Photography is the only part of a wedding you keep. The flowers die, the cake gets eaten, the dress goes into a box, and what is left is a few hundred frames that you will look at for the rest of your life.

That is worth saying plainly because photography is also one of the first things couples cut when the budget tightens. It is almost always the wrong cut. A cheaper venue with a photographer you trust will serve you better than the reverse.

What to actually look for: a full wedding gallery rather than a highlights reel, because anyone can produce twenty good frames; consistency across different light; and a personality you can stand being near for fourteen hours. Meet them before you book.

Give them time in the schedule. The single most common regret we hear is not about the photographer but about the twelve minutes they were given to work with.