Your wedding lasts for just one day, but the photos you will have to remember it by will last a lifetime - and if you're to capture the magic of the most important day of your life you'll need to choose a first-rate wedding photographer.

So where do you begin? Follow these simple tips and you can rest assured you've made the right choice.

1. Start by looking through wedding magazines to discover what sort of photos you like. When you see something you like, cut it out and put it in a folder. This will give you a good idea of what kind of style you prefer and is useful to show potential photographers when interviewing them.

2. Once you have assembled your folder of photos you should be able to see a common theme running through them. Do you prefer natural or 'reportage' photography, or more formal, staged shots? Soft focus or sharp images? Bright, saturated colours or moody black and white shots?

3. Think carefully about what you want from your wedding album as a whole. Some brides want a straightforward pictorial representation of the day, whereas others prefer lots of carefully arranged portraits to frame and put on their mantelpiece.

4. Once you know exactly what you wantand it could be a combination of a few stylesarrange some meetings with photographers. A great way to expose yourself to lots of different talent is to visit a bridal fair where you have to chance to meet many photographers and see their work. Another good place to start is with photographers who advertise in wedding magazines, and it doesn't hurt to ask friends who have been recently married for their recommendations.

5. However highly a photographer comes, always meet them before committing. Bring your folder of magazine cuttings and find out if they have done similar work before. Ask to see entire wedding albums to check if their style matches what you want, and to make sure they take consistently good photos.

6. Finally, request for a complete breakdown of what is included in their package. Find out if there are any hidden costs such as for travel, and double check that it will be them taking the photos, not their assistant. You may also want to ask whether there is the option to buy the negatives. And whatever you do, make sure you get every aspect of the agreement in writing, signed and dated by both parties.