Second Shooter--worth it?

We are having 31 people, including us. We have 2 photographers. 1 will be with FH getting ready and the other will be with me. We will have both for the ceremony and reception.

I think it's worth it. You will get Different angles Of Every shot

We have about 100 guests and out of the two we liked, we are paying $1000 more for a second shooter. We want to be able to capture our guests while they mingle and my fiancé is notorious for knowing the camera at all times so a second shooter will hopefully help us get more candid/natural shots.

You don't need two photographers. You need one really good one. Some photographers prefer to work with a team, others like me, don't. For me, it boils down to couples hiring me for my unique style and approach....documentary wedding photographers aren't exactly plentiful in Nashville. Each photographer's approach and style are different. How they compose and expose images, the moods they look for, to me this way, the stories seldom mesh. And it can be redundant. It boils down to the working preference of the photographer. It's not an automatic point of value for you. Your primary is where you need to put your money. There are great teams, they're not cheap. But 2 mediocre photographers don't equal one really good one.

We are having one and I am excited primarily for our first look. One photographer to capture each of our expressions in that moment. It will also be easier to have one while both of us are getting ready and whatnot. Not necessary but if you can fit it in I say go for it!

I hired one photographer initially. Over the weekend she emailed me that she had a surprise for me...she's bringing a second shooter at no extra charge. I'm stoked!

Getting ready photos, I've always gone back and forth between rooms...I find it weird to linger in the same room for long periods of time.

People don't always get ready in the same place. I got ready at my parents house - 15 min from venue, and my DH was 5 minutes from the venue. It was nice having the second shooter with my husband (she went over to the venue early to get photos of it empty) and our primary photographer with me.

We hired two since the 8 hour package included two, plus it gave the option for both my husband and I to have getting ready pictures since we will be at different houses a couple of blocks away.

Your bridal party and wedding is small. Not worth two

We will have 80 people and will have 2 shooters!

Will there be a scheduling conflict where you want your photographer to be in 2 places at the same time? Will there be a moment that you want photographed from 2 different angles? For example, you coming down the aisle and the Groom's reaction to you coming down? Or a balcony processional/recessional shot and an aisle shot?

If the answer is "No" then I would say 1 photographer is enough no matter how large or small your wedding. If the answer is "Yes", is the additional $$$ in your budget and are those different perspectives worth spending that $$$?

Our photographer has a second shooter that comes with him regardless of the "package" we choose. I am excited because like others said you will get different angles and perspectives.

We are having a small wedding, no more than 50 people. I elected to have a second shooter for 4 of the seven hours to ensure we got FH and GM getting ready, as well as shots of FH while I walk down the aisle.

Thanks everyone! This is all really helpful! Photography is my one big splurge so while I've already spent quite a bit, seems like it's worth it to go the little it further. My photog is amazing and I have no doubts in her abilities, but I thr different perspective point is very valid. Thanks again!!

We discussed it. But with only 30 guests... She said yeah no. You don't really need it. I think she prefers working with a second shooter because of the sheer amount of busy at a wedding but she said nah. So. One really good one!

We decided to have two shooters because we are not doing a first look. So for me, it was very important to have one shooter to get me entering the ceremony and the 2nd shooter to get my groom's reaction. His reaction is really what I want and I know one photographer is not going to be able to capture that on their own. We thought about seeing if we could only get 2nd shooter for part of the day as well but are hoping that 2 will also help speed up some of the other pictures as well.

I knew right away that I wanted 2 shooters just for the shot of both of us as I'm walking down the aisle. I'm having a pretty big wedding but I still think it's good to have 2 if you can afford it, just for different shots and different perspectives.

Okay for a second I thought this was going to be about JFK.

When meeting with my photographer she mentioned that she has her assistant take pictures from different angles. At the specific venue we have she said that she will take picture from the side of the gazebo while the send will take pictures from down the aisle. We will also need less time for our before the wedding pictures.

Honestly If its in budget I would go for it. You only get married once.