You're planning a wedding. You've arranged for a caterer, for formal wear, for flowers, even for music. Now your thoughts turn to photography. You suddenly realize that when the whole show is over, when the party's over, and the guests have gone, the photographs that document the day are the one tangible thing which remains. Suddenly the photos are a whole lot more important to you, and the more studios you talk to, the more confusing it becomes. Photographers talk about different styles, use technical jargon, and offer confusing packages. Let's sort it out and make it less frightening...

First you need to choose a style. There are two that are currently popular. Traditional style is portrait based photography, the shots are heavily choreographed and little is left to chance. The practitioners of this style have poses and lighting effects which they know from experience are often on the list of must-haves, and, therefore, well received by the families who have commissioned them. Traditional style photography is somewhat idealized. In fact, with lighting effects, soft-focus filters, and retouching, the subjects often look better than they do in real life! While this posed-portrait based style has been for years the most popular, currently what's called photojournalist style wedding photography has taken the market by storm. The photojournalist unobtrusively captures the story of your day. He creates a narrative collection of images that show what you and your family really experienced. An important caveat to remember when choosing a wedding photojournalist is that photojournalism is really a skill, not just the name of a style of photography, and there are studios trying to jump on the bandwagon claiming to be photojournalists when they just don,t have the skills.

Once you've chosen a style, move on to the details of the deal. Traditional studios tend to have traditional packages with albums full of photos which you have chosen from proofs. Some families find this packaged approach stress-free. On the other hand, many photojournalists let you design custom packages, some will even let you have the negatives!

You need to ask photographers (and if appropriate, get in it writing):

• Can I see a portfolio of the work of the person who will photograph my wedding?
• May I keep the proofs?
• Are the negatives included in the price?
• When will I get the negatives, right afterwards, or is there a waiting period?
• How costly are additional albums?
• Are you insured?
• Do you make black and white photos, and is there an additional fee?
• Do you bring back-up equipment?
• Are there ANY additional fees, if so what?
• Do you require a retainer to reserve the date?
• If I postpone my wedding can I credit my retainer to the future date?

What's most important, though, is that whatever style or business model fits your needs, the sample pictures should capture your interest. They should make you want to turn the page to see what's next. If the photographer can involve you in the lives of these strangers, imagine what he can do at your wedding, and imagine the heirloom you'll create for future generations.