An event wouldn't be an event if it's not important or meaningful. Whether the event you are hosting or planning happens to be your wedding, the 50th golden anniversary of your grandparents, the corporate Christmas party or the school's prom, it's of vital importance that you be able to find the right photographer for the event. After all, they only happen once but it's the pictures that make the memory last a lifetime.

In your search for the right photographer, here are five helpful tips to make you arrive at a sound decision:

1. Check out their website. A photographer that's worth paying their professional fee should have a website where they can share a little of their background and feature their folio. Browse through the photographer's photos and ask yourself if his style would be appealing to the people he will shoot or if it conforms to the kind of event you have in mind. If you're planning a conference or concert, ask yourself if his style could encourage registration or help sell tickets.

2. Have a test session scheduled. Weeks, or even months prior to the event, make sure to consult with the photographer who is up for consideration. Have them show you their work and ask for their ideas as to how they would shoot your event. To have a deeper idea of how he works, try mentioning that you are using an online event registration and management software and ask how his pictures would integrate with them.

3. Do a review of his work on print. Seeing a photographer's online photo is good but also reviewing how it turns out in print can help you make the final decision if you're going to hire him or not. Likewise, if you like the quality of his final output, you might want to use his services to shoot images for printed collaterals in the future.

4. Ensure that you can work in harmony. If you detect that your personality clashes with the photographer, that's a recipe for disaster. Before hiring him, you need to ensure that your photography plans for the event complement with each other.

5. Ask for references. Check if the photographer has worked on the same kind of event in the past? If they have, ask for the names of the clients of this event and make sure to call them so that you will have a credible idea of their performance.