> budget is super tight like under $400 @Reply 2 - good point! honestly, for a backyard wedding you really want that creamy bokeh. quick question tho, are you planning on taking mostly group photos or just solo portraits of your sister? i absolutely love the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G because it is amazing for versatility in tight spots, but the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G gives that fantastic background compression. seriously both are so cool!

tbh weddings are stressful and tight spaces make it way worse. quickly tho, are you looking at the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G or the older Nikon AF NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8D? the D version is way cheaper since your budget is tight. couple things to keep in mind:

• the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G is basically the king of value, leaves you cash for extra batteries.
• backyard setups usually mean people are crammed together, so that 85mm might feel way too tight.

Grab the shorter one first, honestly. The one I got for my first backyard gig was way too long and I ended up backing into the punch bowl because there was no room to move. Total disaster...

• be careful with your physical space in that apartment
• make sure you dont run out of room
• i would suggest the wider option tho

Honestly, go with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. It is sharp, reliable, and way more versatile for a backyard setup. I used mine for a similar event and had no complaints about the image quality at all. It works well even in dim light if the party goes into the evening.

• Keep your shutter speed at least 1/125s to avoid blur.
• Shoot in RAW so you can fix white balance later. I just picked up a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I to make sure I dont run out of space, which is a life saver. My cat actually knocked my old card into the water bowl the other day, so I have been obsessively checking my gear bag to make sure everything is dry. Anyway, just get the 50mm and you'll be happy.