No matter what the event is. You want a photographer to make you and your event proud and do it justice.
You want a reliable professional photographer that most importantly has good people skills. Someone who can integrate with the party, the guests, and the participants but of course without being intrusive and annoying.
You need someone to be able to convey an emotion of pride and satisfaction when either you or your guests/participants look at every image.
Possibly you want to raise money for your worthy charitable cause and hence might want to sell the images provided. It is for this reason that every image is taken to the highest quality standards possible, and guests would willingly pay for such a memory captured.
Finding a photographer who appreciates the importance of your event and offers you all the time required during the planning phase on the run-up to the day and who is also willing to offer flexibility and has the experience to handle the unexpected on the day is the secret to your success.
Your photographer needs to take ownership whilst maintaining and easygoing attitude yet remaining professional throughout the event. I feel very proud to be still at the best of my game seventeen years after having been entrusted with several corporate events, charitable balls, fundraising events, studio shoots, pet shoots, dog shows, catwalks etc.