In most cases, one photographer will be enough for your wedding. Provided you choose someone professional and experienced whose work and style you like, they should have no problem getting all the coverage of your special day that you need. However, there are some instances where a second photographer can be useful.
What are the benefits of having a single photographer?
You probably won’t need more photos than you get from one photographer
One of the reasons people think that they will need a second photographer is that they are worried there will not be enough coverage to capture all of the day’s events, as well as all the candid, atmospheric shots of the guests.
However, unless your wedding is very large, such as 200 guests or more, experienced professional photographers are more than capable of this and will provide you with more photos than you will need.
If you have more than one photographer, you may get conflicting styles
Even when two photographers have set roles, such as a primary and secondary photographer, they will inevitably each have their own styles. These styles might not complement each other and could make your wedding album feel disjointed, which could be seen as a waste of the extra money you will have paid for the additional coverage.
One photographer will be less expensive
You might think that if you find two wedding photographers who work under the same company, it might only be a small additional charge, but you do still have to pay for two photographers’ time and the cost will reflect that. Usually, you will pay for both photographers to be there all day, which will eat into your budget, so this is something to keep in mind.
It could feel less intrusive to have just one photographer
Part of the craft of a wedding photographer is to capture the day without making their presence known. This way everyone will be more relaxed and it will be easier to capture candid moments and genuine reactions. If you have two photographers, it might be more difficult for them both to operate without being noticed, which could make your guests more reserved.
What are the benefits of having two photographers?
A second photographer can provide more coverage
When there are two photographers, they will often have different roles, such as a main photographer capturing the key events and a secondary photographer focused on the atmospheric candid shots. Usually, one photographer is sufficient for this, but large weddings with hundreds of guests will likely benefit from the additional coverage.
It can make it easier to photograph the bride and groom getting ready
If the bride and groom are getting ready in separate locations on the morning of the wedding, it can be difficult for one photographer to capture both processes. Having two photographers will allow you to fully document any stages of the day where you need them to be in two places at once. Another instance where this may be useful is when the bride and groom have their photos taken after the ceremony, while the guests arrive at the reception.
If you want video, hire a separate videographer
While one photographer is usually enough for a wedding, you may wish to hire a separate videographer if you want footage of the day that can be turned into a wedding video.
A photographer will not be able to take brilliant photographs of the key events and record them at the same time, nor will still frames taken from video footage be good enough to be used as wedding photographs. If you want both still images and video, you will need to hire both a photographer and a videographer.
More often than not, one photographer is enough for a wedding, and when you receive your wedding photos you will see that you have more than enough to curate your perfect wedding album and you will be glad you saved the extra money.
However, if you are planning a particularly large wedding with hundreds of guests, or parts of the day will require someone to be in two places at once, then it could be worth having a conversation with your chosen photographer about hiring an extra pair of hands.
