One photographer or two?

One question I get asked from time to time that really has no clear-cut answer is this: should a bride hire two photographers for her wedding, or is one enough? As with so many other things related to photography (and weddings), the answer is always "it depends". Yes, it depends on what you want from your photos, and - to some extent - what your budget will allow. Let's explore this issue a little further.

As a rule of thumb, I always recommend having a second shooter, as it improves coverage capacity and ensures that you'll get a rich variety of photos. Having a second shooter provides an opportunity to have professional coverage for more events than a single photographer could possibly offer. Just a few examples...

1) Prior to the ceremony, having a second shooter allows you to have professional photos of both the bride AND groom getting ready. A single photographer will only be able to get photos of one of those people (which, 99% of the the time, is the bride).

2) During the ceremony, the second shooter can get shots that a single photographer simply cannot (e.g., the look on the groom's face when he sees his bride walking down the aisle, or a tear of happiness running down the father of the bride's cheek as his daughter takes her vows, and so on).

3) Since about 95% of the time, formal portraits are done during the cocktail hour, a second shooter can cover the guests mingling at the cocktail hour while the primary photographer shoots the formals.

4) During the reception, the second shooter can take some great detail shots or get really cool perspectives (e.g., wide shots of the entire dance floor) while the primary photographer focuses his or her attention on other events.

Of course, second shooters don't come cheap. Depending on where you're located in the country, a second shooter can add a few hundred to over a thousand dollars to the cost of your photography package, so choose carefully!