Do you need a second photographer for your wedding?

What a second photographer changes across the day

The first benefit is flexibility. A wedding day is quite linear, one thing after another, and two photographers make us much more flexible within that line. The second shooter can also act as a lighting assistant so everything happens well. Mainly, though, it lets us separate: during getting ready the lead photographer photographs the bride while the second photographs the groom. The same applies to video, with team one, a photographer and a videographer, on the bride's side and the second team on the groom's.

During the ceremony we typically recommend more than one photographer if you are marrying in a church, because churches are usually quite large and a second body allows for multiple positions. It is often very difficult for one videographer to move from one end of the floor to the other, so two videographers give us the quick reaction time to change angles.

The advantage shines again at cocktail hour. The lead photographer and videographer contribute more to the group photos and couple shots and really focus on the two of you, while the second team covers the guests, the cocktail hour itself and the decoration of the reception. Covering both gives you a much more complete record.

Where one photographer runs out of places to be

One photographer can only stand in one place. When your father sees you in your dress, the groom is somewhere else tying his tie; we can photograph one of those and hear about the other. At the ceremony, a photographer at the front cannot also be at the back.

With one person everything is sequential, so each extra thing you want photographed costs timeline. With two, much of it happens in parallel: while we are with you for portraits, the empty room and the cocktail hour are being photographed, and nobody waits.

When two shooters matter most

A large church, two getting-ready locations, a big wedding party and a full cocktail hour are the situations where two shooters clearly help. Video benefits even more than photo, since a videographer cannot stop recording and cross the room without it showing.

For a small wedding with everyone getting ready in one house and a short ceremony, one photographer can cover most of it, and we will say so. Our wedding collections include 6 or 8 hours of coverage depending on package; a second shooter is a decision we make with you based on the shape of your day.

• Getting ready in two locations: a second shooter covers the groom's side in parallel.
• Large church: multiple positions for photo and faster angle changes for video.