If you are going to skimp anywhere in your wedding budget, don't skimp on the photography. You are going to have these pictures forever - you are going to show them to your children and grandchildren, you want them to be nice!

Choosing a photographer is one of the first things you need to do after you have booked your ceremony and reception sites. So do your research, meet with several photographers, and reserve your photographer as soon as possible. Good photographers go fast!

Following are a few tips that I have learned from my own wedding and from being in many weddings. These are in no particular order :-)

Don't Get Sunburned

No matter what time of year you are having your wedding, don't get sunburned (via the sun or tanning bed). A slight sunburn may make you look healthy but doesn't photograph well. Sunburn tends to look shiny in pictures. For more information on looking great for the camera, read our article on Camera Ready Make Up.

Make A List of People You Want In Your Candids

Make a list of those people that you want the photographer to take candids of and have someone point those people out to the photographer at the reception. Otherwise you may end up with a lot of pictures of people you don't really know as opposed to those who are near and dear to you. (This happened to one of my friends and she was not happy about it!)

Get Creative With Your Photos

Other than the standard portraits and albums that you will be buying, think about doing something creative with your pictures such as sending engagement photo invitations or thank-you notes with small wedding photos.

Disposable Cameras for Candids?

A lot of people suggest buying throw away cameras and placing them on the tables for the guests to use. Okay - several of my friends have done this, and they have had success. On the other hand, some have not been so lucky.

Here's what I have learned about disposable cameras: you may end up with some X-rated photos; most people take a lot of pictures of the bride and groom instead of other guests; you get a lot of photos of thumbs, floors, feet, etc.; you spend a lot of money developing them and you only end up with a handful of good shots. So my advice - don't bother. While you can get some good photos this way, it can sometimes be a waste of money.

When Should The Bride and Groom Take Photos?

Some wedding professionals suggest that you take all of the photographs before the wedding ceremony so that you don't cut into the reception time and cause your guests to wait. Okay, it makes sense -- plus, your makeup is fresh!

But, the hopeless romantic in me insists that you should wait until after the wedding to take photos of the bride and groom together. There is nothing like stepping into the aisle and seeing your fiancé waiting at the end - and he is so glad to see you (maybe because he hasn't seen you all day or maybe because he's relieved that you actually showed up). But for whatever reason, its very nice and it is a once in a lifetime feeling.

One wedding book I read said that the guy isn't standing up there thinking about how you beautiful you look and how lucky he is, he is thinking about getting it over with (or something to that effect). In all fairness I do think that some guys are probably thinking this - but not all of them. Some guys do feel lucky to have their brides and it shows in their beaming smiles...

To Shorten Photography Time...

One way to avoid the lag time caused by picture taking is to have more candid and fewer posed shots. This has become a trend and I think it's a good one. Take all of the posed shots that you can before the wedding and take the rest afterwards - but don't take a hundred posed shots of you and your new husband (or wife). Candids are much more fun and often show a lot more emotion.

Choose Black and White for Some Candids

Black and white film is classy and artsy and pretty standard these days. Also black and white prints last longer than color prints. I love it! Ask your photographer to take the formal shots in color and some candids in black and white.