Photographs are among the most important parts of all weddings. The person you hire for this crucial task is an important part of your wedding planning journey. The final outcome of the work performed by your photographer may be the only reminder for you and your family to reflect on your big day.

It is no surprise that hiring the wedding photographer is a high priority job. You should interview photographers 6 months to a year prior to your wedding day. Popular photographers get book early, so make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute. If you have a Saturday wedding during the peak wedding season, you have a lot of brides to compete with.

Make sure you hire an experienced photographer. You must look at their previous work to see if their style is what you are looking for. Your search is not so much about filtering out the bad and hiring the good. It is more about finding the photographer that has the right style you are looking. It is a matter of taste. Ask around when searching for a photographer. Recently married friends, neighbors, or coworkers should be able to provide you with a list of potential wedding photographers. Wedding planners should be able to recommend wedding photographers too.

Too many people are satisfied with asking and receiving references, but many never actually follow through and check those references. When you call the references, ask about timeliness, professionalism, customer service, or anything that is important to you. Even if you think you have found an experienced photographer with the right style, don’t hire them unless you feel comfortable working with them. You don’t want to spend your wedding day with a person that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Make sure your photographer understands your budget. Agreeing on the budget should be part of early negotiations. Understand what exactly is included in the budget. Ask for negatives, so you are able to have photos made at will. If you don’t own the negatives, you could be taken advantage of down the road. A written and signed contract should be part of the hiring process. Everything that is important should be part of the contract. A written contract is mutually beneficial; it protects you and the photographer.

The formality of the wedding, the time of day or evening, the number of bridesmaids and the bride’s gown all play a role in determining the apparel of the groom and his groomsmen. For an informal wedding, where the bride wears a short dress or suit, the groom and groomsmen may wear black, dark blue or dark gray business suits with white shirts and gray or gray and white striped ties.

For a daytime summer wedding, dark blazers worn with white or gray trousers are always appropriate. For a formal white-tie or black-tie evening wedding, the grooms suits should be full dress or tails, including black tailcoat with white pique’ waistcoats and bow tie, white shirt with a wing collar, studs and cuff links. Top hats and white gloves may also be worn as part of the grooms wedding attire. Shoes should be plain, undecorated and black, and worn with black dress socks. They should be un-scuffed and polished.

Black patent leather shoes are worn for a black-tie or white-tie evening wedding. Be sure to check for a reputable store for your tuxedo rentals and reserve your tuxedos several weeks before the wedding. Out of town attendants can send their measurements to you or the store and they can be measured at any tuxedo store where they live. Be sure they know the brand name and style number of the tuxedo you’ve chosen for them to wear. When you rent your tuxedos, you will generally receive the pants, jacket, shirt, tie, vest or cummerbund for a package price.

Shoes, top hats and gloves can be rented for an extra fee. It doesn’t hurt to check on special promotions or discounts that may be available. Oftentimes, the groom’s tuxedo will be free or discounted with a certain number of paid rentals for the rest of the wedding party. To allow for last minute alterations that may be needed, have the groom, groomsmen, ushers and fathers pick up their tuxedos a few days before the wedding. It is usually best to delegate one person to be in charge of the tuxedo returns. Always make sure you check with the store about their return policy for your grooms suits.