Today

Wedding photographs are like gold dust. They are a lasting reminder of your wedding day, and something you will look back on for the rest of your life. There is no way to guarantee getting what you want, but the best start is choosing a first-class, established photographer.

Have an idea of what you want

Having at least a rough idea of what you want your wedding photographs to look like, or ideas about specific shots or a certain style, will help your photographer capture images that you want. It may be helpful to look at wedding albums of your friends and relatives to see what sort of shots they have. Some thoughts you may wish to consider include:

• Are there special people you want portraits of before the wedding ceremony itself, where you can ensure everything looks perfect?
• Do you want a mixture of formal and informal shots to capture a more relaxed atmosphere?
• Will all the photographs be in colour, or do you want some shots in black and white or sepia?
• Is there a set style you desire, for example a journalistic style or a more traditional approach?
• Are there particular people who you want photographs with / of? These may include guests outside the wedding party

Making contact

There is nothing better than a good recommendation as this will ensure you have faith in the photographer you choose. Also be aware that good photographers get booked up in advance, so the earlier you start your research, the better. Before you book, it is essential to have a meeting with the photographer and see a selection of their previous work. You may even want to take a trusted friend or relative with you to get a second opinion. It is worth looking at more than one possible choice of photographer too, as the more work you see the better idea you get of how their work may fit in with your own ideas.

Questions to ask

Discuss all your requirements with each photographer you visit, however menial you may think it may be. Asking as many relevant questions as you want will help answer any queries you have about their work, and also help them form an idea of exactly what you want from them. Examples of questions you may ask include:

• Is the person you are meeting the actual photographer who will be there on the day?
• How long have they been in the industry and do they have any qualifications?
• Do they have professional indemnity insurance in case something goes horribly wrong?
• How long will they stay around for after the ceremony and/or reception?
• How will they cope if the weather is bad?
• Have they worked at this particular church/reception area before?

Before you make your final decision, you will need to discuss a cost for the job. Generally, the more experienced the photographer, the higher their price. It is helpful to get quotes for more than one photographer, but obviously these will only be comparable if you have gone through the same specifics of what you require from each photographer. Make sure you know exactly what the price includes (how long the photographer will be in attendance, roughly how many shots they will take, how the photographs will be presented to you). When you have made your choice, confirm your booking in writing, including the date and time your photographer is required for. Always re-confirm the booking closer to the date to make sure.

Adding to the collection

Although a professional photographer will capture many of the day's events, it is also worth encouraging guests to take as many photos as they can on their own cameras to add to the portfolio. Guests may capture moments that the professional photographer may not be able to, and the more informal shots they may take will only add to the overall atmosphere captured on film. It may also provide photographic proof of events that you never knew happened. The more perspectives captured on the day, the better your wedding photo collection will be.