When you're searching for wedding photographers, one term might surprise you: photojournalist.

Most of us associate photojournalism with newspapers and magazines, and expect these photographers to be out in the middle of riots and war zones, shooting the front pages of newspapers. But in truth, photojournalism has many different applications-and you'll often see wedding photographers describe their style as photojournalistic. But what does hiring a photojournalist for your wedding mean?

1. Your photographer will be rolling on the ground and precariously leaning off the staircase and-well, pretty much everywhere but swinging from the chandeliers. Photojournalists capture the day from every angle possible-and aren't afraid to get down and dirty to do so.

2. He'll be snapping early and often. Any good photographer knows that the action happens when you least expect it-and the only way to capture everything is to have the shutter fluttering constantly.

3. He'll be looking for the little moments. Every wedding has its posed photos and its list of expectations, but what's special about a photojournalist's work is the fact that he catches the things in between. Photojournalists are trained to watch for the slightest look and the perfect moment-whether it's planned or not.

4. He'll be ready for anything. By their nature, journalists are used to unexpected situations and having to change plans on a moment's notice. If they didn't love the excitement of things not going as expected, they'd never have entered the field to begin with. So if something goes amiss or changes at the last moment at your wedding, you can expect your photojournalist to roll with it-and expect that your photos will not suffer.

In the end, a photojournalist should be able to capture the essence of your wedding-both the planned moments and the unplanned.