You've set the date, reserved the Church and the Reception Corridor, and now you have to select your shooter. What you may do, don't fall into the trap that some unfortunate Bride and Grooms do by hiring a relative or friend to take their wedding pictures. Remember, this is a once in a lifetime event that are not repeated, and unless the person you've selected to capture your " special " memories is taking photos weddings every week, chances are pretty good they simply don't have the expertise or equipment to do the job properly. You've already spent an income on your dress, the flowers video ads, the banquet corridor, and devices that makes the day so special, so it simply does not sound right to not get a professional shooter to provide for your photographic needs during the day. If a relative or friend offers their services to you as their shooter, and unless they have wedding photography experience, it is best to use them only as a "second photographer" on the day of the wedding. By "second photographer", I am talking about a shooter that stays in the background and sets genuine shots throughout the day. That way you won't be destroying a friendship if the shots don't turn out as you had anticipated. By hiring a professional, one who does wedding photography for a living, you know you'll get great souvenirs of your big day. Plus, the pressure will be off your friend or relative to "deliver the goods".

If you haven't started window shopping for a shooter at least a year prior to your big day, you should do so as soon as possible. As a general rule, you should begin your search anywhere from ten to sixteen months prior to the date. Why so early? The best professional photographers book up early, and simply can only shoot one wedding a day, once they are reserved, that day is gone.

Before visiting a shooter, it might be wise to sit down with your partner and decide on what you would like in the form of pictures on your big day.

One of the first things to consider is the style of photography. Do you prefer genuine shots (completely unposed with no direction from the photographer), the more traditional photography (where the shooter controls everything from posing to lighting), the uncandid genuine (where the shooter has made the pose look natural, so that it looks completely unposed, or almost candid), or a combination of all styles? It is very important that you are clear with your shooter about which style of photography that you prefer, otherwise you may be disappointed in the results. When visiting various professional photographers, be sure to see works from a complete wedding, rather than samples from many weddings. This will give you a good idea of the style of photography that the shooter favors, and a good sign of the photographer's talents and expertise in lighting.

The next step in your journey of selecting a shooter is to know how much you would like to dedicate to the photography coverage of your wedding. Questions that you should ask yourself are: How long can i need the shooter for on the day of the wedding (often times you can save money by not having the shooter stay for the full reception coverage)? Would I like one or two professional photographers providing coverage (a second shooter usually specializes in genuine moments alone, so if you like genuine photography, you should definitely consider having a second photographer---one shooter, no matter how experienced, simply are not in two places at the same time)? What would I like included in my photography package in the form of images, wall portraits, pictures, thank you cards? Would I like the disadvantages or digital disadvantages (high resolution image files) so that I can do all the printing myself? In photography, as with any other service or product, you generally get what you pay for. There is usually a good reason why one shooter will charge more for what appears to basically be the same principle. There may be hidden costs involved, such as gas mileage, or number of hours coverage, or limits on the number of photos taken that day. One shooter may have considerably less experience and expertise in taking photos weddings. Some professional photographers simply charge less because they take wedding pictures as a in your free time hobby and work full time at another unrelated job. Ask yourself, you may not want to trust your memories to someone who not make their income and pole their reputation on taking photos weddings? Decide in advance how important your wedding pictures are to you, and budget accordingly. When calling professional photographers to make viewing appointments of their work, be sure to ask their price ranges. A professional shooter will tell you up front their price ranges. There is no sense in wasting your time, or the photographer's time even, if their price range is beyond your budget.