2. Seek the advice of those you trust. Ask someone you trust (a close friend or family member who recently married or another wedding professional) who they would recommend as a photographer.

3. Choose a photographer whose style you like. Whether you prefer a majority of your photographs to be posed or spontaneously created, color or black and white, select a photographer whose style you enjoy and respect and whose artistic vision you would like to see behind your own wedding album.

4. Choose a photographer whose personality you are comfortable with. Your photographer is the one wedding profession who will most likely been with you throughout your entire wedding day. Be sure you find someone with whom you can build a positive, enjoyable, working relationship.

5. Hire your photographer early. Many photographers fill their schedules 9 to 12 months in advance.

6. View your photography as an investment in the future. Your wedding album is the one tangible item you will have to keep the memories of your wedding alive. Deciding who will capture those memories should not be simply based on who charges the least or most amount of money. Your decision should be based finding the photographer who you are most comfortable with and who can best document the joy and excitement of your wedding. By doing so, you can be assured that you will receive photographs that you will cherish a lifetime.

7. Get it in writing. Get as many details as possible in writing to avoid any confusion later. Questions to ask your photographer should include: Who will be the photographer for our wedding? What is your experience with and philosophy about wedding photography? How long will you be with us on our wedding day? What exactly is included in our package? What happens to the proofs and negatives? How long will it take for proofs and albums to be produced? What kind of back-up equipment and photographers are available? What is the payment schedule? And what, if any, extra charges apply?

8. Schedule time for your portraits. Whether you would like just a few basic wedding day portraits or a wide variety of poses with different people at different locations, set aside a specific time period as early in the day as possible for your portraiture so that you can spend the remaining time enjoying your wedding and the company of your guests.

9. Let your photographer be your wedding storyteller. From documenting the people, places, emotions, events and details of your wedding to tastefully laying out your favorite photographs in your album, your photographer's job should be to create the perfect storybook wedding album.

10. Relax and enjoy! This is YOUR wedding, you should be free to enjoy yourself and the company of your spouse, family and friends without having your time dominated by your photographer.