Remember that once your wedding is over and all the flowers have died and the champagne has been drunk the only tangible thing that you will have is your new spouse, your wedding rings and your wedding photographs! It is therefore advisable if you are on a budget to rather allocate more to the best photographer or package that you can afford and hold back in other areas.

• Decide what style of photography you and your partner enjoy and choose your photographer accordingly. It is a good idea to spend a decent amount of time looking at photographer’s portfolios on the web to get an idea of your likes and dislikes. Some photographers are more creative than others while still capturing all the special moments, while others concentrate on capturing more posed magazine type images. Make a list of your favorites before contacting them for quotes and other questions.
• Find out how many years of experience and what qualifications your chosen photographers have. With the advent of digital photography there are many fly-by-night photographers out there. You want to ensure that your photographer has the knowledge and experience to be able to capture all the moments of your big day no matter what the challenges are.
• If you like creative photography perhaps choose a photographer with an art or design background.
• Ask your chosen photographer what type of equipment they use. A true professional will have a full frame high end camera with various pro lenses and lighting units. This level of equipment is extremely expensive and is often reflected in their quotes however these tools offer far better results and enable photographers to shoot in all conditions.
• Find out exactly what kind of album your photographer offers. Old fashioned “paste-in” albums may be cheaper but the pictures almost always land up falling out and in my experience the albums themselves can sometimes end up loosing pages etc. Some coffee table albums are made with substandard inks and papers which mean that photographs may fade in the future. The best flush mounted and coated hard covered albums are expensive and take a lot of time to design beautifully, but this is a book that needs to last your lifetime and your children’s too! A true professional will offer you a good product. It is really worth investing this extra money.
• Ask your photographer how many hours they spend editing each wedding and designing albums as this will greatly affect the price. With digital photography, the real work of the photographer begins once the wedding has been shot and true professionals will spend many hours on each wedding to ensure that every photo in your album is perfect!
• Consider a photographic package that offers an engagement shoot. A good photographer will be able to capture images of the two of you that tell your real story. At the end of the day we don’t spend every day in wedding attire so an engagement shoot is a fantastic way to get some relaxed, honest pics of you both in a conceptual manner which suits you. You can of course have your make up and hair done before to ensure that you look your absolute best. An engagement shoot is also a fabulous way to get to know your photographer and the way that they work before your big day so that you are more comfortable in front of the camera. It’s also a way of reducing time spent on your creative shoot on your wedding day so that you can spend more time with your guests.
• If you want to reduce time on your creative shoot so that you aren’t away from your guests for too long you could also consider having your creative shoot the day after. This has become a big trend overseas but isn’t everyone’s cup of tea!
• Good photographers get booked up in advance so don’t leave booking your photographer to the last minute. Also ensure that you mention your wedding date and venue when sending off that first email so the photographer in question can check their schedule before responding. This will save you lots of time and trouble.

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