A wedding is such a well planned and momentous event and most brides would have spent months dreaming of how wonderfully she would like the day to turn out. After all the days excitement is over, the dress has been worn, the cake eaten, the flowers withered and the guests have long forgotten about their tasty three course meal, all you will have left to remind you of your special day will be the photographs that were taken.

It should almost go without saying that the photographs that will capture all the emotions of your special day should be ones that you will treasure forever. Regret is not something a bride would want to deal with especially since those fleeting moments will never again be repeated.

It may seem like a good idea in the planning stages of a wedding, when you have so many other things to think about, to simply let 'Uncle Bob' or any other well meaning friend or relative, to take the photos. It would be such a shame to take the risk with one of the most important tasks of the day to someone not up to the challenge. The first choice to make when deciding on your wedding photography would be to rely on a professional photographer for guaranteed results.

Another important consideration is how much to spend on your wedding photography. A common mistake made by many brides is to give the photography the lowest part of the budget because they cannot see how a few photos will be that important. Ask any bride whose wedding photographs were ruined how she now feels that her photos of her special day are lost forever.

Another important consideration is to give your wedding photography priority in your budget. It should be the second most important decision after you have chosen your venue. It would be a good idea to choose to pay a little extra for quality photos that you will keep for many years, and possibly less on other ''forgettable'' things like the choice of menu, the flowers or the bridal car that you will only use for a short amount of time. As they say, if you pay peanuts you will get monkeys!

The third aspect to consider would be the style of photography you would like. Every photographer will offer a different style and service so you should decide on how you want your day to be captured. The main styles offered are classical or traditional, reportage or documentary style, or contemporary which is a mixture of both classical and reportage. If you would prefer to have formal posed photos of the bridal party where the photographer will dictate your stance, then the classical style would be your choice. If you would prefer not to have the photographer interfere with your day or if you would like he/she to capture candid moments naturally, then the reportage style would be your choice. A contemporary style takes the best of both classical and reportage and merges them. A contemporary photographer would capture the story of the day as it happens without interference, along with a section of more posed bridal photos so that you get all the detail of the day.

At the end of the day choosing a photographer comes down to personal preference and whether or not you get on with him/her personally. After all they will be the one staring back at you all day long and if you don't get on or find his/her personality irritating, you are guaranteed to look irritated in your photos. It's important that both bride and groom meet with the photographer so that you can both decide if this is the person you feel will deliver the style, quality and essence of your wedding day. It's also a good opportunity for you both to see the style of photography and albums that are on offer.

Remember that your wedding day is history in the making and if you take a blasé attitude toward how your special memories will be captured, then all you will have left is tears, tantrums and maybe pieces of your tiara!

For more information visit www.photolyrical.co.uk