Selecting the person who'll be responsible for capturing the official photographs (read memories) of your wedding day is a daunting task. Get it wrong and you'll always feel slightly disappointed when you look at your wedding photos. Get it right and opening your wedding album will bring all the memories of your wonderful day flooding back. Hmm, it's a tough call!

As a wedding photographer, I can recommend considering the following:

1) Look at lots of examples of your prospective photographer's work and ask to see at least one complete wedding they've shot. This will give you an idea of how consistent their work is, their photographic style and the experience they have. Beware of the photographers out there who tout themselves as the only snapper but have a fleet of other photographers working for them. Check who'll be taking your wedding photos and make sure it's the person you have met, not a student who'll be hired in for the day - it happens! You could also ask for references from previous clients, if a photographer has done a good job at previous weddings this won't be a problem.

2) Have an idea of the style of photography you want. If you like natural, informal photos that tell the story of your day, make sure your photographer works in a reportage style. If on the other hand you'd like lots of group photos and set up shots, make sure you book a photographer who can do this for you. I work somewhere in the middle, combining set up shots with reportage. I shoot 6 formal shots as standard after the wedding ceremony; all guests, friends, bride's family, groom's family, bridal party and parents. If clients require more than this, it's fine with me, but the opportunity to take candid shots is reduced by a large volume of set up shots, so please bear this in mind.

3) Ask about any qualifications or accreditations they may have. I'm a licentiate member of the Master Photographer Association which means I've been independently referenced as a full time photographer and that my work is of a professional standard. Your photographer should also hold indemnity insurance and public liability insurance, please check this out with them. It gives you some come back in the event of things going wrong!

4) Most of all choose someone you like. Your wedding photographer will be sharing your big day with you and your photos will be all the more pleasurable to look at if you remember the process of being photographed as fun. I, as many other photographers do, offer a pre-wedding shoot as part of all my wedding packages. It gives the couple getting married a chance to work with me before the big day so they know what to expect and I enjoy getting to know my clients better because it makes my job easier (and more enjoyable) on the big day.

Best of luck with your wedding planning, if you'd like any further information about what I do, please visit my website - www.lumierevrai.com

Emma O'Brien

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