How to choose a wedding photographer you will still love in 20 years

When the flowers have wilted and the cake is gone, the photographs are what remain. That makes a photographer one of the choices worth taking time over. The aim is not to find the best portfolio in the abstract, but the person whose way of seeing suits yours and with whom you will feel at ease for ten hours.

Start with style, not price

Photographers work in recognisably different styles, and most blend them. Some are documentary and stay in the background, some direct portraits carefully, some favour a bright, airy look and others a darker, moodier one. Decide which of these you actually respond to by looking at a lot of work, before you compare quotes.

Look at full galleries, not highlights

A portfolio is a handful of the best frames from years of work. Ask to see one or two complete wedding galleries instead. They show how a photographer handles a whole day, including bad light, crowded rooms and tired people. Choose galleries from venues and seasons similar to yours.

Questions worth asking

1. 1How many weddings do you shoot a year, and are you free on our date?
2. 2How many hours of coverage does the price include, and what does an extra hour cost?
3. 3Will you shoot alone or with a second photographer, and who exactly will arrive?
4. 4How many edited photographs can we expect, and in what timescale?
5. 5What is your plan if you are ill or your equipment fails?
6. 6Do you keep a backup of our files, and for how long?

What the contract should say

• The date, the hours, the location and who will be there.
• The deposit, the payment dates and the cancellation or rescheduling terms.
• The delivery date for edited photographs, and the format.
• Who owns the images and what you may do with them, including printing and sharing.
• What happens if the photographer cannot attend.

Plan the family photographs

Formal group photographs are the part most likely to overrun. Agree a short written list in advance, name someone who knows the families to gather people, and allow about twenty minutes. A calm, quick session leaves more time for the relaxed pictures people usually treasure most.

Trust the conversation

Finally, talk to them. A photographer who listens, explains calmly and makes you laugh will get you looking natural on the day. If you feel pressured or unheard in the first call, the whole day will feel the same.