The wedding photographer you choose will have a tremendous impact on your wedding. These photographs will last forever, even once the leftover cake has been eaten and the flowers have been pressed. Before you meet with the wedding photographer you should have a set of guidelines that you are looking for. This will help you know if the wedding photographer will give you what you want.

Do not book a photographer over the phone; you must see the wedding photographer’s portfolio. It is a necessity to see the wedding photographer’s portfolio. Look at the style, are all of the photos you see single shots of the bride or groom? If you find some of the photographs gloomy while you want yours to be brighter, talk to the wedding photographer about your concerns. Talk to a friend or family member about what you are looking for and invite them to the meeting. Show them your list of guidelines so they can follow them with you. When choosing the type of photography you want, consider if you want casual shots of friends and family, or if you want only formal shots. Make a list of the groups you want to be photographed, including special photographs that might not involve the wedding party. Is an old friend coming from overseas? Do you want a photograph of only your cousins together? These are all pictures to keep in mind.

When looking at the photos, try to imagine yourself in the photographs. If these were one your wall, would you be happy? Make sure you see variety in their photos. If all the shots the wedding photographer shows you are close up this is a bad sign. Look at the edges and background in the photographs to see if the wedding photographer has done a sloppy set up or if the set ups are clean and even. Take photographs you like in to show your photographer and see how they compare to their portfolio.

Ask the wedding photographer for their qualifications and how much experience they have doing wedding photography. Find out if the wedding photographer is professionally qualified by looking for the letters LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP after their name. Ask about the unexpected. How will they handle your photographs if it snows? Are you okay with their ideas? Make sure to ask if the wedding photographer has Professional Indemnity insurance cover in case something goes wrong with your pictures and they need to be retaken.