This is a no-brainer question, of course you want to hire a wedding photographer… you’ll kick yourself over and over again if you don’t have this ultimate day preserved for future review by other generations of your family, your friends and others. And it’s important to hire a professional (so don’t go asking your friends who have digital cameras to shoot your wedding, because he or she won’t get to enjoy the event or catch up with friends as they’ll be running around working, while everyone else is having fun). You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but you should definitely make some sort of cash outlay so that you have a dedicated individual behind the lens, doing the creative, planned and/or spontaneous work of documenting the emotional, chaotic and satisfying day. The professional wedding photographer is there to do a job, and capture the moments that will signify the day, with the appropriate lighting, and understand of how to get the best out of every possible scenario, subject and circumstance.

A pro will sit down with the bride and groom ahead of time to map out a game plan on what to get (and what not to get) and how to best achieve those goals in terms of scheduling the traditional shots that are the hallmarks of wedding photography. By outlining the expectations of what you want the photographer to photograph, you’ll be that much happier with the outcome.

Maybe you want the photographer to start the night before at the rehearsal dinner to capture the roasting of the bride and groom in that carefree moment or you want the photographer to start photographing the groom and his groomsman the second they arrive and start putting on their tuxedo; or maybe she’ll be granted access to the bride as she gets ready.  It is ideas like this that a pro can co-organize with bride and groom and you can rest assured that they’ll be executed extremely well by engaging a professional.