How many wedding photographers do you need?

The number of wedding photographers you will need depends on a few factors and I hope that this a little article will help you make the right decision.

In Canada, I would never have dreamt of photographing a wedding alone. However, here in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, photographing weddings on resorts, I photograph 60-80% of my weddings by myself.

Many of the weddings I photograph here are smaller weddings with between 20 and 30 guests and small bridal parties, so the number of wedding photographers you will need will depend on several factors.

Here is when I would suggest having two photographers.

1. When capturing all moments of getting ready is essential.
2. When you have over 50 guests.
3. When you want your décor and setups photographed before anyone guests arrive.
4. When the photographer is shooting over 6-7 hours.
5. If you will be more relaxed knowing there are two photographers.

1) When capturing all moments of getting ready is important to you.

If you want lots of getting ready photographs and the story of the guys from the time they start of the day up until they get to the ceremony, then it is best to have two photographers.

When I photograph a wedding alone, I will photograph the guys for 30 minutes and then walk 5 minutes to the girls and photograph them for an hour before the ceremony. It takes 10-15 minutes for the guys to get ready for a wedding and 30 after 30 minutes, most are happy for me to leave. This leaves the guys dressed about 1 hour before the ceremony so that they can grab a drink at the bar and head to the ceremony location 30 minutes before the ceremony and greet guests as they arrive.

2) When you have over 50 guests.

When you have a large number of guests attending your destination wedding, and you want to capture them as well as you on your wedding day, then two photographers are better than one. My only word of caution to this is, please make sure you mention this to your photographers. As a company, we go out of our way to make sure we get a lot of photographs of the guests, but from what I have seen from other wedding photographers, this is not always the case, and they often have tunnel vision on the bride, groom and wedding party. So if this is important to you, please make sure you communicate it to your photographer.

3) When you want lots of décor and setup photographs.

If you are having elaborate décor and want great photographs of the detail so that you can share them with wedding blogs and have them for your wedding album, then it is wise to have two photographers. It’s pretty simple, one person can’t do two things at once, and weddings here in Cancun and the Riviera Maya happens quickly. If decore and set up photographs are essential to you, then please hire consider two photographers.

4) When the photographer is shooting over 6-7 hours.

It’s not impossible to photograph a wedding for 8 hours alone, but it is challenging. Staying at full attention for that time with minimal downtime is difficult for anyone. Therefore, if you have a spread out day and/or want photographs late into the evening, then please consider two photographers once you go past the 7th hour.

5) If you will be more relaxed knowing there are two wedding photographers.

If you are going to be more relaxed knowing two photographers are capturing two different angles, then please hire two photographers. It is your wedding day, you have invested a lot of time, effort and money into getting people to fly to Cancun for your wedding and it is crucial that you are relaxed and enjoy your destination wedding. If after reading the above you are worried that one photographer will not be enough, please hire two.

Conclusion:

Most of our packages come with one photographer, however, you can always add a second photographer at a minimal cost. The number of wedding photographers you will need is a personal choice and please make the decision that is best for you. And no matter what you decide, my team and I will take photographs that you will love.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us. 

And if you have not inquired about our wedding photography, please do. We would love to hear from you and you the best way to contact us is through our pricing and availability form.

Thank you and have a great day,
Dean Sanderson
Wedding photographer in Cancun and Riviera Maya