Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the biggest decisions you'll make when planning your wedding.

After all, when the flowers have disappeared, the cake has been eaten and the music has stopped, your photographs are one of the few things you'll have left to remember the day.

So how do you choose?

Here are ten things we think are worth considering.

1. Do You Actually Love Their Photographs?

This sounds obvious, but it's probably the most important question.

Don't choose a photographer because they're cheap.

Don't choose them because your venue recommends them.

Don't choose them because someone else used them.

Look at their work.

Do you love the way they photograph people?

Does their style make you feel something?

Could you imagine those photographs hanging on your walls?

If the answer is yes, you're off to a good start.

2. Are You Looking at Real Weddings?

Styled shoots can produce beautiful photographs.

But a real wedding is different.

Real weddings have difficult lighting, changing weather, nervous couples, crowded rooms, family groups and unpredictable moments.

Ask to see Wedding preview collections of 20+ real weddings, not just a photographer's ten favourite photographs from a styled shoot they participated in with a group of other vendors.

3. Do They Have Experience?

Experience matters.

Not because experienced photographers never have problems.

It's because they've usually seen enough weddings to know how to deal with them.

Rain?

We'll work with it.

Running late?

We'll adjust.

Dark reception room?

We'll find a solution.

Family photographs taking longer than expected?

We'll keep things moving.

Experience means knowing what to do when the day doesn't go according to plan.

4. Do You Like Their Personality?

This is often overlooked.

Your photographer may be with you for six, eight, ten or twelve hours.

You'll see them when you're nervous.

When you're emotional.

When you're excited.

When things aren't going perfectly.

You need to feel comfortable around them.

5. Do They Photograph People or Just Things?

Beautiful details are wonderful.

But your wedding isn't really about the flowers.

It's about people.

The person you're marrying.

Your parents.

Your grandparents.

Your friends.

The people who travelled to celebrate with you.

Look for a photographer who captures emotion and connection, not just pretty backgrounds.

6. What Exactly Is Included?

Don't compare photographers based purely on the headline price.

Look at what you're actually receiving.

How many hours?

How many photographs?

Are the images high resolution?

How are they delivered?

How long is the online gallery available?

Are there additional costs?

Understanding the package makes comparing photographers much easier.

7. How Long Will You Wait for Your Photographs?

Ask.

Every photographer has their own workflow.

At All Saints Photography, we aim to have your completed gallery ready within approximately 7–14 days.

For many couples, that's a lovely bonus — you don't have to wait months to relive your wedding.

8. What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?

Nobody likes thinking about this.

But it's worth asking.

What happens if the photographer becomes ill?

What happens if equipment fails?

What happens if the weather changes?

A professional photographer should have plans for the unexpected.

9. Can You Afford the Photography Without Creating Financial Stress?

Photography is important.

But you shouldn't put yourself into financial difficulty to pay for it.

Look for a photographer whose packages fit your budget.

And ask about payment arrangements.

At All Saints Photography, couples can secure their date with a $500 non-refundable retainer, with the remaining balance paid by 14 days before the wedding.

If you're booking well ahead, the remaining balance can also be spread into regular payments.

10. Do You Trust Them?

This might be the most important one.

Once you've looked at the photographs, checked the details and met the photographer, ask yourself:

“Do I trust this person to photograph one of the most important days of our lives?”

If the answer is yes, you've probably found the right photographer.

It's About More Than a Camera

A wedding photographer isn't simply someone you hire to take photographs.

You're inviting them into some incredibly personal moments.

The nerves.

The tears.

The laughter.

The excitement.

The chaos.

The celebration.

Choose someone whose photographs you love, whose personality you like and whose experience gives you confidence.

And then relax and enjoy your wedding.