When you’re thinking about wedding photography coverage for your wedding day, you might consider having a second photographer. Couples often ask me, “Do we need a second photographer for our wedding?” As a Toronto wedding photographer, I’ve photographed many weddings in Toronto both on my own and with a second photographer.
What is a second photographer?
A second photographer is an additional photographer who photographs the wedding alongside the main photographer. Their photographs give another perspective of the wedding day.
Of course, the second photographers I work with are experienced in wedding photography and have photographed a number of weddings with me. They’re familiar with my style and are great at putting people at ease during the shoot. All of their photos are edited and provided to the couple by me.
Benefits of having a second photographer
Wedding schedule
With a second photographer, the photography team can photograph two events simultaneously. For example, often the couple will start the day at different locations, which makes this an ideal time to have two photographers. During the “getting ready” portion in the morning, I will photograph the bride and my second photographer will photograph the groom. Other parts of the day where simultaneous events could happen are family photo time and cocktail hour. During this time, I often photograph the couple with their families while my second photographer captures guests enjoying cocktail hour. This way, all events of the day are photographed with fewer hours of photography coverage.
Back-up plan
In the unlikely situation where the main photographer is unable to photograph the wedding, the second photographer could replace them. I have never (knock on wood) needed to do this, but if anything were to happen to me I can trust my second photographer to step in and photograph the wedding as the lead, while I find an additional photographer to replace the second.
Candid photos
In addition to covering simultaneous events, the second photographer and I also photograph the full wedding day together. This results in two perspectives to events such as the first look, ceremony, and reception, which in turn means more candid photos.
One vs. two photographers
As an experienced wedding photographer, I can comfortably photograph a wedding by myself. If you have a limited budget and are looking for affordable wedding photography, having one talented photographer document your day will give you better results than two inexperienced photographers. However, I recommend adding a second photographer if you have a large guest count (more than 150 guests) and many events. For intimate weddings, one photographer is all you need.
To see a wedding with two photographers, check out this wedding at the Royal Conservatory of Music
