Getting to be wedding photographers in Phoenix has been an incredible experience and this is an exciting one for us because, well… it’s about our favorite thing to do together! We’re best friends, but if you told both of us at the beginning of our marriage that we would be wedding photographers and capturing some of the most incredible moments in people’s lives…we probably wouldn’t have believed you. That’s a long story that we will save for another day…but we promise that blog is coming. 😉

We’d first like to state that, just because a photographer is not a husband & wife team, that does not mean they aren’t an amazing photographer, and hiring a photographer who then hires a second shooter is common in the industry. So, to be clear, we are not bashing any form of wedding photographer business. We know many Phoenix Wedding Photographers that aren’t husband & wife teams that are absolutely amazing. However, there are a few reasons why we think having a husband wife wedding photographer team is the very best option for many, many couples. Are we biased? Absolutely… 😉

Most solo wedding photographers pay top dollar to secure experienced second shooters to help them serve their clients, so while it may be convenient to have a spouse second shoot regularly, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the spouse is an experienced LEAD photographer. Definitely something to ask your wedding photographers in Phoenix.

What is a Husband & Wife Photo Team?

Now let us start out by saying, we believe there are two versions of Husband & Wife Photo teams, and they are VERY different from each other, so it’s important to understand what people mean when they advertise themselves as a husband + wife team.  True husband + wife photography teams, like Katelyn James + Michael and AMY + JORDAN are wayyyyy different than Alice + her husband who has a full time job but shoots with her on weekends.  Now we are not saying that these two won’t do a good job… but it’s totally different when both partners are full-time photographers, who both dedicate their lives to the craft + the business 100%.

Our Favorite Perks to Working with A Husband & Wife Team :

1. We can be in more than one place at once

A single photographer will not be able to capture every moment of your wedding day; there is simply too much happening at any given time. The both of us can take pictures of separate events happening at the same time, such as the bride getting ready, the groom wiping a tear away as he reads a little note from his soon to be bride, etc. We can also photograph the ceremony from different angles, capturing the groom’s expression when he first sees the bride or the pride of the bride’s parents seeing their little girl all grown up. Having various angles of almost every situation provides a gallery full of images with TONS of variety.

As a married couple, we cooperate and work together automatically, whether it is putting our kids to bed, getting the errands run, or making sure our equipment is in tip-top condition for our next wedding. But most importantly, we have worked as a team to photograph over 100 weddings. Together we will fulfill your vision of how your wedding day should be recorded.

2. Unique Perspectives

Although we do inspire one another in many different ways on a wedding day, we are still two unique individuals who bring our own strengths and ideas to the table.  It’s one of the many reasons why we love working together — so our couples receive the perfect blend of fun, meaningful, detailed, and creative images they’ll cherish for years to come from two experienced lead photographers!

While we’re both super detailed-oriented, we like to think that we tend to notice specific sorts of details. Stephen is able to quickly analyze situations and bring order out of chaos, which is super helpful when managing a wedding day timeline! Often, while Stephen is focusing on you feeling comfortable in a relaxed and organized environment, Melissa has the time to keep and eye out for things like your dress being bunched up and/or hair being out of place.

When it comes to candid photos and special moments, having two perspectives yields a beautifully meaningful result.

3. Get more done quickly

Because there are two of us who are both LEAD photographers, we are taking quality images with each snap of our shutter. We each have the same goal and vision in mind when going into each wedding day. It’s almost like we can read each other’s minds from across the room just with a look. We are so synced, it’s like a hive mind…okay that’s a weird comparison. 😂

When you live with someone, work with someone, and spend every single photograph session with someone, they know what you’re looking for without even saying it. We are never “at odds” creatively on a wedding day because we BOTH take responsibility and know what the end goal is.

4. Equal experience = Cohesive Gallery

Many couples may not realize when they book a wedding photography package with 2 photographers – they often don’t get to choose or perhaps even see the work of their 2nd photographer before the wedding day. In some cases, the primary photographer and the second photographer have only first met on the wedding day. Some wedding photographers have a standard list of high quality second shooters who they consistently work with and you will be able to view their work, be sure to ask! The goal is to have two wedding photographers with equal experience. We have been photographing together for years and completed all of our wedding photography training together. We have worked side by side together since the beginning of our business. We shoot so consistently that we usually can’t even tell who took an image!

When you hire a husband & wife photography team, you know exactly who’s going to show up that morning prepared to photograph your day! We arrive to photograph your wedding day not as a primary and second shooter – not as photographer and an assistant – but two professional and equally trained individuals that make up an amazing team.  Sure, one of us may take the lead at different parts of the day, but we each have our unique strengths and use that to your advantage in capturing all of the moments of your day.

At the end of the day, no matter who you choose, we encourage you to hire the photographer whose images make you feel something and that you love as a person! We know budgets are tough and everybody has them, but we encourage you to keep an open mind and not choose one based on price alone. You get what you pay for and we truly believe that wedding photography is one of the the most important eventsments your wedding day.

xoxo,

Stephen & Melissa

See some more of our work in Sedona! Shelley + Maxwell  |  Kat & Stephen  |  Amanda + Dillon

Not sure what to wear or engagement sessions? Check out these great options:

BHLDN | Lulu’s  | Mumu

 

Arizona Wedding Photographers, Phoenix Wedding Photographers, Sedona Wedding Photographers, Wedding Photographers in Phoenix