Last Updated on July 24, 2022 by Sandra Adamson

DO YOU NEED A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER?

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Do you need a second photographer? The answer depends on your wants and needs as a wedding couple. What you can live with? What you can’t live without? How important those moments are throughout the day?

Are you thinking about adding second photographer to your wedding day? Here are some things to consider.

Do you need a second photographer for the groom getting ready coverage?

Your photographer can’t be in two places at the same time. Your timeline has to account for this. A single photographer will need time with the bride and the groom.

I tell clients 4 hours with the girls. This includes hair, makeup and getting into gowns. 1 hour with the guys. What happens if the girls are not fully in their gowns by the time the photographer has to leave to capture the guys getting ready? Crunch time always happens while everyone is getting ready. A single photographer will have to make a choice, stay with the bride until she’s fully dressed and ready? This will diminish the time with the groom. Or leave the bride and miss those lacing up the gown moments to capture the groom and his groomsmen.

With two photographers this is no longer an issue. The timeline diminishes from 5 hours needed to 4 at most. You’ve just gained an extra hour of coverage. If the bride and her girls are not fully ready my second photographer goes to the guys alone. I stay with the bride thus both being covered. No stressing over time, resulting in a more relaxed environment.

Do you want the money shot of your groom watching you walk up the aisle?

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A single photographer doesn’t have eyes in the back of their head unfortunately. They will turn as you are coming up the aisle to grab one shot of your groom looking at you. It could be the money shot or maybe his emotions haven’t kicked in yet. The photographer turns back to you walking up the aisle with your father. Is your aisle short? Shorter aisles makes this more difficult. While their back is turned to the groom…I can assure you they are missing amazing moments. While their back is turned towards you, the bride, I can assure you they are missing amazing moments. I know this, I’ve been there, I’ve done it.

With two photographers, my second photographer is focused on the groom missing not a single moment of his emotions while you walk up that aisle. At the same time, I am focused on you. Missing not a single moment of your walk up the aisle with your father. Not only that but both of us are getting amazing moments of your father giving you away from two different angles. We’ll talk about angles soon. Most likely your back will be to me, you fathers face to me as I shoot. While your face is to my second photographer and your father’s back is to my second photographer, we are both shooting. One photographer can’t get all of these angles.

Do you want images of your guests watching and reacting to the ceremony?

When you are a single photographer, your main goal is to capture the bride and groom. They are your sole focus throughout the entire day. When you have two photographers they can split the workload. With two photographers throughout the ceremony, photographer one is focused on the bride and reactions from the audience, photographer two is focused on the groom and reactions from the audience. With a single photographer, remember they are just one person trying to cover everything, the bride, the groom and guest reactions. This also holds the same during speech time.

Do you want more angles in your images?

The best example I can give for this…my second photographer and I were covering the first dance for a couple. We shoot at a 45 degree angle to each other. I had the wrong angle and could not have captured this photograph as the bride’s back was to me, my second photographer had the angle needed. Had it been just me, it is quite possible, that I may not have been in the right place at the right time to capture this moment and it is an amazing moment in my eyes.