, IF you know how to use flash/off-camera lighting.

If you only use the kit lens and the pop-up flash for an indoor wedding, your pictures won't look that much different/better than Aunt Susan's pictures with her little pocket camera

driftsider wrote in post #7223306
how about 18-55 f3.5? thats what i have, do you think it will work?

remember you only have f3.5 @ 18mm, you start zooming its going to change to a f5.6

sharpness on the 18-55 isn't all that either, i did a comparison for someone the other week
i didn't have my tripod at the time (lent it out to another tog) so was hand held, so the centre point actually changes slightly..