XP Only one photographer?

ILoveToRobot

I've heard that you're supposed to have like 1 photographer for every 100 guests. I'm having 250 invited guests so I figured 2 photographers would work well. I spoke with another photographer who said that 100 guest rule was pretty true and that anyone saying otherwise was lying.

well.... I found this AMAZING photographer who claims that he's good with large groups by himself. The guy is uber excited about his work and he loves the area that I grew up in and says what I described to him sounds like a once in a life time experience to shoot so he even adjusted the cost of his package to fit within my means.

Does this sound too good to be true? How many people did you have at your wedding and how many photographers?

dumdumfroggie

I've never heard this "rule" before.

For what it's worth, I'll be having 150 people with one photographer, though she may bring an assistant.

Also, you might want to take a look at the photography contracts, a lot will say they have to be the only professional photographer at the event.

achiduck

I've never heard of this rule. We're having about 125 guests and have one photographer and her assistant. I never considered hiring a second.

aragx6

I agree with milkduds that I don't really see why the number of guests would matter a lot. It's nice to have two photogs so that you can get some pics of the guys getting ready and other things you might otherwise miss, but I don't necessarily buy that two photogs is in any way necessary. Our package from our photog came with a second shooter which is great, but it definitely wouldn't have been a deal breaker for us.

MyUserName1

Sounds to me like someone was making up a rule in order to convince you to shell out for extra photogs?

I've never heard that rule eithe.

I can see why it would be nice, but it doesn't seem necessary.

ILoveToRobot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:95e8da60-4cbf-42f8-8bbe-8d6808b35558">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]125 people and 1 photographer + his assistant.  One photog was with each group while we were getting ready and they took ceremony/reception pics from different angles. <strong>I don't understand why the # of guests matters.  Maybe I am missing something.
</strong>Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

General size I suppose would make a difference. I might think it could be hard for 1 photographer to catch all those special moments of you plus the 248 other guests.

ILoveToRobot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:6509949e-1309-4410-9f7f-5115cf35d4b1">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>Sounds to me like someone was making up a rule in order to convince you to shell out for extra photogs?</strong> I've never heard that rule eithe. I can see why it would be nice, but it doesn't seem necessary.
Posted by MyUserName1[/QUOTE]

I heard this rule long before I started shopping. Not sure where I read it though.

ski2play

I have never, ever, heard of this rule.  I was a pro wedding photographer in a prior life.  I sometimes traveled with an assistant, sometimes not.  The number of guests never played into how much I charged or my ability to take beautiful pictures for a bride. 

Sounds kind of gimmicky to me. 

ILoveToRobot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:5e73e932-56a6-46b8-96ec-ae92784721c9">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]I agree with milkduds that I don't really see why the number of guests would matter a lot. <strong>It's nice to have two photogs so that you can get some pics of the guys getting ready and other things you might otherwise miss</strong>, but I don't necessarily buy that two photogs is in any way necessary. Our package from our photog came with a second shooter which is great, but it definitely wouldn't have been a deal breaker for us.
Posted by aragx6[/QUOTE]

This is my main reason for wanting two. I want pictures of everyone getting ready.

andrea2473

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:95e8da60-4cbf-42f8-8bbe-8d6808b35558">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]125 people and 1 photographer + his assistant.  One photog was with each group while we were getting ready and they took ceremony/reception pics from different angles.<strong> I don't understand why the # of guests matters</strong>.  Maybe I am missing something.
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

I agree.  I think the size of the bridal party and the timing of your pictures would be a bigger factor.  For example, if you do a "first look", I think one photographer would be fine because you could do all of the group shots before the wedding without needing to split up the men and the women.    The venue is also a factor.  We didn't do a first look AND our venue involved two sets of staircases and a balcony.  We probably could have benefited from a second photographer.  Luckily, we knew our photographer's work really well and trusted having one since it's all we could afford.  She still did a great job.   I would ask the coordinator at the venue what they usually see and try and get referrals and a portfolio from this photographer.  

FWIW, we had about 140-150 guests and I do not think that made any impact on our pictures.

ILoveToRobot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:fd86ddce-dd1d-4532-977f-703797926317">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]I have never, ever, heard of this rule.  <strong>I was a pro wedding photographer in a prior life. </strong> I sometimes traveled with an assistant, sometimes not.  The number of guests never played into how much I charged or my ability to take beautiful pictures for a bride.  Sounds kind of gimmicky to me. 
Posted by ski2play[/QUOTE]

That's good to hear. Kind of eases my worries a bit I guess.

em01092

I mean, having 2 photogs definitely has some pros, but I've never heard of this rule either. If he is within your budget and you want an additional person catching shots, go for it.

Just remember you will likely need to provide an additional meal for this person (check the contract/ask your photog what they prefer if not specified, then ask your caterer if he/she has discounted caterer meals), and probably an additional or separate tip.

andrea2473

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:f2a59dd1-9bc4-4eae-803f-97662ac3fdc0">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: XP Only one photographer? : This is my main reason for wanting two. I want pictures of everyone getting ready.
Posted by ILoveToRobot[/QUOTE]

That's completely fine. But it's more of a preference than a necessity due to guest count, KWIM?  I think the advice here is that a photographer shouldn't HAVE to have an assistant due to number of guests.  It's really up to you and your FI and what 'extras' you would like to capture.

ILoveToRobot

Thanks for all the advice guys. This definately changes my perspective on the two photographers.

Kate61487

I've never heard this rule.  We had 270 guests and one photographer and I was very happy with the photos minus missing a few shots that are my own damn fault for not mentioning.

Here's the thing:  I thought about having a second shooter for a few reasons:
1) I wanted pics of us getting ready and the guys.  Our one photog managed this, but we did miss out on some pics b/c girls ran late (not our photogs fault, obviously)
2) Because our photog was with US all day we didn't get any pictures of the reception venue before guests had arrived and sat down and moved stuff around.  Honestly I didn't care so much about a picture with the table all set and untouched, but I know some people do. 
3) We had a backdrop set up for guests to get group shots etc. during the reception.  I was a little concerned about the photogs ability to get those photos and capture candids of the dance floor, etc.  Because they were in the same room he was able to do it himself and I don't feel like I missed anything during the reception.  (He himself said he could handle it as long as it wasn't in a seperate location)

I think if this photographer thinks he can handle it I'd go with it!

chumlee7478

I have heard of having additional shooters for larger groups, but that's been in the context of events I've done for work.  When we have a huge company party, we generally have 3-4 shooters, but we're trying to get almost 800-900 people photographed over the course of an evening. 

I've never heard of it for a wedding, and there's only been one wedding I've been to where there were 2 shooters.  The wedding was about 200 people, and the bride paid extra for the two shooters to capture different elements of the wedding. The bride is a photographer herself, and the images were important to her.  To each their own.  We're having right around 100 people, with one photographer, and many amateur shutterbugs in the crowd. 

I'd stick with one unless it's super important to you to have a second shooter.

aragx6

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:36fb17ab-167c-4931-840a-77f7596bd036">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]I mean, having 2 photogs definitely has some pros, but I've never heard of this rule either. If he is within your budget and you want an additional person catching shots, go for it. Just remember you will likely need to provide an additional meal for this person (check the contract/ask your photog what they prefer if not specified, then ask your caterer if he/she has discounted caterer meals),<strong> and probably an additional or separate tip.
</strong>Posted by em01092[/QUOTE]

This thought had never crossed my mind, We're not planning to tip our photog because she runs her own business, but the second shooter probably should be tipped shouldn't they?

Married ladies, if you had one, did you tip your 2nd shooter?

Edit: Also, what on earth did I do that makes all my posts center?

J&K10910

Meh, honestly, there's not a lot to photograph of the guys getting ready in most cases.  We had two photogs, but they were with us the whole time because the guys got together for about 15 minutes to put their tuxes on.  The photogs were able to recreate some of the guys getting ready photos later.  I just don't think they missed much, and neither does my H.

J&K10910

I tipped my photog and the second shooter, even though they both own their businesses.  They went above and beyond and I got a kick ass deal.

J&K10910

Both my original photog and second shooter own their own business.  I tipped both of them.  They went above and beyond and deserved more than I ever could have tipped them.

But I don't generally subscribe to the "don't tip if they own their own business" rule of thumb.  If i get amazing service, I'm tipping.  If I get crappy service, I'm not.  No matter what. 

Kate61487

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:f957f1e3-4e83-4c07-82b6-e152ab20bdad">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh dear, we never tipped our photographer's assisstant. We should have. Can we tip him when we go to pick out our albums, or is it too late? Please tell me tips are better late than never...
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

Definitely better late than never.  Who would turn down extra money? :-)

edited because I can't spell

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-only-one-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:68d0e44e-d712-4918-ba6b-860cd18be072Post:f957f1e3-4e83-4c07-82b6-e152ab20bdad">Re: XP Only one photographer?</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh dear, we never tipped our photographer's assisstant. We should have. Can we tip him when we go to pick out our albums, or is it too late? Please tell me tips are better late than never...
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

That would be fine, if it were me!  I'd be pleasantly surprised by it at that point.

mica178

I hadn't planned on having two, but my photographer ended up bringing an assistant without clearing it with me beforehand.  It was fine, but I could tell who took what picture, and in general, I only ever got prints done by my main photographer.

Wiscisbliss

150 people, 1 photographer

I didn't think the number of photographers was for guests... I thought it had to do with better catching both the bride and groom's experssions at the same time (like when you are walking down the aisle). 

rlavach

I have 90 guests with 1 photographer (+1 assistant). He explained to me that he always has an assistant and it's only for the reasons stated above. To be at both places when the B&G are getting ready or to handle a large bridal party. 

Birdie1483

We had around 150 with one photographer and an assistant. The (female) assistant mostly helped when I was getting ready at the hotel. Otherwise she was kind of a waste of space IMO other than helping to pick up my dress and hold my flowers as we were walking around outside.

hboo2011

We had 215 guests and one photographer. He showed up at my parents house where the girls were getting ready, then followed us to the venue where the guys already were.

The only minor drawback to us in particular having only 1 photographer was that there were no guys getting ready pics. Although that takes about 30 seconds anyway, and they waited until the florist and photographer got there to put on but's. So really not a big deal at all.

We got almost 900 pics of the whole day. I think just one photographer suited our 215 guests just fine.

kalpi108

We are going to have one (incredible) photographer and she brings an assistant/second shooter with her. That will be the case no matter our number of guests, it's so they can capture both the girls and the guys getting ready and get different angles of the ceremony and reception and get pictures of more of our guests. I wouldn't hire two separate photographers though..

raypoppins

We only had one photographer but we have pictures of the guys and girls getting ready. He took some pictures of me putting my makeup on and the girls getting their hair done, but then when I had to get naked he left and took pictures of the guys, and came back when I was mostly in my dress.

We all got ready at the hotel we got married at though. I just realized the guys may be getting ready elsewhere. Either way, like a PP said, there isn't a lot to capture with guys getting ready. I think there are probably bonuses to having two, but it's not a necessity.

petite+engineer

Two things that I came across when interviewing photographers:

1. If they have a second shooter, is it a student or a pro? 

The photographer I chose works with a professional who she would trust to do an entire wedding on her own. A student would be a third shooter, and we wouldn't pay for their time.

2. If your photographer got sick, who is their backup?

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

My photographer mentioned that she brings a second shooter for weddings over 100 people. We had 68 people, so it was just her.

I think it depends what kind of photography you're looking for - journalistic? Lots of candids? Are you mostly just worried about the formals?