I just want him to cover the cost of equipment rental, etc. I have never shot a whole lot of events ever, so I need some pointers. The wedding is going to be in the mountains in the late afternoon/early evening, so I was thinking some stands with flashes/diffusers as well as a speedlight of some sort, probably an SB-600 but I really know nothing about studio lighting at all, or posing people. I was wondering if you guys had any books on weddings specifically that you thought were good, and perhaps some pointers in general. The wedding is over a month out so I have time to read/expirement etc and set them up for some posings, etc, and pick out what would be best etc.

In the mean time I guess I will google studio lighting and see what I can learn.

And the primary shooter is considerably more stressful. Basically, you have to be on your toes the entire ceremony and the first part of the banquet. You should get a good idea of EXACTLY what is going to happen in what order so you can anticipate where to be for your key moments. I think you run an 18-200, right? That'll come in really handy for sure. You might want to think about borrowing a second body and a prime though, just for the extra speed indoors and the small dof.

The other aspect of wedding photography is posing people which is entirely a different skill in itself. Additionally, when it comes to organizing the group formals, make sure you take control - you're the boss here. If you just let everyone congregate on their own, you're going to be standing there for hours. Standard group photos are pretty easy in terms of posing (unless you're feeling particularly creative). However, in difficult light, a single speedlight probably won't give you enough and/or flattering light for a large group. This is something you're probably going to want to think about.

And I honestly believe that if people are stressed, the portraits will show it. So try try to make sure everyone is nice and relaxed when you have your portrait sessions.

A few things I would do before the wedding...
First and foremost, surf a bunch of wedding photo forums. Also, I would study a bunch of photographers to find out what poses you like and steal them. Ask all your friends to take pictures, especially couples and practice those poses/angles/lighting on your friends.

Regardless, this will be a GREAT learning experience for you. Every time I shoot a wedding, even as a guest, I learn a bunch. It'll be stressful but fun and I'm sure you'll feel great about your work after the fact. And you'll get to hit on all the cute bridesmaids and guests. It'll be fun! :D

namely the 17-55 F2.8 DX as well as a speedlight. I am wondering if I am going to need a lightstand and diffuser box etc. I really need to read some books I guess.

I read a couple of things on posing as well, luckily they have agreed to fork over all the money to cover equipement rental cost. But I plan on doing just what you described as well as doing a few test shoots of them in the weeks leading up to the 'big event' right now I am a bit stressed to say the least, because it's not like I can come back and redo everything, ya know. Thanks for the insite thus far.

17-55 is going to be great...but i honestly think you'll need something long on a separate body too.

And also...if you're shooting with a lot of ambient, you don't really need diffusers. You'd be surprised how soft bare speedlights can look during the day. Whether or not you will need to run a modifier (I'd probably use umbrellas just for ease) is will depend on the light conditions. You might not need it honestly...it might just be more hassle than good.

No expert myself, have only done two weddings but got another two this year. Key is to have fun with the folks, if you're not having fun (or just visibly stressed out) it'll rub off them the wrong way.

Get to know the bride ahead of time, it'll make her comfortable with you and vice versa. Scope out the area if you can, find out where they want group photos and then get an idea on how the lighting will be with respect to the sun. Have a backup plan in the event that the weather doesn't cooperate. Find out what kind of photos they want, ie.: a lot of candid photos during the reception, group pics, them with each table, etc. Basically understand their expectations of what they want.

As for arranging the formal group pics, if you can get somebody that knows the family, even better, both sides of the family, to help with getting people together, will be a huge benefit to you. First wedding I did, I had somebody take the 'R' on it and it really helped a lot. Second wedding, I was tasked to cover the groom side in the morning and just trying to find creative ways of posing and something "fun" at the same time was quite the challenge. I look back and notice several key mistakes like a person's face slightly blocked by somebody else... so carefully look at everybody's position in the overall group.

Other than that, as said above, have fun, it's a great experience and be relaxed throughout the day.

I think the KISS philosophy applies here. You'll have enough on your hands in terms of positioning yourself, anticipating, handling the camera in low lighting, and yes, working with the flash. Throwing lightstands, multiple flashes, etc into the mix is just going to ensure you do NOTHING right because you're trying to do too much your first time out. You won't have time to meddle with your equipment, even if the subjects are friends or family. You need to KNOW your equipment before you start shooting, and if you don't KNOW it, leave it in the bag.

If possible, borrow a second body. This will allow you to use a telephoto or prime, and quickly switch back to your workhorse, which should be a good, fast normal zoom.

Second, practice using a single on camera flash. Get an on-flash diffuser or reflector (demb flip it) or make your own. Practice using it and see what it can or can't do. You can accomplish a lot with those two pieces, and you'll be better served mastering the use of a single flash than you will monkeying around with more equipment. Learn to use the ambient light you will have available at that time of day to your advantage. Lighting will always suck, but many times the bigger problem is not seeing what light is available, and how you can supplement existing light using your flash.

Review some online pics and survey the venue so you have some idea what you want to do for portraits of the B&G. Set a time limit and stick to it. From the B&G's point of view, posing for pics isn't the most exciting part of the day, but it's a necessity if they want those pics. That feeling can turn very sour if you prolong the portrait session because you're fiddling with gear, lighting, posing way too much. If you tell them you need 1/2 for their portraits, do your level best to work within that time. Even if they are family, don't underestimate your ability to try their patience (and that will show in the pictures).

Make sure someone else is in charge of lining up people for the formals. You can potentially waste time (and more importantly, people's patience) if you're struggling to get people in place.

Finally, explain to the B&G that you've never done this, and while you can take good pictures, it's not the same as shooting a wedding. Make sure they are okay with missed or blown shots, because you are LEARNING. If they are expecting professional results, they should hire a pro. If they just want some pictures, and they are okay with mistakes, then proceed. They shouldn't be making this decision because they want to save money. They should be in a frame of mind where they are willing to accept whatever you present them with.

First, It's TOUGH STUFF MAN!!! OK, that being said, and I think you know that one already. But I think the two things that will help you have a successful outcome will be research and preparation. It sounds like you are already working on the research part and that's good. But being over prepaired will also help lots!

Seek out the spot that the cerimony will take place at. Is it a facility that you'll have access to power at? Do you have extension cords to power strobes? Will the cerimony be on a rocky outcrop in the sun or in a shaded forrest setting? If it's in the forrest remember to white balence right before the cerimony starts. Late day, warm sun filtered through the evergreens might make for a greenish cast. What's the altitude you'll be working at? I know you're a Denver local and used to altitude, but working at altitude is different. You'll be stressed and your water and food intake is important to stave off the effects of the altitude. If the event is at about 8500 feet (Genisee maybe?) then don't take it too lightly. Stress is a killer. But if you know all these things before hand then you'll be better prepaired for the day at hand.

The other suggestion I can offer is a simple list of "must have" shots. In the video world we don't opperate without a shot list. A list of shots that the producers (the couple getting married in your case) must have to make the show work. Talk to them before hand and ask them what images they would love to see in the wedding album. The bride being walked down the aisle is a huge one for sure. Images they have in their minds are the ones you'll want to make sure you get. Anything beyond that will just make them even that much more happy. So with that list in hand it makes your job easier for sure. That will tell you where you have to be to get the shots needed. And you can simply scratch them off the list as you go.

My wife and I hired a couple from Boulder to photograph our wedding. These two people (still in business I belive) were excellent at their jobs. A couple of things they did that I really enjoyed were that they used only Haseblad cameras. Cool for sure and there is nothing wrong with that 2 1/4 format! But beyond that, one had only B&W film in the camera and the other used only Color Neg. Yeah, it was a while ago that we got married. But the photos still stand up to the test of time and the results they got are priceless to me and my wife. I like the B&W one better for some reason. It was well worth the extra money we spent on hiring them. It was the single biggest expense of our wedding. When you think about it, what physical bit from that day are left years later? Maybe an invatation that someone kept, maybe a dress, maybe a dryed lapel flower, but more importantly the photos are usually still there and are the most important memorabilia. Once assembelled in an album they can always show people their special day. And show there kids or grand kids those pictures too.

Another thing they did that was great was they had a backdrop with lights in umbrellas all set up and anyone that wanted a portrait shot got it done. I was amazed at how many friends and family took advantage of it. Two of my favorites from that little, improptue studio was a photo of my now past grandmother. An excellent portrait that my mother still loves very much. The other was a candid moment of my groomsmen and myself having a bit of fun laughing at my choice of socks that I wore that day. The shot was obviously off the background (six guys in all) but that didn't matter. The picture worked. So maybe you could use you lights on stands this way. The images taken at that portrait session will be charished. And it's pretty easy to set up and run.

Good luck with you first wedding photo shoot. I say prepair like crazy and you'll be successful. Sorry for the long rant.

it's your first time out - as far as I know, wedding shooters most always start off as second fiddle then strike out on their own.

as RKA said: "If they are expecting professional results, they should hire a pro."

If they want you to just take some pictures of their wedding - that's one thing.

If they expect *wedding pictures* in classic terms, that's quite another.

If you haven't done weddings before, worked with mixed lighting, groups of people, etc, I'd say you don't have enough time to prepare. There's simply too much to learn. Lighting setups, poses, groups placement, ceremony itself, coordination, etc.

Don't know how well your cousin understands what's involved in wedding photography, but I'd try to do my best to explain what the expectations should be from a photographer with no wedding experience, no matter how good a photographer he is.

Make sure you're fully aware of what you'll need to do, keep it simple, make sure they understand what (or what not) to expect, know your equipment, have backup equipment, and keep it simple. Oh, and keep it simple, too. There's enough stress involved already.

You can easily over-complicate this shoot..you have your hands full to begin with, mix in a load of gear you are not familiar with and it's a recipe for disaster..and this is a wedding, not a BBQ..

My rule of thumb, since I don't shoot weddings, nor do I want to, is run when asked to do it. Nothing worse than being responsible for documenting such an important event and screwing up. No offense meant, I don't know you skill level. Tell them hire a pro and you'll add to it if they want.