Do You Need Two Wedding Photographers?
Intro
In this post, we’re gonna help you answer the question: should I hire two photographers for my elopement or wedding?
The benefits of hiring two photographers(especially two that are married!) boils down to three key things:
Style & creativity
Connection
Peace of mind
We’re gonna break each of these down and leave the decision to you!
Style & creativity
The word “coverage” is commonly used in professional photography (we use it on our site) — it’s honestly a pretty sterile term — having a second photographer really means having a second visual creative on hand, seeing and capturing both the key moments (the kiss!) and the small meaningful ones (subtle expressions) in another unique way, from a unique perspective.
We’re not associates, we’re not employees — we’re two married people documenting your wedding day with two distinct, complimentary styles.
Example: one of us might hang way back to capture a distant shot, epically framing you in the landscape, while the other is simultaneously nearer to you to capture up-close moments.
Probably more often, we’ll suggest a photo when the other is just in a better position to capture it. This collaboration happens easily and constantly for us at this point — we call it the mind meld.
Lastly: we actively work to not make elopements into productions, having couples re-do things again and again for the photo. Having two photographers means we’re able to see, capture or lightly direct moments in a much more spontaneous way.
Connection
We talk a lot about “fit” with the couples we work with, and we’re gonna do it again here — it really is that important! Your connection with your photographer(s) is integral to the experience you have, which is integral for the photos you receive.
By having two photographers along with you, especially married ones, the pressure is reduced; it’s not the two of you and some rando that you need to entertain, it’s a couple that can do their thing while you do yours. Or two chill people to chat with.
We know what you’re going through, the nerves, the fun, the weight of it, and can model any directions we give you to make that part so much easier.
Do you hang with another married couple or a rando 3rd wheel?
On a side note: working together puts Jess and I at ease; we’re partners, and so much confidence and resiliency and fun comes from knowing that we’ll be there for each other. It’s been so crucial to our success all these years.
Peace of mind
Elopements are no less special than traditional weddings, despite being much lower-key. They’re fun, they’re adventurous, they can be much more spontaneous — but we take them no less seriously.
We know that it’s important that the people you’re investing money in to help pull off your elopement really come through for you, and this underpins everything we do. By hiring a team of two photographers, you’re investing in peace of mind.
Look at the kinds of things that prevent wedding photographers from delivering: cameras can be dropped/malfunction; memory cards can corrupt or be mistakenly erased; batteries can die; illness or family emergencies happen. By hiring two photographers you’re building in redundancy, hedging your bets against these sorts of things to give your day the best chance of going to plan, or at least minimizing the impact that any issues may have.
Example: I broke my thumb in a relatively minor motorcycle accident just a couple days before an elopement; Jess helped me through urgent care and eventually surgery, and hired a close photographer friend of ours to accompany her. The elopement went off without a hitch.
Multiple photographers with multiple cameras (we shoot with three!), multiple lenses, duplicate memory cards — this built-in backup in the rare case that one of us has an emergency. It’s peace of mind.
Important note: To date, across hundreds of elopements all across the US and beyond, we’ve never lost a single photo or had a circumstance keep us from doing our job. Chalk it up to our preparation and the systems we have in place!
Wrap-up
Is a second photographer necessary?
Not for all people or situations. But it absolutely has advantages for creativity, connection, and peace of mind. It’s all depends on how much you value these things.
