Choosing the right photographer is a difficult job – get it right and you’ll have photos you can cherish for the rest of your life; get it wrong and you may end up with an album that never gets looked at. Here are a few tips:

1) Try to meet with a few different photographers - wedding shows local to your wedding venue are useful here as quite often a number of local photographers will have stands so you can meet a few all on the same day.

2) Choose one on recommendation if possible, but also make sure you meet with him/her and see other work they have done.

3) When you meet with a photographer make sure you see examples of their work - full wedding albums rather than just a mixture of their best shots from lots of different weddings.

4) Before you book your photographer, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting for your money. Will the photographer come to where the bride is getting ready before the wedding? How long will he/she stay – just to the start of the wedding breakfast or until the first dance, or longer? How many photos will you get to choose? How much are the extra photos for guests to purchase? How long after the wedding will you be able to order reprints?

5) Book as early as you can to avoid disappointment - the best photographers are usually the ones that get booked up a long way in advance

6) Make a list of all the main photos you want to have taken on the day and discuss it with your photographer - they will have a feel for how long the list will take to complete and you won’t want your guests to hang around too long waiting for the photos to be completed. If you are having your ceremony at a different place to your reception, it may be an idea to have the main photos taken outside your ceremony venue and then have the rest taken at your reception venue. That way you can make sure your guests all have a drink and can mingle, rather than having to watch too many photos being taken of people they may not even know! Most photographers will also take photos of guests mingling and detail shots, place cards of bride and groom, tray of canapés, for example, so make sure you check whether your photographer will do these types of shots too. They will really help capture your special day.

7) Give your best man, chief bridesmaid, usher or other trustworthy attendant the list of photos that you want taken, in case the photographer leaves their copy at home, or so they can help out – they may know the people needed for the photo whereas the photographer won’t know who’s who.