Many brides are comfortable with such priorities as reception site or catering selection, but may not be as familiar with the process of hiring the right wedding photographer. Wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of your day, so you’ll need to choose wisely to get the wedding pictures you desire. This guide will walk you through it.

1) Consider Chemistry
Brides often underestimate the importance of the photographer´s personality, yet this person will end up being a very personal guest at your most important event. Evaluate carefully whether you feel comfortable with this person. Some of the most beautiful moments happen behind the scenes, while the bride is dressing, while the couple steals a kiss, and you should feel comfortable inviting the photographer to capture these moments. First find a wedding photographer you like as a person, then evaluate the artistic criteria.

2) Review the Portfolio
Seasoned wedding photographers have what is called a “book,” which is a portfolio of their best work. Evaluating a photographer´s portfolio depends on your own stylistic and artistic preferences. His or her work should match your tastes and style. Make sure the images speak to you and reflect your personal visions for your wedding day. Look for crisp images, thoughtful composition and good lighting. Also ask to see the shots from a complete wedding; that way you can see it all – not just the highlights – and you will have a better feel for his or her ability to capture your day.

3) Ask the Right Questions
During the interview, make sure you have answered these important questions:

Who will be taking the pictures?
Make sure that the photographer whose portfolio you review will be the actual person who takes the pictures at your wedding.

What is the photographer´s primary style?
Many photographers claim to shoot both classic and photojournalistic photography, but in reality, most are better at one or the other. Make sure you know his or her strengths and background to ensure you get the wedding photos you want.

Do you shoot mostly in color, black and white, or both?
Your photographer should have experience with both and be able to customize to meet your needs.

How many rolls do you shoot?
Obviously more rolls of film means more wedding photos to choose from, but remember that more rolls usually cost more money.

Are you familiar with the location?
Your photographer should be familiar with the ceremony and reception site so that he or she can quickly and efficiently capture the best shots.

What are your references?
Call each reference and ask whether or not the person was satisfied with the overall experience and received the desired photos.

4) Get Everything in Writing
To avoid any confusion, all of the details that you have painstakingly discussed should be in writing. Read the contract carefully, especially the fine print.

Get even more photography advice and access to the best photographers near you in this complete wedding photography resource.

1.) It will probably save you money. Because of industry knowledge and experience wedding planners have a realistic idea of cost and can warn you if what you want is likely to be twice your budget. Many brides may make uninformed choices that end up being incredibly costly. Having a clear concept of costs from the beginning is crucial to staying within your budget. Additionally, a wedding planner can give you suggestions and recommendations for compromise that will help you keep costs at a minimum.

2.) Recommended Vendor List. Most wedding planners have a list of recommended vendors that they have established relationships with. These working relationships are based on trust and familiarity. Only worthy vendors are put on this list. In some cases these vendors may even offer you a discount or complimentary upgrade because you were sent to them by your planner.

3.) Neutral Party. Unlike any family member or friend a Wedding Planner can give be supportive without being emotionally involved. You are her client, she appreciates you, respects you but is not otherwise emotionally involved in your actual wedding. Having a calm, cool-headed planner can be incredibly valuable in case you’re swept away by the emotional roller coaster of planning your wedding.

4.) Minimizes your stress. Having a wedding planner is like having a wedding coach. She will instruct you, direct you, answer your questions and warn you of possible mishaps in advance. When the big day comes you’ll be relieved to know that everything had been taken care of in advance.

5.) The time you will save. Through a combination of consultation, a recommended vendor list and strategy using a professional wedding planner will save you tremendous amounts of time. You’ll save hours of time from not having to search on-line or at Bridal shows for the things you’ll need.

6.) It simplifies communication with the venue. If you have one point of contact for the actual day of the wedding it will make things much easier for you and the venue. A wedding planner will make sure that your timeline is working with the venues timeline, and that way you never have to be interrupted by questions during the reception.

7.) You will get to enjoy and remember your Wedding Day. It will probably be the busiest and most emotionally exciting day of your life. You will want to enjoy it and remember it. Leaving the little details and mishaps to someone else to resolve.

8.) You will look better. When you are stressed out and preoccupied it shows on your face. But you’ve seen to all the details in advance and know that someone else is handling any potential mishaps you will be able to relax. And being carefree will be evident in your face and expressions. After all you will be having hundreds of pictures taken and looking at them for years to come. You’ll want to look your absolute best.

If you love weddings, working with people and are very organized, starting your very own professional wedding planning business may be the right opportunity for you.  This type of business is challenging, yet fun and exciting; as you get to share special wedding days over and over again with different brides and grooms.

To become a certified wedding planner, it is imperative that you have a great personality and work well with a variety of different people from different cultures and backgrounds.  You should also know and understand the latest in wedding industry trends and different aspects of planning a successful and stylish wedding. You will have to work with and build relationships with various wedding vendors such as reception venues, photographers, florists, caterers, bakers, entertainment companies and bridal shops.

Wedding planning is also challenging.  It requires that you manage stress well because there are so many things going on at the same time. Occasionally, you may have to deal with the Bridezilla attitude, demanding and stressed out brides and/or unhappy service providers; all at the same time. Your business must provide the couple with their ideal wedding experience without any added stress to them.

As a professional wedding planner, you will need to stay on top of all the current wedding trends and new styles. You should have detailed knowledge regarding wedding etiquette and attend various bridal shows on a regular basis; and with potential clients or suppliers.

There are several wedding colleges and associations that can provide excellent wedding related curriculum, both online and at your local classroom. One such wedding college is the Wedding Planning Institute (WPI). WPI offers a classroom session in addition to the online course for a more hands-on experience. Online students have the option to join a local class trip, venue tour, or help with an actual wedding at their own convenience.

You will also want to create a website and/or blog where you can showcase your services to brides and grooms.  You should include a portfolio, a blog, testimonials, contact information, and pricing (optional). You may need to hire a marketing company to help your website appear high in the search engines.

Keep your prices competitive with other wedding planning businesses in your local area and advertise in local newspapers as well as on the Internet. Word of mouth will also help bring in clients if you can deliver an outstanding experience.

Wedding planning is indeed challenging; but the benefits of helping a bride and groom flourish on their wedding day is far greater; and you will be there to watch it all.

Have any wedding questions? Get all the answers you need now at Rachael West Designs.

First question to come to my mind is what is the advantage to hire a professional wedding photographer? Well…professional wedding photographers take wedding photos for a living so they will have the necessary skill set and equipments to take high quality of photographs for your wedding. Usually, they will have equipment that is capable of capturing high quality photographs instead of your friend’s digital camera. More importantly, they usually have the experience of taking photographs for many…many weddings before yours.

So…What questions should I ask the wedding photographer?

After confirming that the wedding photographer is available on your date, ask the following questions:

- How long he/she has been in business? (Experience counts)

- What equipment do they use? (You can do some research to see if the equipment is high quality)

- When will my photographs be ready after the wedding?

- Will it be available as digital format with DVD?

- What kind of photography style they will use on your wedding date?

- Who will be the doing the photographing on my wedding date? (If you like that person you talk to, make sure he/she will do it that day)

- Ask for the packages and pricing that they offering.

- How long will the photographer spend at your wedding?

- What kind of payment terms do you offer? (Most require down payment or payment in full before starting work)

Write down your list of questions before you start your search for a wedding photographer and bring it along with you to meet with the person.

How soon should I start to look for a wedding photographer?

General guide line is to start looking for your wedding photographer right after you book your reception hall. Since most weddings are hosted during weekends, good quality wedding photographers are in high demand; you might need to book a year in advance.

What should be the price range?

It really depends on the service level, the quality of photographs you require and the time needed to spend on your day. Prices can range from $600 to thousands of dollars. Be ready to spend more if you want good qualify photographs. If your wedding budget allows, be ready to spend $2500-$5000 for a good quality professional wedding photographer. The best is to do some price comparisons from online Wedding sites.

Do you feel comfortable with the wedding photographer? Is He/She confident enough to do the job?

After you meet and speak to the wedding photographer, it is important that you and your partner both feel confident that they are able to work with you and your group. A professional wedding photographer can help to make your day go smooth. A confident photographer can even save you from crisis situation.

Have any wedding questions? Get all the answers you need now at Rachael West Designs.