You’re getting ready to hire a wedding photographer to effectively capture the most important day of your life. Could be a bit tricky. So, we went straight to the source – the photographers themselves – and asked their advice. They’ve got some great pointers.

–Choose a photographer you have a connection with. We all know people who are getting married. Ask around; keep your eyes and ears open. People know people; have worked with them; experienced them and gotten good results from them. Those are the photographers you want to consider.

–Make sure to ask to see a whole wedding, not just the best of the best. You’ll want to check out everything from the Engagements to tossing the garter. Then you can evaluate if this photographer looks to capture those memories you want to remember.

–2 photographers are better than 1. Are you getting 2 first shooters or a 1st shooter and an assistant? It makes a difference.

–Make sure your photographer can think outside the box. There are a lot of factors in a day that can throw a monkey wrench into things. You need a creative team to rise above those, as well as come up with artistic and imaginative ways to remember your wedding day.

–Think about what your priorities are in hiring a photographer: High resolution images on disc with printing rights? An album? 2 photographers? An engagement session? Then you can go into your consult loaded with what your expectations are compared to what they offer.

Tips contributed by Craig Photography