AOL

Hiring a wedding photographer is an expensive and time-consuming business. You need to find someone with a portfolio and style that you like - and then book him well in advance.

By the time your big day arrives, his rates may well have gone up. He might be a photographer that contracts out - meaning that a total stranger could end up arranging your most personal shots.

Most annoyingly, you might have little control over how your photos are processed and copied. You are literally leaving the visual record of the day in your photographer's hands.

When it comes to planning something as important as wedding photos, the key issue is trust; the person taking your snaps shoulders a big responsibility, as the images captured will be the ones that you look back upon for the rest of your life.

If you want to save yourself some money and more than a little hassle, you might want to let a friend or family member take your wedding pictures for you. A basic knowledge of photography is all that's required - it's really not as hard as it might appear!

With the right equipment, you can achieve some great results.