How to Find the Right Wedding Photographer For You PS - If you came here from the November newsletter - please accept our apologies - we had an incorrect link. The article on Wedding Photos Do's and Don'ts is here I recently had the pleasure of attending the NJ Wedding Salon and meeting several very talented wedding photographers. After talking with them, I've put together the following tips on selecting the wedding photographer that is right for you. 1. Attend Bridal Shows There's no better way to scope out your potential wedding photographer than to meet with many in one day all under one roof. When planning my own wedding, my then fiancé and I set aside quite a few nights after work to visit and view the portfolios of potential photographers. Definitely very time consuming - had I attended one or more bridal shows - I could probably have narrowed down my selections to only a few for us to meet with again personally. 2. Find out the Photographers Style While at the booth of Patrick Sweeney Photography, another couple mentioned that he's been known to have his couples make snow angels in the snow. I'm not sure if he literally does this - but his whole reasoning behind his method is he wants his couples to have fun. According to Patrick, "This allows you to fall into your element and be yourself." Patrick doesn't like to pose his shots and tell you when to smile. By having fun, the smiling will come naturally. Personally, I think this method is perfect. From the photos Patrick showed me, you could definitely tell that the couples were comfortable. All the shots looked very natural - but, you have to decide for yourselves if you are comfortable with this particular photography style. 3. View the Album Styles At the show, each photographer had albums on display to give you an idea of how they look when finished. It's great to be able to see all the different options as you visit each photographers booth. There are many different album styles out there, but one that stood out to me at the NJ Wedding Salon was from Romeo Creations. They offer the option to have a one of a kind wedding album that features a handmade metal cover. The album cover images range from landscape to floral to the abstract. An absolutely stunning presentation. 4. Ask if the Photographer is Familiar with Your Wedding Location This is a big plus because not only will you be able to see if the photographer has specific shots in mind, but you might even be able to view photos from another wedding that was held at your locale. 5. Does the Photographer Work with an Assistant? One key question to ask is how many photographers will shoot your wedding. If only 1 photographer will be there, be sure to find out what happens should some unforeseen event occur and prevent them from being there on your wedding day. From personal experience, I can tell you this is a major question. One that I did not ask, but should have. When my husband and I got married nearly 6 years ago - our own photographer told us halfway through the reception that he wasn't feeling well and would be leaving. Luckily, he knew another photographer and told us he was on his way and would shoot the remainder of our wedding. This event was definitely not something we had expected or even thought could happen. In the end it all turned out ok, but I would not want the same thing to happen to you. After all, it's your special day. The last thing you want is a photographer that's either a no show or one that leaves early. 6. Find Out How They Develop a Relationship with Their Clients For Rose Caballas of Insignia Studio it's important for her to continue the relationship with her couples beyond the wedding and be there when they welcome new family members or for any other special moments in the couples lives. For Joe at Romeo Creations he says that the only vendor that you still work with after the wedding is the photographer/videographer. This relationship continues for another 5-8 months after the big day. Joe says that the customer always comes first and you have to be dedicated to your customer. 7. One Last Personal Tip One other tip I'd like to leave you with is, please be sure to have a wedding album created. After seeing all the beautiful albums at the bridal show, I wish we had more than our proof album to keep looking thru. Of course, our entire wedding was shot with film so it's definitely not as easy as having your album shot digitally. But, having a nice coffee table style wedding album is such a wonderful momento of the joyous occasion. One you will cherish forever. Wishing you all very happy memories. And a special thank you to the following photographers for taking the time to talk with me and discuss their business: Patrick Sweeney Photography Romeo Creations Insignia Studio Lux Photo Studios Digital Memories Forever Abella Studios Article Author: Brenda Bennett Maille, owner of BestWeddingSites.com and daily blogger at Brenda's Wedding Blog