Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the key decisions you will make in preparing for your wedding. In your preparation, it is important to find a photographer that is providing the package that will best meet your own personal requirements. It is useful to focus on 4 key areas in your selection:-

1. Quality and Styles of Photography
2. The Photographer's own Style and Rapport
3. Any Additional Services required
4. Your Budget and the Photographer's Price and Package Details

By working through the following questions and options, we believe you will be better prepared to make the right choice.

1. Quality & Style of Photography

What type of photographs do you want?

Formal Photos. Most couples want some formal family and group shots of their wedding. They are often the "set pieces" of the day (Best man and bridesmaids, Brides family, Grooms family, Confetti shot, Cutting the wedding cake etc). These, if you like, are the historical record. For some couples this may all that may be required. For others these shots may be a small part of the photography, and the couple may want to keep them to a minimum.

Candid, Reportage, Informal Photos. These are much more relaxed shots, catching the bride and groom and their guests during the day. The shots aim to build a story of the day, and to get pictures of the wedding couple and their guests as themselves and enjoying the day.

Creative, Artistic shots. The wedding couple may want to hire a photographer who can also add an artistic, contemporary style to some or all of the pictures. This may include fashion magazine type shots, or adjustments to colour and contrast.

How much coverage do you want? Do you want your photographer to be with you from the moment you rise until the last dance or do you only want them at the ceremony or until the first dance? Most photographers will have a range of packages to suit your needs, ranging from ceremony only to full day coverage (and some will even go beyond that if required and join you on the stag night or include some studio or on location engagement shots in the package).

Check photographer capabilities. The internet gives you a great opportunity to view the work of a wide range of photographers and help you to build a shortlist of the photographers you would like to go to see. Most photographers will have an on-line gallery which will give you a good indication of the type of photography they like to do. When you meet with a photographer, ask to see further samples of their work, and look for examples of a full wedding rather than a "Best of.." compilation culled from a number of weddings. (If you want a candid photographer, do the example pictures tell the story of the day? As a quality test, do the photos show the subtle details of the wedding dress). Does the photographer have Professional qualifications (not just memberships)? Has the photographer won any awards for their wedding photography, or do they have testimonials from previous weddings?

Does the photographer's style match your ideas? Does the style of photography match your own ideas on the resiults you want to see in your wedding photographs?

Time, Location and Advice. Has the photographer worked at the Church/Reception you are using? Does the photographer have ideas on good location shots either at the Church/Reception or close by to get the best results? Do your wedding timings(season/time of day) enable the photographer to get the results you are looking for? If the photographer is pro-actively giving you sound advice on how to get the pictures you want, or offering options you have not considered, it is a good sign that you will end up with good results.

2. Photographer Style & Rapport

Meet the Photographer. It is fundamentally important to meet the photographer that would actually do your wedding. You need this to be confirmed to you. Check that the work you see is the individual photographer's work, and not examples from the company he/she works for.

Do you like the photographer? If you like the photographer (and he/she has met your criteria for the quality and style of work you want done), you will have a much better wedding day, and get much better results if you enjoy being with the person who will take the pictures.

Will the photographer take time to build a rapport? What pre-wedding activities does the photographer offer to provide? For example: Pre wedding run-through, Site visits together, Studio portrait session.

3. Additional Services.

Do you need any additional services? If not, then it is important to make sure that these, if stripped out of a package, are not included in the price. If you do want additional services, identify those that are important to you and test the photographers capabilities in these areas. For instance:-

• Advice and range of Wedding Albums

• Advice and range of picture frames

• Uploading images to the Web

• Providing pictures on CD

• Providing pictures on DVD with/without music.

• Digital manipulation/compilation.

4. Package and Price

Decide your budget for photography. There is a wide range of cost and levels of service in Wedding Photography and you need to have a clear budget in mind before establishing your photographer shortlist.

Check what is in the package and what is not. It is important to spend time to understand what exactly is in the package you are signing up for. This can avoid dis-satisfaction from misunderstandings later. Some points to consider:-

• How many prints (and what size) are included in the package?

• What is the cost of extra prints and reprints?

• Is a wedding album and/or folder mounts included?

• Who has the copyright to the pictures?

• Are additional services (e.g Web upload) and miscellaneous expenses (e.g.postage, travel costs) included or not.

• Back up and Insurance. What happens if your photographer is ill and is unable to photograph the wedding? What happens if the images are lost or destroyed during processing?

• Does the photographer have professional indemnity insurance?

The photographer is an important part of your wedding in that they not only provide a lasting record of the people, events and emotions but thay are also an integral part of the structure and organisation of the day. A photographer who can work quickly and easily and who you feel is someone you can rely on, can make a big impact on your enjoyment of your wedding day. It usually pays, therefore, to invest in a photographer who has the experience to deliver the pictures you want and to work with you to make the day a success.

Good luck with your search and have a great wedding day!