After months and months of planning every detail to create your perfect wedding, you want to have those moments documented so you can look back on time and time again. Your photographs are what you have in the end, after all the planning and the money spent and the day has come and gone. Choose wisely. You will share your wedding album with family and friends, your children and their children.

Finding your photographer doesn't have to be such a challenge. Check the professioanl associations. Ask your event facilities and your church. Ask your married friends about the photographer they used, they can tell you what they did and did not like, and what they would do differently if they had the chance to do it all over again. These are all great resources.

Make certain you feel comfortable with and like the photographer you hire. They will be with you and your family and friends for a good part of the day. Also, think about how your family and weddding party will connect with this person.

Time and time again we've heard stories of brides or their families hiring " a friend of a friend" to shoot the wedding, thinking they would give them the business or get a break on price. Most of the time this turns out to be a disaster, by receiving poorly exposed images, blurry images,no creativity, lost film or no images at all, or not showing up. Remember think wisely.

Find a photographer who cares about capturing and telling your story. Your story should be more than the standard posed "stand here and smile" shots. They should be imaginative and reflect who your are. Your consultaion with the photographer should be relaxed, you should feel comforable with him or her and not feel presured what-so-ever to sign with them or purchase a certain package. Communication is so important; ask lots of questions. Make sure they have a web-site. You should first be impressed there before making your initial consultation.

Here are some questions to ask: -Will you be the one shooting my wedding?

If not, then look at that person's work. -What if you are sick or an emergency comes up?
-Is this your full-time job?
-Do you belong to any professional associations?
-How long after the wedding do I receive my proofs? And the final Wedding album?

You should receive your proofs no later than one month after the wedding and the final album 2 to 3 months after making your photograph selections.
-How many weddings do they photograph a year? What percentage of their business are weddings.

This is important because it will indicate they know how things run. In their confidence level. They are prepared for the unexpected things that turn up occasionally.

Your personalities should be compatible. Is their photography style what you are looking for? Have them show you lots of their work. Look at a wedding in it's entirety, not just enlargements of their best work. Do you like the style album they offer? Ask if they customize their packages. For example: you may like their package B, but want to add something that is included in package D to your package B. Being able to do this ensures you get exactly what you want, and not pay for goods and services you are not interested in.

After you have chosen your photographer, discuss any traditions you and your families and friends may have. If the photographer knows ahead of time, these important events or annoucements are not missed due to lack of communication.

Cut out magazine photos you like and give them to the photographer. The photographer then gets an idea for what you are envisioning, of course, it will not be exactly the same image, since it's a different location,different bride, different lighting, different everything, however, the mood and overall feel of the image could possibly be similarly created. Discuss any special photos you would like, provide the photographer with a list, so they refer to that list the day of the wedding and these will not be forgotten. You will be occupied with many other things and probally will not remember. Go over the days time-line. Work with your photographer in planning how much time is needed to get the photographs you want. Go over what time family and wedding party should arrive. If your photographer has plenty of experience, they will provide you with a lot of information and advice, and not just about the photography end of it. They are professioanls and do this all the time.

After the wedding, give your photographer feed back on how both of you thought they did, what your families and guests said about them. Work together to create the wedding album you will treasure for the rest of your lives. The right photographer for you is out there, choose wisely.

Ana Lombardi is a professional photographer. She works out of her home and travels all over the country to photograph weddings. She is part owner in a Photography gallery featuring Wedding photographs as well as Children, Fine Art pieces,It will open in March of 2006 in Tyrone Georgia. It is extremely important to her that happy couples wind up with photographs they love and will treasure forever.