Hi DuncanD ;o)
OK, firstly, I have absolutely no issue with people becoming 'wedding photographers' - I started shooting friends' weddings for free, then slowly increased my prices and now, having given up my 'full time job', borrowed money from my in-laws and worked my way up to almost 500 wedding bookings, I feel I have the experience to call myself a professional.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and you have the same rights as I had.
Having said that, what 'gets my goat' is those who say 'don't pay £££'s to that chap as I can shoot your wedding for you for two pints of lager and a packet of crisps' and produce what, in essence, is no better than an Uncle Bob with a good prosumer camera. EVERYONE has the ability to take an image that is in focus. With the likes of the iPhone and iPhoneography on the increase, everyone is a photographer. However, are you a wedding photographer??
It's not just about turning up and taking a few pics. It's about documenting one of the most precious and momentous days of a person's life. OK, it sounds dramatic, but so many people simply aren't up to it, and YOU DON'T GET A SECOND CHANCE. Is your kit bag up to scratch, including back ups and spares? Do you have public liability insurance? Can you instinctively tell where to stand, when to move, when to push that shutter button because you've seen ceremonies, speeches, group shots, first dances over and over again? Can you organise group shots? Can you work with a venue to ensure the chef doesn't want to make you in to soup because you're running late? Can you befriend the vicar who wants to stick you up in the bell tower when you know the best shots come from the choir stalls???
Many of the people who have booked on to my training course in Jan are OUTSTANDING photographers, and I mean absolutely top class image makes. However, they are struggling to enter in to the world of wedding photography, and it's partially because it's such an over-saturated industry, with an awful lot of 'Uncle Bobs' doing free gigs with no fundamental consequence to their actions i.e. the bride & groom might kick themselves for not employing a pro, but they have no come back and aren't about to rock the family boat.
If you are confident you can wow the bride and groom with your imagery of their wedding day, make them cry when they look back at it, make an album that their children, and their children's children can look back at and smile then go for it. If you have ANY reservations, then feel honoured you were asked and politely decline.
Guess that's my 2p, and food for thought if nothing else. You're welcome to email me privately via my site at
http://www.nealejames.com and whatever you decide, I wish you every success.
My kindest,
Neale
and always good to have someone that want's to share their knowlege it's one of the great things about TP 
