Do you need two wedding photographers?

Are you wondering “Do I need a second photographer at my wedding?”

If so, then read on – I’ve written this page just for you!

As a professional photographer I can absolutely deliver amazing images for you without a ‘second’, but to help you decide if it’s worth the investment I’ve outlined below 10 reasons why you should consider a second photographer at your wedding.

Of course, not every wedding needs one.

So, with the above in mind, here are my thoughts on the main areas to think about.

There’s a summary of my thoughts and a free cheat sheet for you to download at the end of the page…

Do you need bridal and groom prep?

I love the getting ready shots during the pre-wedding preparations part of the day. It’s a perfect time to capture not only the bridal prep photography but also the groom preparation photos too.

You’ll be experiencing a heady mix of excitement, anticipation and nerves all rolled into one as you look forward to the rest of the day!

Imagine this… it’s the morning of your wedding.

Hopefully all of the little details are taken care of and you’re relaxing with your best friends while your hair is being done. If certain items haven’t been checked off of the to-do list, it’s time to hand them over to someone else – the rest of the day is going to be fast paced and filled with lots of emotion! Take advantage of this down time!

Will you and your groom be exchanging gifts during this time? Are there certain people in your life that would appreciate seeing you get into your gown? You might want very few people around for this special moment, or you might want you Mum, aunts and Grandmothers present there!

And while you’re getting ready for your big day your groom is of course getting ready with his groomsmen in another room, and possibly at a completely different venue.

And there’s the crux of it.

You won’t be experiencing each other’s fun and excitement, and logistically it’s not possible for me to be in two places at once. That’s where a second photographer is perfect to capture your husband-to-be’s getting ready, toasts, and maybe opening a gift from you or vice-versa.

Sharing these moments as you look through your wedding photos after your wedding lets you relive each others special moments together!

Your couple shots / portraits

You’ll no doubt have set aside a time slot in your day for your ‘couples portraits’, or maybe in addition there could be a perfect opportunity on your day for a short period of time to get some lovely photos of the two of you when the light is ‘just right’. Read more about the Golden Hour here..

At those times it’s really useful to have a second photographer that can either remain with your guests to capture more memories and fun moments for you, or they could join me to give you an extra selection of photos. For example, while I take the close up photos of you both, my second photographer can take photos from further away (wide shots). Or, they can help with the styling or ‘details’ shots.

Quicker wedding group photos

You want your wedding group photos to happen as quickly as possible and with minimum fuss so that you can spend more time with all of your guests and have more fun on your day.

A second photographer can really help in this situation.

They can help with rearranging your dress so that it looks perfect, quickly getting the right people into each group photo, chasing that runaway veil, making sure people are standing in the right place, taking care of handbags and more.

Also, while I’m taking the overall photos of the groups, my second photographer can take photos of smaller ‘groups within the group’, and they can capture photos of your guests chatting away and enjoying the day while I’m busy concentrating on your group photos.

Lots of guests at your wedding?

If you have lots of guests, a second photographer will make sure that you get more photos from your day and a greater chance of getting every guest in your photos somewhere! No matter how carefully I keep my eyes open for great photo opportunities I can’t unfortunately be in two places at once (as much as I’d love to be!) This way nothing gets missed!

Sorting your wedding dress out

There are many times in the day when having a second photographer around to arrange your wedding dress is not only a great time saver, but also important to make sure that it looks just right in your photos. Your bridal prep, your couples photos, group photos – these are just a few of the times.

There’s often a time pressure with photos on your day and having someone around that knows without being asked to sort the dress out is absolutely invaluable.