Apart from the menu and the quality of the food served at a wedding, getting great pictures of the day is paramount, as these are memories you will treasure and share with your children, grandchildren and the rest of the family. Once the day has passed and the honeymoon is over, you want to love every image from that day.

It really is so important then that you’re happy with your wedding photos, as they can cause the biggest regret for a couple.

Sean Granger, General Manager of Granny Mouse, and his team have a couple of tips when choosing THAT photographer, and whether he or she will be able to capture the essence of your wedding and the venue.

• First things first, the style of the wedding – is it casual, formal, dramatic, unique or very traditional? Does the photographer have to capture in a documentary way, spontaneous, and in a fun way?

• Also important, what is your budget? Make up a total budget and see what it is you can allocate to your photographer. Most photographers will provide you with a cost breakdown, and to get an idea, costs can vary from R1 000 to a whopping R80 000.

• Have you worked out the theme to the wedding? What is the style – do you want a mixture of classic, sepia, bright and colourful, creative? Create a shortlist of photographers you have searched, googled or received references from. You will have lots of fun when searching for the right person.

• Always check out their previous work and read testimonials they have shared from clients.

• If you have found your perfect photographer, check their availability, meet with them, and ensure you have a good rapport with them. You need to make sure that you get along with them, as this will help on the day.

When meeting with them, here are a few important questions to ask them so there are no surprises:

• How many hours does the quote cover? There is normally a limit, and time thereafter is costed per hour. Will they provide you with prints, a complete album and any other extras?

• In the event of the photographer getting sick, is there a plan B, and does that include them in the contract or meeting?

If you are having a separate photographer and videographer, make sure the rapport between these two is good. This is crucial as no one wants to see the two complementary visual aspects be destroyed because they are both trying to get the shot and working over each other, versus as a team.

Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to your wedding. For any enquiries on having your bespoke wedding at Granny Mouse Country House and Spa simply contact head of special functions, Veronica Sookdin.