Do you need two photographers at your wedding? Is it really necessary? Is it just a waste of money? Well, let’s dig into this! From a wedding photographer in Austin, I’ll tell you my thoughts on when you may or may not need a second shooter, and what to look for!

Do I need two photographers at my wedding?

Well… maybe. Probably. It depends! There are a lot of reasons I think you may or may not want to have a second photographer. Most of the time, I would say it’s worth the extra money to have a second photographer. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t cost that much more to add on a second shooter. You’ll get a lot more variety in your photos at not a huge additional expense.

Here are some reasons you may want two photographers:

• One can capture family portraits while the other captures cocktail hour
• We can shoot bride and groom getting ready photos simultaneously
• We can capture a lot more variety in your ceremony photos
• If one of us has to go on a potty break during the reception and that’s the moment the groom’s besties decide to throw him in the air, you’re covered.
• One of us can get a little more experimental and artistic, while the other focuses on safe shots
• You have a huge guest count and want extra candids
• You’re getting married at a spread out venue or have to drive between venue/ceremony site/hotel/etc
• You want specific, highly stylized photos, that require substantial setup time
• God forbid an emergency happen, the second photographer can easily take over

When you may not want a second wedding photographer:

• You’re having a smaller wedding or elopement, and want to keep things as minimal as possible
• You’re pushing your budget and don’t need every single detail captured (but you DO want a seasoned professional)
• You don’t really care about the getting ready stuff, invite photos, etc
• You aren’t super concerned with photos, but you want good shots of the ceremony and portraits
• You don’t want many family photos and have a small wedding party

Red flags, or questions you should ask when interviewing wedding photographers

I definitely recommend asking questions about the second shooter, when you’re consulting with wedding photographers! A question I’m commonly asked is, “Do you know who your second photographer will be?“. If the answer is “yes, my husband!” or something like that, that’s an immediate thumbs up. Personally, I do not have a business partner, so I need to elaborate. My answer is “it will depend on availability, but I have four second shooters, who are full time wedding photographers, that I regularly work with, and a huge network of colleagues I trust.” The Austin wedding vendor network is so amazing and accepting and we are always trying to help each other. I have a large enough network that it’s pretty much a guarantee I have someone trustworthy available to help, if my core team are all unavailable. This is still a green flag. A red flag answer would be “no, I’m not sure, I usually post in the vendor facebook group and see who responds” or something like that. A new photographer will also likely have a smaller network, so grill them extra hard on this question.

If you’re having a destination wedding or hiring a non-local photographer… You really want to ask them what their plan for a second photographer is. Are they bringing someone they have worked with before with them? Do they know somebody at your wedding location that they can hire? Do they have a network they trust to align them with a great professional? All green flags, in descending order. If they stumble and don’t really have an answer, that’s a red flag. They might end up with a second photographer they found on Facebook who has never used a flash before.

A second photographer should ONLY be a professional wedding photographer that could step up as main if the main photographer has an emergency.

If the second photographer needs to be babysat, isn’t a seasoned professional, and needs guidance on basic skills… they should not be assisting in mid to high end weddings. That may sounds harsh, but if you’re paying thousands of dollars for wedding photos, the second photographer shouldn’t be someone that is just starting out. Many new photographers will second shoot for cheap or free to learn the trade, sort of like an apprentice. It is a GREAT idea and learning experience for them, but you don’t want your wedding to be the test kitchen. This system is perfect for lower budget wedding photographers. For every other wedding, the second photographer should be a professional that could take over should an emergency happen.

A second photographer is probably a great value to add on.

In conclusion, I will almost always recommend you have a second photographer. The cost to add one on (or take it off of your package) is very minimal in comparison to your full photography budget, and it adds on so much variety and value! It also makes photos run faster, since we can usually take bridesmaid and groomsmen photos at the same time. It is, of course, your wedding day, and you should do things the way YOU want to! I’m always here to give advice, but you are always more than welcome to take a different path :).