I’ll be one of the few wedding photographers to say this: no, having a second photographer on your wedding day is not always necessary. Some will disagree, but that’s my honest opinion.

The purpose of a second photographer is to cover parts of a wedding day that would be missed by the main photographer.

I’ve photographed 75% of my weddings alone without issues. With the right amount of communication, planning, and expectation, one photographer is capable of documenting a wedding well. However, not every wedding is the same. It all depends on what your wedding day will look like.

Below are 5 reasons when a second photographer is necessary:

1. Both you and your partner want ‘getting ready’ photos. While the main photographer is with one party, the 2nd photographer can be with the other.

2. All family, bridemaid + groomsmen group photos must be taken during cocktail hour. The 2nd photographer documents guests during cocktail hour, while the main photographer focuses on taking all formal family photos.

3. Ceremony + reception are taking place in two separate locations. When your ceremony ends, the 2nd photographer heads to the second venue to take photos before guests arrive. Meanwhile, the main photographer stays at the ceremony location.

4. You’re having a big wedding (100+ guests) with lots of florals/details that need to be photographed.

5. Simply put, you want a 2nd photographer on your wedding to capture different angles or to feel like your wedding day is fully covered.

Perhaps none of these apply to your wedding, and you still prefer having a second photographer—that’s completely fine.

If the photographer you’re considering does not include a second photographer in their wedding packages by default, have a conversation with them. Ask for their honest input, and be transparent about your wedding day.

Any well experienced photographer will tell you if your wedding needs a second photographer or not.

Just remember, not having a second photographer isn’t always necessary to capture your wedding day well.