our experts say:

For starters, you want your personalities to mesh. This is especially important when it comes to the man or woman behind the camera. Your photographer is the person who will be responsible for getting you and your guests to put their best, smiling faces forward, to be captured forever on film. Besides personality, you also need to choose a professional who is able to deliver the types of photos you want. Do you want an album filled with formal shots, lots of fun candids, or a mix of both? Do you prefer traditional wedding photography, the more spontaneous and documentary-like photojournalism, or would you like to find a photographer who can offer some of each? Once you know your priorities, you can start your search and set up some meetings.

If friends or family have given you recommendations, do check them out. With photographers, this is especially easy, because you can actually see the finished product (the album). If the photographers you find have not been recommended to you, be sure to ask for references -- and (again) do call them. You don't have to wait for your face-to-face meeting to ask about their wedding philosophy. They should be willing to discuss their concept/ideas/style over the phone, to help you get a better idea of what they do and how they do it. Do your best to find out what the photographer is all about, how they like to handle weddings and what shots they look for. When you do meet with photographers, be sure to look through their work (make sure it's their personal work and not some other photographer's in the same studio). Also, be sure to meet with the photographer who will be in charge of your wedding (and not merely a representative from the studio who may or may not be handling your event).

You want someone who is enthusiastic about your event, who listens to your ideas, helps you understand all of the elements of the job and who explains his or her philosophy well. You also want someone who is willing to get to know you. All of this will come through in your pictures.

As for questions to ask during your interviews, definitely ask whether the photographer is familiar with your site. If not, he or she should be willing to scout out your ceremony and reception location ahead of time to find the best places to pose for pictures. Other questions to ask include:

· How long will you stay? Some guarantee a certain number of hours; others off unlimited coverage.

· Do you work with an assistant? If so, find out just how much the assistant is responsible for. You don't want to pay for the main (experienced) photographer and wind up with most of the photos being taken by the assistant.

· What kind of albums will we get? Be sure to take a look at the product you're paying for. Is it the quality of leather you would expect for the price?

Also find out how much extra copies of prints will cost, whether or not you can buy the proofs, how many pictures per album are included in the price (and their size), how much he or she will charge for extra album pages, whether they do retouching and for how much (plus any extra related costs), how many pictures they will take and what kind of equipment they use. Also feel free to ask how much they think you will end up spending overall. If you don't have a set amount ahead of time, this is a fair question.

We hope this helps. Good luck!
The Wedding Women

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