I love backyard weddings. My sister and brother-in-law were married at our childhood home, and there’s something really amazing about inviting close friends and family to celebrate a wedding at such a sentimental place.

But here’s the thing. Curtis’ family doesn’t just have just any backyard. They have multiple ponds on a gorgeous private property across from the family farm (and it just so happened that I had photographed his dad for a magazine feature about the farm earlier this year). They have a waterfall, a fire pit and lights everywhere. It was stunning.

And thanks to Diana for second shooting in a pinch when our original second photographer had a family emergency. Lansing has such a supportive photography community, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. This wedding is a great example of how two photographers can capture different perspectives throughout the day. Check out the full gallery to see more.

A lot of couples simply don’t know whether they’ll want or need a second photographer at their wedding. The truth is, I shoot many of my weddings solo, and in most cases, that’s absolutely perfect. But there are a few cases where a couple might want to consider bringing a second photographer along to help capture the day. Here are a few reasons to consider:

1. You’re getting ready in two different places, and you want photos of both of you getting ready.

I usually put together a “getting ready” gallery, and with two photographers, we’ll both sync our camera times, so you get to see what the other person was doing at the exact moment when you were getting ready. If you’re getting ready close to each other, it’s easier for one photographer to hop over from the women to the men to get a few photos of putting on ties, boutonnieres, etc.

Masonic Temple Wedding — *I took the photo above of Patricia getting ready at the Masonic Temple while Derek, my amazing second photographer, took the photo below of Bryan getting ready at the hotel down the street.*

2. You won’t see each other before the ceremony, and you have limited time for bridal party photos.

In this case, one photographer can photograph the woman, and one can photograph the men in two different places, but if you’re all in the same place anyway, you might be just fine with just one photographer, since you’ll have to take turns to avoid seeing each other anyway.

H Hotel wedding photos in Midland, Michigan — Lauren and Marc waited to see each other until the ceremony, so I photographed Lauren, her bridesmaids and her parents before the ceremony, while Dionel photographed Marc, his groomsmen and his parents.

3. You want photos of the details at the reception, but it’s too far for one person to get to before guests get to the cocktail hour or reception.

When I photograph weddings by myself, it’s often all in one place, and I can take 20 minutes to jump over and take a few photos of those details. There have been cases where the room has been set up early enough that I could start at the reception location to get detail photos before heading over to get photos of everyone getting ready, which allowed me to do everything as one photographer.

I was unbelievably envious that Derek had a chance to photograph these amazing details at the Masonic Temple before Patricia and Bryan’s reception, but I was happy to know that the job was in good hands while I took other photos that day.

4. Two photographers will sometimes be better for big church weddings where you don’t want one person to have to move around as much.

I always do my best to move as little as possible, and when I do move, I do it slowly and quietly, but if you’re having a church wedding, check to find out what their restrictions are for photographers and movement.

St. Jude Catholic Church wedding photos, DeWitt, Michigan — Liz and I were able to quietly capture these ring photos at Carly and Jared’s wedding from two different perspectives, and it helped to have us covering opposite corners of the large church so we didn’t miss anything.

5. With two photographers, one person can be “behind the scenes” before you walk down the aisle, so you get two different perspectives.

You’ll also have different perspectives throughout the day, of course.

bride and father before wedding ceremony — *At Kembra and Guy’s wedding, Liz was able to get these amazing behind the scenes photos with Kembra and her dad as I photographed everyone from the aisle.*

6. If you’re taking family photos after the ceremony, the second photographer can go on to the cocktail hour to get candid photos of guests while you finish photos with family.

I usually ask couples whether they want to only focus on candid shots of guests, or if they also want smiling photos. I will say that guests really do love the photos where they’re smiling at the camera, and we always get a mix either way—we just balance it a bit based on the couple’s request.

Southern Exposure Herb Farm Family Photos — *Chris was able to get some great photos of guests at the Courtney and Mike’s cocktail hour (below) while I finished up family photos and bridal party photos (above).*

7. If you’re expecting more than 150 guests, it may be helpful to have a second person there to help capture everyone.

I always do my best to get as many guests as I can, but if you’re planning a large guest list, it’s helpful to have a second person there to cover more ground.