How Many Photographer Do I Need?

I can’t tell you how many times I have answered the question “How many photographers do I need?”! So I am here to try to give you the scoop on this!

I’m not in the business of trying to sell you things you don’t need. I just want to give you exactly what you need on your wedding day so that you feel comfortable that you are going to have every important moment captured! You should never feel stressed or overwhelmed on your wedding day, but have full trust in your photographer that they will keep things on schedule, and capture everything on the shot list PLUS so much more that you didn’t even think of…that is their job!! A good photographer will catch every moment on camera without you even knowing they were there!

So let’s get to it…Do I need 2 photographers for my wedding?

Reasons you may want two photographers: There are times when two photographers are going to be necessary for your big day. One of the biggest reasons for that need is a tight timeline prior to the ceremony. When you have two photographers, we are able to divide and conquer. One can be getting photos of the groomsmen, while the other is getting photos of the bridesmaids. Detail photos are extremely important to us, and with two photographers, there is more time for one of the photographers to be able to slip away and get those photos prior to the ceremony. It is also recommended to have two photographers is you are going to have a guest count of over 200-250 people. We want to make sure that we are able to cover everything, so it helps to have more coverage. 

Reasons you may only want/need one photographer: Back in the day of film, second photographers were ideal because film could fail at any time. Even with the progression of digital media, memory cards fail, and second shooters gives brides a big peace of mind when it comes to making sure everything is captured. With the recent advancements in technology, however, my cameras now have what is called a dual card slot. In my camera, every photo is recorded separately to two memory cards simultaneously. This has drastically taken down the risk of losing any photos! Timelines can certainly be taken into consideration, but someone like myself or my Associate Photographer, Jessica, who have a lot of experience, have no problem capturing everything and being there for every moment when we are given the power amount of time necessary prior to the ceremony. If you have a small wedding party, it also can cut back on our time needed  and/or immediate family , that can dramatically cut down on time before the ceremony to allow one photographer to get the needed photos and be able to slip away for details. A small guest count is also a good thing to think about when only considering how many photographers you may need. If you have a small crowd, you won’t need the same amount of reception coverage as a wedding with over 200 guests. 

 

RECAP: 

Reasons you may only need one photographer:

1. Small wedding party
2. Small immediate families
3. Guest count lower than 200
4. Flexible timeline with plenty of time before the ceremony

Reasons you may need two Photographers:

1. Tight timeline prior to the ceremony
2. Large guest count over 200/250 
3. Large wedding party 
4. Large immediate family

If you have any other questions or concerns about this, I would love to answer them for you! Please leave a comment on this post, or you can fill out an inquiry form HERE and it will go to my email!