So many options...
As much as I'd love to hypnotize you and tell you that I am your only option as a wedding photographer, I guess a more honest thing would be to teach you how to find and pick out the perfect photographer for you (even if it's not me).
What should you consider?
1) Style
First, look at the photographer's work. Do you like their photos? Picture the photos with you in them: would you proudly hang that on your wall or post it on Facebook? If you don't like the photos a photographer shares with the world, you probably won't like your wedding day photos.
2) Services Provided
Brainstorm exactly what you want out of your photographer. If you're having a big venue wedding, maybe you just want a fly-on-the-wall to capture all of the action. If you're having an adventure elopement, there's a good chance you want someone that will help you pick a location, plan your day, and offer you tons of advice (e.g. what types of flowers will look the best and last the longest for our hike?).
3) Personality
You will spend a LOT of time with your photographer so it's important you like and trust them. They will be with you your whole wedding day. Can you see yourself having a good time with them when you're in your scanties getting ready or 5 miles out on a difficult hike?
4) Niche
If you're hoping to have an intimate elopement in a remote mountain range, hire someone with a background in outdoor safety and adventure photography. If you're doing a big church wedding, find an extrovert that loves big crowds and knows about your religious traditions. You want to feel confident that the person you're hiring will know what to capture and how to get the bets shots.
5) Cost
Is this photographer within budget?
Can they provide you with everything you'd like without breaking the bank? Make sure the cost covers what's important to you.
6) Additional Costs
Okay, I already said costs, but with some photographers there may be additional costs. For instance, an inexpensive photographer often charges you an additional fee for printing rights or charges per photo for editing.
More expensive photographers don't typically have hidden costs, but may offer exclusive add-ons, like canvas prints and albums.
1st Consideration: Style
If you're not a photographer, it might be hard for you to pin down exactly what you do or don't like about a photographer's style. Here's some things to look for:
1) Light: Do you like how they use light? Are there harsh shadows? Are the people bathed in golden light and look like they're glowing? Is the use of light artistic?
An example where the shadows are the most important part of the photo.
Some photographers love to incorporate shadows in their images. You might consider this artistic and beautiful or a total distraction.
There's two schools of photographers: those that love to backlight their subjects (as you can see here, where the sunlight is making a halo around the woman), and those that don't! Try to imagine where the sun is when you look at photos and ask yourself what style is for you.
2) Space: How do they use space? Do they show the scenery around their subjects are the photos super up close? Do the photos feel crowded, empty, or just right?
In this photo of my husband, you can see that capturing the rock behind him was just as important to me as including him in the photo. Many adventure photographers take an approach like this where the landscape carries equal importance as the human subjects.
In sharp contrast, this photograph could have been taken almost anywhere, making the couple the only important element.
