A wedding is one of the most special moments of our lives. All of us wants to capture grand personal events and store them for a lifetime. Fortunately, contemporary wedding couples have a variety of options by which to capture their joyous memories on film.

Below are a few simple guidelines to help treasure precious, unrepeatable wedding moments.

1. Hiring a photographer

Before hiring, a couple should decide what type of photography they want before, during, and after the ceremony, such as a photo shoot, natural photography, video, or other options.

Portrait photographers are those trained to shoot both formal and informal moments, though many are typically more comfortable with formal shots. Those are, after all, easier to control.

A photojournalist, on the other hand, will normally have skills to take casual, more natural pictures. Their backgrounds, as you might expect, are in journalism photography.

A third option is simply to ask a family member or a friend to take both casual and posed photos. However this choice is a huge risk if the friend or family member is not particularly skilled in the field of photography, so there is little assurance concerning the quality of pictures they will produce. Unless paying a pro is simply too expensive, ask the family member or friend to take wedding pictures as your "backup" photographer. Most will be more than happy to do this as a wedding gesture for free.

2. Choosing the right camera

The most common types of wedding cameras are the medium format and 35mm. Pictures produced with a 35mm camera can be a little grainy, but the effect is typically only noticeable to photographers themselves who are already familiar with what to look for.

3. Color pictures or black and white?

Most wedding couples prefer to have color photographs for their special day, though some prefer the more "artistic" feel created with black and white film. Although the expected life span of black and white film is lengthier than color, color photographs normally capture more details of surroundings and the wedding party participants themselves. Another alternative is to have pictures taken using color film and later develop a duplicate copy of the pictures in black and white.

4. Photographer's personality

Couples should not only look for a photographer who is a great picture taker but is also friendly. Before hiring someone, interview the photographer, asking appropriate questions that are important to you. Additionally, request references and look at sample pictures from previous work.

Only hire a photographer with whom you are comfortable is capable of producing the kind of amazing pictures that you not only will show off to family and friends, but that also capture on film memories you will be pleased to look at for decades down the road.

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