One-person photography team

We haven't hired any yet, but all the photographers we've spoken to have backup plans already in place. It would help to just ask the question up-front. A professional should have this in place. 😊

Every photographer we looked at, including the one we hired, was a single person business. They all had people they could use as a second shooter or backup in case they were unable to make it due to an emergency and all of that was listed in each of their contracts.

We booked a photographer that has her own individual company, but she has a network of associates she works with. One of her associates will be our 2nd photographer. Our contract states something along the lines of “Unless I’m on my deathbed or another serious accident I’ll be at your wedding. In that extreme circumstance I will send an associate in my place. If one can not be found you will be refunded.”

We just had one and it was fine. But I would just ask what their backup plan is.

My photographer was a company owned by a wife and husband team. There were no issues what do ever.

We had 2 shooters and in our photographers contract, it stated that if for any reason she and her 2nd shooter were unable to work our wedding, she would find a photographer comparable to her skill level to cover for her. Honestly, it was never something I worried about.

Our team is a husband and wife! Most photographers I researched are one or two people, so that is totally normal!

You should have discussed with your photographer prior to booking them. Most photographers have a network of others and a system for connecting you with a backup photographer in the event that there is an emergency and they cannot make your wedding. Often, this is written into the contract, but at the very least it's a question you should have asked. Even though you've already booked them, I'd go back and ask them now "What happens if there is an emergency and you cannot shoot my wedding?" They'll either have a plan (which they should if they are professionals) or they won't, in which case you know it will be your responsibility to design a backup plan.

Your contract should also state what happens to your deposit if they can't shoot your wedding. Most professional photographers refund the deposit and connect you with another photographer within their company/network.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for your response. I haven’t booked them yet, I’m looking for a photographer and the ones I like are a one person team which I’m not a fan of. One couple said they don’t have a backup but if that’s something we’d like they can set something up.

We only had 1 photographer and had no hiccups or issues. Most photographers are only 1 person. If you are really concerned, I would ask the photographer you hire about providing a 2nd shooter.

We hired one person with a second shooter. I've seen her work. I'm not worried.

View Quoted Comment

Oh gotcha!

I'm a photographer (I don't shoot weddings, but have friends who do), so I was super picky about booking a wedding photographer and reached out to 15 different photographers before making a decision. I asked a LOT of questions, and I chatted with my wedding photographer friends to get the inside scoop on shooting weddings as well.

Most well established photographers do have a "network" of other photographers and a system for what happens in an emergency. Definitely ask this before booking, and get any agreement written into your contract, just so you are covered.

How big is your wedding? A few photographers I spoke with recommended having only a single photographer for smaller weddings because they said multiple photographers can feel like paparazzi in smaller settings. You really don't need multiple shooters if the guest list is small and the wedding is intimate; having two photographers in such a setting often results in more images but not necessarily a better "story" of the day because the photographers end up covering so much that the most important moments don't get highlighted in the same way. If you are having a larger wedding (100+ guests) having two photographers can be advantageous especially if you want a lot of photos of guests and family.

We are having a smaller wedding (60-80 guests) with one photographer for about seven hours and a secondary shooter for about 5 hours. Any photographer you book should show you a portfolio of their best images from various weddings (so you get a sense of their style in different settings) as well as a gallery of an entire wedding from start to finish. You can ask to specifically see a wedding shot with the same package you are considering (so for example, if the base package is one shooter for six hours, you can ask to see a wedding shot with the same timeline and photographer), so that the start to finish gallery can give you a really good idea of the type of coverage you can expect.

Most wedding photographers have their own business or a single business partner, sometimes with auxiliary second shooters. I don't have very high opinions of wedding photography "companies" that have multiple photographers and just assign you a photographer at random. In my experience, it's not super common for high quality photographers to be a part of a multiple-person wedding photography business. Most professional wedding photographers (even those who usually work solo) are well networked and connected with other industry professionals, and usually they can help you find a replacement or give you a referral if needed. I don't think I've ever been to a wedding with more than two photographers in attendance.

I would not hesitate to have a single photographer shoot your wedding if you really like their work, you want the focus of your wedding images to be of you and your partner and the "story" of your wedding, and they feel like the right "fit" for you. The real advantage of a second shooter comes in when you want a lot of extra details photographed, have a ton of guests, and have a lot of activities going on simultaneously. Second shooters can also be helpful if your wedding is indoors and you are expecting a lot of special effects and supplemental lighting, because they can help a lot with those details. They are less necessary for weddings that are outdoors or with ample ambient light where the photography style is more photojournalistic and less posed and staged. I would absolutely choose a single shooter whose photos I love and who I connected with on a personal level over two photographers with images that excited me less or didn't feel like the right fit.

That's my 2 cents! Good luck!