I find this fascinating to read actually. Last weekend I attended the first wedding I've been too in years. The bride and groom had asked me if I would shoot the pictures but I declined (I don't have a backup camera body for one and second I would not want my first wedding to be someone I knew just in case I blew it)
That said I still took my camera, I still shot, I did not steal their photographer's setups I figured he gets paid to do that let him do it. Instead I shot candid's, reaction shots from the crowd, things that I didn't see their photographer shooting. It was outdoor wedding, he shot fill flash, i shot natural light just to give options (and to avoid stepping on his shots)
I stayed completely out of his way and did my own thing. I was fascinated to see that I was one of 3 people at the wedding with what would be considered at least higher end consumer products.
Now with all that and my respect for the profession, I can tell you that part of me secretly hopes that my shots are much better than his but at the same time for their sake I hope his come out fantastic.
I've seen stuff in magazines that makes it clear at a certain level you get what you pay for, there are people who's work is so clearly worth it that you don't question it. I expect that to survive in that industry in the future that is what you are going to have to do. If you can't provide exceptional service and images with a vision and creativity beyond what I can do as an advanced amateur you won't survive.
But for me, I don't have the cajones to do weddings, I fear the brides mother's way too much. But I think in the end the point of my ramble is, if you are good, if you have the eye and the skill you will still be able to make money but the average wedding photographer might be squeezed out by that one person that every bride knows who is better than all her other friends with a camera and naive enough to think that weddings are a piece of cake.
gary
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