The answer of course is your wedding album, a unique record of the beginning of your marriage that you can savour for many years to come.
For this reason it is worth taking the time and effort to find a photographer who has the skills and experience to tell the story of the day.
The photographer's job -Recording a wedding is one of the most demanding areas of professional photography. The wedding photographer has to makes stars out of ordinary people, working quickly but unobtrusively and in varying lighting and weather conditions. Some photographers specialise in weddings, while others may combine it with advertising, news, schools photography and general portrait work.
Hiring a photographer - Ask to meet the person who will be taking the pictures in person. Is he or she a member of a professional association and what qualifications are held? Ask to see examples of wedding albums. Do they tell the story of the day? Are they of a single wedding or a selection of the best pictures from several weddings? Is there a good mix of formal and group shots and more informal reportage? Do they show the facial expressions of the subjects and are the backgrounds well chosen? Are the prints and the album of good quality?
Black and white or colour - There has been a recent revival of black and white photographs, as many people believe they have more character and are more atmospheric, but of course they lose important details such as the colour of your bouquet! You could opt for a mix of colour and monochrome as a compromise, but discuss the proportions of each with your photographer.
The cost - Prices vary enormously but, as in so many areas of life, you get what you pay for. An experienced and well-respected photographer will charge more than a new kid on the block. Think of it as an investment and be prepared to pay as much if not more for your wedding album as you paid for your wedding dress. Get a written quotation and discuss how long the photographer will spend at your wedding and if he or she is insured should anything go wrong with the pictures.
Copyright - The photographer holds the copyright on your pictures, but as the person who commissioned the photographer you also have a moral right not to have your photographs made public without your permission. Check whether you will be allowed to keep the negatives so you can order copies at a later date
Informal snaps - As an informal addition to your professional wedding album you could place a disposable camera on each table at the wedding reception so guests can take their own spur-of-the-moment pictures.
Videos - A cheap video is not worth it. Better to use the money on a more expensive dress or exotic honeymoon. But a professionally shot and edited video will be something you will treasure for many years. This is a very skilled job. A professional wedding video producer will have to move fast, not get in the way of the enjoyment of guests and ensure high quality sound and pictures whether shot in a dark, echoing church or a crowded, noisy reception.
But the real skill comes in the editing. Check if your video producer intends to edit "in camera" - in other words what you shoot is what you get – or in a proper editing suite after the event. The latter is much preferable to edit out boring or inappropriate footage and produce a video that tells the story of the day in an engaging and watchable way.
Ask for a demonstration tape and expect to pay at least what you would pay for a good photographer. Some video companies are now producing wedding films in the higher quality DVD formats.
