You’re getting married, congratulations! Naturally you’re getting incredibly excited about all the planning you’re going to be doing to make your big day as perfect as it can be.

One important element you need to consider early on is your choice is the wedding photographer. They will beautifully thought out images of your ceremony, reception or whatever else you have planned, giving you professionally edited, high-definition images to make the day even more unforgettable.

Of course, wedding photographers come in all shapes and sizes with different working styles between them. You’ll want to keep the following tips in mind to ensure you get the right photographer at your wedding.

1. Do they have experience with your type of wedding?

An important thing to consider when hiring a wedding photographer is their experience with the type of ceremony you are planning. For example, if you are having a traditional Indian wedding with lots of cultural traditions then you might want to hire someone with extensive experience shooting that type of event rather than someone who normally shoots vanilla, western-style weddings.

While all weddings share elements that a photographer will be familiar with – there are certain ways to shoot different aesthetics to do them the most justice after the fact. If you have very elaborate décor all around the ceremony, then you would want a professional who knows how to play with foregrounds and levels of focus to make sure that you and your partner are still the focal point.

There are a lot of subtle traits that a photographer will have that may make them more or less suitable for the type of wedding you are having. To avoid any issues, simply make sure you engage someone you know has experience with the type of ceremony you are going to have.

2. Do you like their style of photography?

It’s equally important that you pick a wedding photographer who has a distinct shooting style that you enjoy. You should also look at how they edit the pictures they take to see what the final product will look like.

If you don’t like a lot of editing and want the pictures to be more natural and candid, you can pick a photographer who specialises in that style. On the other hand, if you want photos that are highly stylised and make the day look as magical as it felt, there are plenty of practitioners who have lots of different editing styles to choose from.

This choice will ultimately come down to personal preference and you should involve you partner in the decision. Don’t be afraid to speak to the photographer about your preferences and to see samples of their edited and unedited work.

Usually you can get a sense of their style by looking at their digital portfolio which is usually at the forefront of their website. They may have a preview of the different editing styles they have on offer so you can select the one you like the best.

3. Do you get along with them? Are they friendly?

Something that’s not thought about very often but is very important is the personality of the wedding photographer you select. Are they a fun, bubbly person who’s suited to less formal ceremonies or are they reserved and like to keep in the background during your big day?

The personality of the photographer plays a part in the kind of pictures you will get out of them, especially when it comes to organising group shots and picking out candid moments to shoot. If you choose someone who’s very serious in nature, they might not think to snap pics of people being silly and laughing together.

Ultimately, the choice about which wedding photographer to pick comes down to your personal preferences. It’s your big day, so make sure you get the perfect person to photograph it!