Choosing a Wedding Photographer

When it comes time to choose your wedding photographer, you should think about more than just the eventual photographs. Yes, you should love the pictures your chosen wedding photographer takes, but if they're sketchy in other ways or they simply disappear without ever giving you your prints, you're out of luck. It's better to protect yourself from the very beginning, by getting a vendor contract and choosing a photographer with great references.

That said, there's nothing wrong with wanting to save a little money. After all, the wedding photographer you love more than any other might just be out of your price range, forcing you to compromise by choosing a second or third favorite. Here are some tips that will help you get the best wedding photography possible for the least amount of money.

• Ask your photographer to limit the time they spend taking pictures. Consider a "ceremony only" package where the photographer takes pictures before and during the ceremony, but not at the reception. Your wedding photographer will take all of the formal pictures of the bride and groom, family and wedding party, and photograph the ceremony. How many pictures of Aunt Edna eating cake do you need, anyhow?

• If you go that route, ask friends and relatives to take candid photographs at the reception. Some brides and grooms even provide a laptop with memory card readers at the reception venue so wedding guests can download their photographs before they leave.

• When using disposable cameras or rented digital cameras, think twice before placing one at every table. The film cameras themselves are inexpensive, but the cost to develop 20-30 roles of film is not! And while digital photos are all but free, renting a camera for each table can get pricey.

• Choose a photography package rather than purchasing individual shots and print sizes separately. If there is something that you really want that is not included in a package, ask the photographer if something can be swapped without increasing the price.

• Sometimes choosing the smallest or least expensive photography package is not the most cost effective option. One bride chose the least expensive package and afterwards spent $700 to buy additional prints that were not included in her original package. A more comprehensive package would have cost her only an additional $250 more if purchased up front.

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