Second photographers can be an essential part of your wedding day, often effectively doubling the amount of images that you receive in your photo gallery. But currently being on the journey of planning my own wedding, I know that certain choices often come down to cost. If you’re asking the question ‘Do I need a second photographer for my wedding?’, it’s likely that budget is a deciding factor. In this article I’m going to break down the benefits of having a second photographer, and give you a clear understanding of how it could be the best decision you make for your wedding.
What Does a Second Photographer Do?
A second photographer, often called a second shooter, works alongside your lead wedding photographer to help capture your day from multiple angles and perspectives. While your main photographer focuses on key moments like the ceremony, portraits, and couple shots, the second shooter fills in the story’s gaps — the candid, behind-the-scenes moments that happen at the same time elsewhere.
For example, whilst I photograph one partner getting ready, my second photographer might be with the other, capturing their morning excitement and interactions with family. During the ceremony, they might photograph guest reactions, wide shots of the venue, or a different angle of your vows. It means more variety in your gallery, and a richer, more complete record of the day.
Assisting The Main Photographer
A second photographer also helps with logistics — carrying gear, assisting with lighting setups, or helping organize group shots efficiently. This teamwork allows your main photographer to stay focused on creativity and storytelling rather than the practical details, ensuring nothing gets missed.
In short, a second photographer’s job is to cover what one person alone couldn’t possibly capture: two places at once, different perspectives in the same moment, and the hidden emotions that make a wedding gallery feel alive and complete.
The Benefits Of Having a Second Photographer
A second photographer means you get more of your day captured without needing more time in the schedule. With two photographers working together, your gallery feels fuller and more natural, because we can cover different parts of the day at the same time.
Extra Candid Coverage
The couple shoot is a great example of this. I generally split my couple shoots into two 15 minute sections, one shortly after the ceremony and another at golden hour. I’ll often instruct my second shooter to remain with guests during the first session to ensure the post-ceremony buzz is covered in full, and maybe even capture some of your guests meeting for the first time.
More Creative Photos
Then during the second couple photo session they can join me and be tasked with taking photos in a more creative way such as close ups of hands touching, 35mm film photos, or interesting angles/effects like blur.
The photos below are images I took on a golden hour couple shoot as a second photographer. Note that the first image is a close up of hands, and the second is focused on the church in the background rather than the couple. In the right hand photo the main photographer, Jack Aldridge, is focused on the groom brushing the brides hair behind her ear, and as a second shooter I’m always thinking of a way to capture this differently. The backdrop of the church and the trees made for a perfect canvas to silhouette the couple, so I made the decision in the moment to focus on the church to produce an interesting environmental shot.
Capturing Morning Prep For Both Parties
A second photographer at a wedding will also be there to capture the morning preparation of the bride or groom that the main photographer is not with. Often couples get ready in separate locations, and even when they’re not, it’s always best to have a photographer in each room as there are several important moments happening in the morning before the ceremony has even started. For example, a member of family or a friend could have an emotional reaction to seeing you in your wedding outfit that you might not have been expecting.
Moments like these are genuinely priceless, and as experienced wedding photographers, despite the calm on the surface we’re always on our toes observing everything around us. I’ll only ever choose a second photographer whom I know and have complete confidence that they’ll be as observant as I am on a wedding day.
Even if you’re getting ready in the same room I’d still recommend having a second shooter in the morning, as they can be capturing venue details and all of your design choices coming together whilst I focus on the two of you getting ready.
If you have a larger guest list, a big venue or things happening in different spaces (for example, drinks reception outside and details being set up inside), a second photographer helps make sure nothing important is missed. It’s also useful when there’s travel between locations and the schedule is tight.
When You Might Not Need a Second Photographer
For smaller, more relaxed celebrations, a single photographer can often cover the story beautifully on their own. If you’re planning a shorter day, a simple timeline and a smaller guest list, you might prefer to invest your budget into one photographer you really love rather than adding a second person
I’m Having a Small Wedding, Do I Still Need Two Photographers?
For smaller, more relaxed celebrations, a single photographer can often cover the story beautifully on their own. If you’re planning a shorter day, a simple timeline and a smaller guest list, you might prefer to invest your budget into one photographer you really love rather than adding a second person.
I offer a micro wedding package on my pricing page.
I Don’t Have Much Budget Left, Should I Still Consider a Second Photographer?
If budget is a big consideration, it can be better to prioritise booking a photographer whose style you truly love, even if that means opting for one photographer instead of two. A second photographer is an added bonus and not a non-negotiable. I’d never recommend something that I wouldn’t do myself and I will definitely be hiring one for my wedding, but if there were things more important to me than the photos then I may allocate my budget elsewhere.
How a Second Shooter Enhances Storytelling
If you’ve seen the rest of my work or my website, you know I’m all about authentic storytelling with editorial, ‘magazine-like’ images sprinkled in. There are numerous occasions on a wedding day where having two pairs of eyes can really enhance the emotion behind a wedding gallery.
Capturing Both Sides of the Same Moment
A second photographer is one of the easiest ways to make your gallery feel more like a story and less like a highlight reel. A single photographer can absolutely cover the key moments, but two photographers can tell the same story with much more depth and nuance. With two different viewpoints happening at the same time, your photos feel closer to how the day actually unfolded.
Take the image below for example. This wedding had just over 100 guests, it would have been impossible for one photographer to keep an eye on every guest as well as the speaker. By having two people surveying the room ready to take a photo, you’ll receive far more images like this that really tug on heartstrings.
It’s not just the speeches where storytelling is enhanced, but moments like walking down the aisle where one of us can focus on you, while the other captures your partner’s reaction and your guests’ expressions. These “two sides” of the same moment make your final gallery feel like a complete narrative, rather than a series of separate snapshots.
Adding Layers to Your Album
Earlier on I mentioned the second shooter focusing on guests whilst we’re on a couple shoot. The same also applies to formal group shots, where they can capture guests chatting and all the interactions that would otherwise go unseen.
These “meanwhile” frames fill in the gaps between the big set pieces of the day and help you remember the atmosphere, not just the timeline.
By having a second photographer, you’ll end up with a much more dynamic gallery due to variety in moments captured, composition and angles. This variety keeps your gallery visually interesting as you scroll through, and makes album design much stronger because there are multiple options for each key moment.
How Much Does a Second Photographer Cost?
The real question when considering added value and budget — ‘Is a second photographer worth it?’
I may be bias, but the answer for me is always a resounding yes.
Again, I would never recommend anything that I wouldn’t do for my own wedding (and I absolutely will be adding a second photographer for my wedding in May 2027). You may be thinking it’s only worth it if you have a high number of guests, but I’d say that’s when it becomes absolutely essential. As I’ve gone into detail above there is so much more to having a second photographer than simply capturing a high volume of guests, although that is one of the main advantages.
In terms of cost to volume of photos received, adding a second photographer to your package is the most worthwhile investment you can make. Whilst the initial investment for a photographer tends to be one of the biggest spends for your wedding (usually below venue and florist), a second photographer provides a huge amount of value for a fraction of the cost due to the amount of extra photos you’ll receive.
Pricing for a second photographer addon can be found on my pricing page. You can also add at a discount via my full pricing guide which you’ll need to get in contact for.
Choosing The Right Wedding Photography Package
I split my packages into two options to keep things really simple – full day coverage (10 hours) and micro weddings (up to 4 hours coverage), but they can be tailored to suit your needs.
It’s often really helpful to talk to someone with experience about what exactly you’d like from your wedding photos. Some people might not have a clue, where others might come prepared with a full Pinterest inspiration board. My consultation calls are absolutely zero obligation where we can talk about what package could be exactly right for you.
To arrange a call, please fill out my contact form with details about your wedding.
