When planning a wedding, many couples are forced to make every effort to keep expenses down... especially as prices continue to rise. The cost of wedding photos is a concern for many brides to be. After all, a photographer is essential when it comes to preserving memories of the day. There is no second chance to capture the festivities.

The following tips should be considered when deciding on a photographer for your wedding. With a bit of research and planning, chances are you will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of money that you can actually save and still have beautiful photo memories.

Tip number one. Hire a photographer who is willing to sell you your proofs. It seems odd that the photographs are of you and your groom or wedding party but the photographer has the rights to them. That's because the photographer owns the copyright to the photos. You can't copy them without his/her permission. Buying the proofs means you're buying the rights to make as many copies as you would like in whatever format you would like.

Better yet, find someone who includes them as a 'package deal'. This way, you can easily have re-prints made to your specifications whenever necessary. (This tip alone will save you a TON of money... especially if you have them processed by a discount photo service provider, such as Wal-Mart.)

Tip number two. Don't order your pictures right away. Allow friends and family members to look over the proofs, deciding on the actual pictures they want. Tally up everyone's choices and place your order based on the master list. You won't have a lot of leftover photos that way.

If you don't own the proofs, get the photographer's permission to post the photos on your wedding website - don't have a wedding website? Well that's a whole 'nother article. Ask your guests to vote on which photo they would like as a keepsake.

Tip number four. Hire a photographer to take either still photos or videos but not both. Have a friend well versed in photography take the still photos or someone who knows camcorders in and out to take the video. One cute idea is to set up a video camera on a tripod in front of a comfy chair. Ask the guests to come over and record their congratulations. Of course you'll need someone to operate the camera. After the wedding transfer the video to a CD and you have a unique wedding keepsake to send to your guests.

Tip number five. Get married during the week, as opposed to on a Saturday or Sunday. In reality, this will save you money on other areas of your wedding, as well. The majority of wedding vendors charge a weekend premium for their goods and services, because more couples choose to get married on these two days.

Tip number six. Find a photographer who is just establishing his/her business. Ask for a discount on the photography in exchange for a written testimonial or endorsement. This is a win-win situation for both you and the photographer.