There are many places you can find a photographer to hire for your wedding. Here are some ideas on where to look:

Bridal Magazines: When looking in a bridal or wedding magazine, you will most likely find some quality photographers. You should keep in mind, however, that most of the photographers you find here will be on the higher end of prices due to the fact that these magazines are usually expensive to advertise in, so you will only find the photographers who can afford to advertise here and these are usually the ones who charge more for there services.

Newspapers: Sometimes you can find local photographers running advertisements in the paper.

Online Sources: There are many online websites that wedding photographers advertise on. Many people have even hired a photographer off of Craigslist. Some other online sources may be onewed.com and other specialy websites for brides planning a wedding. Sometimes you will find some good deals online from photographers running specials that they won't tell you about anywhere else but online.

Your wedding pictures are one of the ONLY things that you get to keep forever of your special day. Because of this, for many brides it is important to make sure you get quality photographs from a skilled photographer.

A Good Photographer has spent many years and a whole lot of money investing in their business. Much of the equipment they use requires insurance because it costs so much. This equipment is a big part of why hiring a professional can cost so much at times. But keep in mind you are also paying for their SKILLS as a photographer AND their TIME.

Photographers can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars for their services to several thousand. It is important to remember, however, the often times you get what you pay for. So you may be getting a deal with that photographer who quoted you $100 for your wedding photography, but ask yourself "what am I getting for that $100?" If you do not know what you are getting, then you may be in for a big disappointment when you get your pictures back.

Sometimes photographers who are just starting out will run deals for very cheap and sometimes free photography. This will be a gamble if they do not have anything in their portfolio for you to see that they are a good photographer. If they are a quality photographer, they will at least have images of portraits for you to look at. If you like what you see, then you will most likely get good results at your wedding.

Make sure you pick a photographer you like first, and then try to settle on a price. Sometimes a photographer will negotiate with a client, although that is not always the case.

Most photographers have different packages to choose from. Here is some information to help you figure out what you want from a photographer.

Prints: In today's internet world, most prints are purchased from online albums. This makes it easy to share with family and friends and also eliminates the burden from the bride and groom of having to make prints of their pictures for everyone who wants one.

Photo CD's: More and more photographers are starting to include photo CD's in their packages. These are the same as having the negatives of your pictures so they will usually cost a bit if not already included in the package. Think of it this way. If a photographer takes 500 pictures of your wedding and then gives you a CD of them and only charged you $800 for your wedding and they spent 8 hours with you, you are essentially getting unlimited pictures in your package for free if you factor in the photographer's time spent working and then later editing those same pictures. This is why packages that include a CD will often cost more than packages that offer prints and photo albums. When looking for packages that include CD's, ask what size files you get. Some photographers will include files that will print no larger than 4x6's. You will have to pay extra if you want larger files or ask if they would provide larger ones instead.

Coffee Table Books: Here is an item that is popular among Brides! Packages that include perks such as a book can be a little costly, but are worth it if this is something you are wanting to cherish of your wedding. Books are expensive to create. Not only does the photographer have to pay to have the book made, but they also spend many hours creating the book, custom to your wedding.

Time: Many photographers will give you a set amount of hours to shoot your wedding. Time is valuable to them so many good photographers will charge $100 per hour or more. A photographer who does not value their time is usually not very confident in their services, so if you find a photographer who charges less than what you usually see in your area, be wary of their abilities and the service you will be paying for.