You spend months, even years, planning for your wedding day. Thousands of dollars go towards your dress, venue, catering and all the other bits that make a wedding. Then, when the day finally arrives, it is over in a few mere hours. Not only that, but you've been running around so much all day that you may barely remember it. That is where the wedding photos come in. If you have invested time and energy to finding just the right wedding photographer, you will have photos that will last years- a lasting memento of your special day to relive all those memories.

Photography is one of the few aspects of your wedding that will last past the first year anniversary. After the cake has been eaten, the Champagne has been drank and the flowers have wilted, you still have the photos. For this reason, it is well worth spending a large portion of your budget on photography. It really is one of those areas where you get what you pay for- scrimp on cost and you are likely to end up with an over zealous art student using your photos for his coursework.

The general guideline is to spend around 10% of your budget on photography. This may sound a lot but it will be well worth it. Some brides choose to devote an even larger portion of their budget on photography. The best rule is to spend as much as you can afford on getting the best photographer for your wedding - you will never regret having good photos. It is only one day after all, you won't get another chance at these photos.

So now you've decided on your budget, what sort of photography should you go for? Well, there are two main styles: formal and reportage. Formal is, not surprisingly, the more traditional posed photography. Think of your parent's wedding photos and you have the right idea- groups of people posing together and smiling at the camera. Some people feel this look is forced and dated, whereas others like to have photography that showcases people, rather than artistic techniques. Reportage is getting more and more popular these days. It is also called photo-journalism, which means that the photographer keeps an eye out for those magic moments and snaps them as they happen. These photos are more natural and spontaneous, although they can sometimes be a bit abstract.

There are pros and cons to both, as I have just touched on, so most couples choose to have a mix of both styles.

Another basic choice to make is whether to opt for black and white or color photographs. It used to be that this was a choice that had to be made before the wedding, as it would mean shooting with a different type of film, however with the dawn of digital photography it is now possible to manipulate color images into black and white, so most photographers will give you this option at the ordering stage. Some traditional couples still choose to have their images shot in black and white film as they feel there is an extra softness and depth to these images.

Not all photographers offer all styles and services so it is best to check. Speaking of checking, once you have decided the style you want, it's time to find a photographer.

Next, we will give you a checklist of questions to arm yourself with during your hunt for the perfect fit for a photographer for your wedding.