Help

I am not very proud right now having to ask for help with this but here goes

Long story short my brother in law is getting married on Friday and he nor his family have the money for a professional photographer. So I am the only resource they have for pics of there wedding and when it comes to indoor photography I have no clue what I am doing.

I have a 450D with the 18-55 and 55-250 kit glass and a 100-400L. I have been shooting it for almost two years now but only outdoors and most of the pics are of waterfowl and large wildlife and the run of the mill pics of the kids playing.

The wedding is in a church gymnasium with ok light but nothing special. I am not in a position to purchase a new lens right now but I think I have enough to stop by the local camera store and buy 270ex or possibly a 430exII.

I guess the biggest question is would there be a point in getting one of these flashes with the gear I have? And what might be a good starting point with settings?

I will have Thursday night while they set up and a rehearsal dinner on Friday morning to Practice but that is about it.

Thank you to any one willing to give me any help. I wish I could give them better for their wedding but I will give it my best and hope to get a few keepers for them to have.

I'd go with the 55-200 mainly and shoot AV wide open. If you're going to try to pick up a flash before Friday, do it soon and spend the next 2 days practicing with it. I'm not familiar with your gear but if ETTL is available, use it. If there's anything to bounce the flash off of than bounce it. If not, you gotta do what you gotta do and hope for the best. No one wants to screw up on a wedding but if the alternative is for them to not have pictures of their wedding then do it. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
PS: This advice may suck but that's what I'd do if faced with the same situation.

If you are going to spend $200-300 go to Amazon and for the same cost order a 50 1.8 and a vivitar 383. Also order a couple back up memory cards. Check on borrowing or renting (locally) a second body and see if you can rent something wider. Maybe a Tamron 17-50 2.8 for group shots.

This has nothing to do with pride but caring about doing a good job. Good luck!

Woods and Ron Thank you for your replies. I wish I had the option of renting or borrowing a second body and some glass but the closest place is salt lake city and its 5 hours away. We have a small camera store in a town south of us that I will be passing through in the morning when going to a meeting and I will only have time to stop and get a flash if that is my best hope. I called the other day and they do not rent any equipment. I am trying to justify buying the flash with hope I can use it for my kids indoors or maybe a fill flash for short range birding in hard light. I have never really used one but I know from the little shooting I do with the kids inside the on camera flash is not a whole lot of help. I will check to see what glass on the short end they have that may help me also. I am really thinking that I should just pony up and pay for the one professional we have in town but who know is he would be available or how much and I was asked to do it by them so I guess I just really want to get it as good as I can with what I have.

Thank you again both for your input. If you have any other thoughts I would love to hear them. I won't be hitting the store until early afternoon tomorrow so I will definitely check back here before I get there.

I started out with an xti, the 18-55 kit and a 55-250 lens with a 430exII and did quite a few weddings with just that - and managed to get some really good shots with it. (Before anyone kills me for that, none of them were paid and it was either me or a little brother with a p&s camera).

Know your camera. If you buy it, play with the flash a LOT during the rehearsal. +1 for back up memory cards.

Good luck! Let us know how you do!

Well I picked up a 50 1.8, sunburst flash, simple soft box, and a type 6-8 gig card. I have tomorrow night during set up and Friday morning during rehearsal to learn how to use the flash. I messed around a little tonight in my mothers basement with the kids and I can see I will need some practice. I messed around with bouncing it off of the ceiling and the walls as well as direct shots. I am nervous as heck but I will give it my best.

Thanks again for the support guys. I really appreciate it.