Find the right wedding professional photographer is not as simple as that sounds. There are a lot of photographers who can do the job but only one will be the right for you.

We are here to help you understand what you need to know about a good professional photographer and show you that we know what we are doing. Here few tips you need to know.

1 - You know a friend who can do it.

A friend or family relative who is an amateur photographer said he can do it for you. This is what you need to know about this situation. While that family member, who was chosen as photographer wouldn’t be able to enjoy the wedding, because of the work and as amateur photographer he is not able to see things that matters, a professional photographer would be there to take professional photos, because he knows what is the most important in wedding photography and therefore the results are obviously different. Your photographer is here to capture every lovely view, every smile, every laughs and he'll always make sure that the light, background and setting are right for every shot.

2 - A good professional.

There is a lot of photographer outside. But some are better than the other and only few are exceptional. Most of photographers do not even bother with wedding photography, because wedding photography is one of the most difficult branches in photography. Good wedding photographers are those, who love their work and are able to take photos, which are telling true stories.

More a photographer is known for is talent, more difficult it is to book him or her. They are extremely busy sometime 2 years in advance.
Thankfully, there are enough of good professional photographers who will do the job to the higher standard to make you happy.
To know if he or she is a good professional, ask for portfolio. Of course, seeing beautiful pictures can tell a lot, but not all. You want to be sure that this person understands who you are and what do you want and has not issue to do it your way. You must feel good with the person that you are going to hire.
A good photographer, who cares about giving you the best, should ask you to meet with you prior the wedding on the place where the event is going to take place to understand what you want and what can be done. This way, you and the photographer have a pretty good of what is going to happen, when and where. The photographer should have a unique style. The photos have to be creative and fully charged with emotions. But there is not only the photographer who matters. Essentially is also a good planning for the wedding.
A good wedding photographer, don't need to have years of experiences in wedding to be good. Some do that only for the money for and are not necessarily good. Some beginners can be surprisingly amazing because they have a true talent. So, no matter what stay opened, they can be more affordable too.
Last point, having a ton of photographic material and equipment DO NOT make you the best photographer of the world. My photography teacher at college always said "What are you going to do with a $6000 camera if you do not know how you to use it, especially if you can do the same job with the most simple camera? A good photographer is the one who can give you the most amazing job with the simplest equipment because he has the eye and the talent". Remember 30 years ago and more, all the most amazing press shots were taken by very basic camera, all manual and in film! Now, thank to digital, 1 camera per photographer is enough with 2 to 3 lances and  2 or 3 flashes (A on camera, 1 or 2 on tripod if necessary) For wedding that can take place at night, be sure you have 2 photographers with extra light equipment.

3 - Where to find a wedding photographer.

There are different ways to find one. Magazine, internet, wedding planner and bridal show. Usually the bridal show is one of the best ways to get a quick idea on what is going on. You will find 5to 10 wedding photographers that you can compare right away. 
Then, of course, the yellow pages. Now, you have to contact all the photographers, which you think will suit your wedding concept.

4 - Your budget and your wedding date.

Those 2 elements can have a tremendous impact on the choice of your photographer. You need to fix a budget. Most of the wedding photographer cost, at least, $1500 average. So review your budget, which was intended for wedding photography.
Under $1000, you might have to consider getting a very basic service. But, some photographer can still do a pretty good job and might offer you a follow up service if you want get flush mount album and reorder prints, not just shoot and burn. This is where "A Touch of French Romance" can make the difference because we want to be sure that your wedding is going to be capture forever no matter what, but we understand that your budget can be very limited. So, we will work with you step by step to give you your dream pictures.

Then, be sure that the photographers that you have talked to will be available at the date of the event and can come to be wedding site.

After you have received all of the answers from photographers, make the first selection. See, if they meet your expectations and if they offer all the services you have asked. You can also easily recognize if someone is serious and if he really wants to shot your wedding. After that, contact the selected ones again and ask them to meet them in person. This way you can see how they are in reality, what they think and how they work. Ask the same questions as you already did when you first contacted him. See if there are any deviations to his statements. If not and if you like the photographer, then it is time to tell him, that he is the one.