Should You Hire a Second Photographer? Here’s a Handy Checklist

Should you hire a second photographer? This is one of the questions we get asked very often, if a couple needs a second photographer.

The short answer is that with two photographers, you will definitely get more angles (but not necessarily more photos, since quantity shouldn’t be a priority). It also gives your photographers more breathing time, and hence more creativity. If you have room in your budget (they usually cost $100 more per hour), I would certain recommend it but other than angles and ease, what are the other factors you should consider?

Here’s a handy checklist I often run through with my couples at our consults:

How big is your wedding?

While you and your family are our priority, we love to make sure we get at least one photo where a guest you invited is present. A guestlist of 150 and fewer is manageable for one photographer. Anything more, a second photographer is helpful. If making sure you have a few photos of each guest is a priority to you, hire a second photographer who will make sure this happens as the main will have to focus on you.

Cultural weddings such as Indian or Vietnamese weddings often have large guest lists and traditionally, photos of all guests are expected.

Are you getting ready at the same venue?

This is pretty easy to figure out – if you’re both getting ready in the same hotel or location, one photographer is able to stagger the photos (s)he is able to make during the getting ready portion of your day (usually 1 – 1.5 hrs).

If you’re getting ready at two separate locations, and not within walking distance, it makes sense to hire a second so no time is wasted on commuting.

Are you doing a First Look or Reveal?

If you’re getting ready together – which I LOVE – the answer is no second.

If you are doing a First Look, it depends. A lone photographer can simply stagger the getting ready photos, scout the FL location beforehand, take a photo of it with our phones and inform the couple of your plan. An experienced photographer would’ve already gotten this down to a science. However, it does make it easier to coordinate with two photographers but it isn’t critical.

If you’re NOT doing a First Look, having two photographers makes sense since we can both document our one half of the couple and their families simultaneously. Since not doing a FL affects your timeline dramatically (we will talk more about this in the next point), as events will overlap for sure, having a second is most helpful.

Do you have a jam-packed day full of events that overlap?

Weddings may have more or less a similar timeline of events (getting ready, first look, portraits, family formals etc) but sometimes, things overlap especially if you’re not doing a FL. For instance, after the ceremony, you will want to get both families together for some formals during cocktail hour, so while the main is getting this nailed down, the second can grab photos of cocktail hour or the decor setup.

Does your ceremony venue have rules, like a church?

Some churches will have some rules with regards to movement during the ceremony. For example, St James in Seattle does not allow the photographer to move beyond a certain point once mass begins so as not to distract. In this case, it is critical to have two photographers at different angles to cover their beautiful circular altar. Check with your venue to see if there are such rules to decide.

Does your ceremony space limit movement?

Some ceremony locations, once the chairs are placed depending on your final numbers, limit the movement of photographers. If we want to be up front to get the processional, oftentimes that’s where we’re stuck throughout the ceremony if we don’t want to be a distraction during the ceremony by moving back and forth down the aisle. We definitely do not want to do that, so it’s best to check beforehand, maybe make sure there’s enough room for the photographer to move along the sides of the ceremony to the back and to the front again if you want to avoid hiring a second. Otherwise, it’s best to get one if you want a variety of angles.

Do you want lots of photos of decor and details?

Some weddings are more detailed than others. If you’ve spent a lot of your budget on the decor and details, it makes sense to get as much of it documented. We like to do this right after the setup is complete for both the ceremony and reception areas, before the guests enter, so as to get a “clean room” shot. Magazines and publications LOVE these (if you want to get published!). This usually overlaps with other critical photos like couple portraits or family photos, so having a second to have this taken care of simultaneously is wise.

Are many of the guests your parents’ friends?

This is often the case for cultural weddings, or a wedding for which your parents are helping to pay. From past experience, sometimes half of the guest list might be friends of your folks. In this case, having a second or even a third dedicated to them is nice so they feel taken care of.

But guess what? You don’t have to decide at booking!

Because wedding photographers are often one of the first 2-3 wedding vendors booked once the planning begins, details are understandably still vague. Most studios will allow you to think on it for a while. For us, all we need is 2 months’ notice so we can secure someone for you. And if either Brandon or I aren’t booked for the day, we will both shoot your wedding – it’s usually quite a treat when we are both working your wedding (hint: just throw on Stevie’s Sir Duke at your dance party and watch what ensues).

We hope this listicle has helped you answer your burning question of should you hire a second photographer! Let us know if you have other burning wedding photography questions!

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JTPA has THREE photographers on hand to service all your needs! Brandon, Kelly and I have a combined 24 years of experience shooting weddings, having spent the last two years collaborating. What’s more, we have all built connections with many trusted local Seattle area and PNW photographers to second for us. If you’re looking for comprehensive, experienced and most importantly authentic, photojournalistic coverage of your wedding, contact us! 

Having a large wedding and need some planners? Here are two of our faves: New Creations and Pink Blossoms!