Everyone wants to perfectly preserve their special day and many couples choose to hire a professional photographer to capture all the perfect moments of their wedding. However, there are many important details attached to choosing the right photographer and making sure they snap all the right picture-perfect moments.

An engaged couple should start looking for photographers early, since often more experienced wedding photographers are booked far in advance. According to Brides.com, locating a photographer should be third on any wedding planner's to-do list, just after choosing a date and location. This ensures that both the bride and the photographer have ample time to meet, discuss the wedding and go over any and every specific detail of the wedding's pictures.

Doug Smith, owner of Heirloom Wedding Photography in Manhattan, said that finding a photographer early is important not only to make sure they can save your wedding date, but also to make sure that the couple and the photographer are a good fit.

"Look for someone with experience," Smith said, "not just someone who bought a nice camera and now calls themselves a wedding photographer. My favorite question potential clients ask me is what kind of experience I have and what training I've been through. This gives me a chance to show them my credibility as a photographer and it shows me that they are focused on having high-quality photos of their wedding."

After choosing the photographer (and checking their qualifications, portfolio and credentials), the next step is to decide which moments should absolutely and undoubtedly be captured. The photographer will take plenty of candid shots of both the wedding and the reception, but it's important to go over any other specific moments, whether formal or informal, in order to ensure the most satisfaction.

"Get a photographer who wants to sit down and visit and see if there are any special situations that need to be acknowledged in order to make the day just a little bit better or a little bit easier," said Diane Roggenkamp, owner of Onaga, Kan., based Always Picture This Photography. "I always ask the bride or the maid of honor to make up a list of shots they know they want, and then throughout the day I make sure to take lots of other photos and ask if people have any great ideas."

Both Smith and Roggenkamp stressed the importance of taking photos outside the narrow box of formal poses.

"One fun picture we took with one couple was at Bill Snyder Stadium; we got shots of the groomsmen kissing the field and some other fun ones of the couple throwing a football back and forth," Smith said.

Roggenkamp agreed that the possibilities for fun photos are virtually limitless as long as the subjects are willing to take them.

"One of my favorite fun pictures to take is to have all the bridesmaids gathered around the groom and kind of snuggled up against him," Roggenkamp said. "It's a great one because it makes everyone laugh and adds a fun twist to a typical wedding photo."

In addition to cute candids and must-have formal shots, there are many other fun options brides and grooms can include when deciding what kind of photography to have at their wedding. One popular trend is to have a photo booth at the reception or to place disposable cameras on all the dining tables. This is an easy way to let guests capture moments that a lone photographer wouldn't see. Another idea is to have a monitor set up playing a slideshow of pictures of the bride and groom. If it includes pictures from before they met as well as during the relationship, it can be a good way to make guests feel like they know a little bit about each half of the couple instead of being "the bride's friend" or "the groom's friend."
 

Whether the wedding is formal, casual or funky, the right photographer can make or break a couple's ability to remember every special moment of their own special day. So, choose wisely, plan carefully, then smile for the camera.