Today I’m continuing in my new blog series all about weddings! My hope is that these posts will answer some of your most asked wedding questions and be a great resource for my brides! Today I’m tackling a VERY commonly asked question: Do I really need two photographers at my wedding?
The short answer? YES! You do need two photographers! Here’s why.
Having two photographers allows me to get images of BOTH the bride and groom getting ready!
From the very first moments of the day, having two photographers comes in handy. Most brides want at least a few photos of them getting into their dress, putting on their jewelry, etc. I love taking these shots, but if I’m with the bride, it means that the groom is on his own! If they also want photos of the groom getting ready, I have to rush with to finish the girls and then head over to the groom’s location. It makes things rushed, shortens my time with each of you, and lengthens the overall timeline of the day. Not a good way to start a wedding day!
The benefit of having a second photographer is that they are able to be with the groom and his guys while I’m with the bride! This eliminates the hurry and makes your timeline more efficient! This also gives me time to capture detail shots at both locations and time for candid photos, which brings me to my next point…
Having two photographers allows me to capture two perspectives at once!
During the course of the wedding day there are so many “can’t miss” shots. These are things like the first kiss, the parent dances, and the toasts. During these moments I am laser-focused on getting the shot, so I’m not always able to catch your mother’s face as you dance with your dad, or grandpa crying as you say your vows. Having a second photographer means that I can focus on getting the “gotta have it” shot, while not missing any of the candid moments happening on the sideline!
This principle is perhaps most important when the bride and groom see each other for the first time. Whether it’s the walk down the aisle or the first look, it’s essential to see both people’s reaction! Having two perspectives is such a game changer for accurately telling the story of the day!
Having two photographers is an “insurance policy.”
As a wedding photographer, I have so many systems in place to make sure nothing goes wrong on your wedding day. From scouting locations beforehand, to bringing two backup cameras, to having multiple lens options just in case, I’ve got you covered! However, there is always the possibility of something unexpected happening. What if your Uncle Bob steps into the aisle to get a shot of your first kiss and completely blocks my camera? Or what if one of my memory cards corrupt and I can’t access the images? (Fun fact: All of my cameras record to two cards simultaneously to make sure that doesn’t happen!) The point is that, as much as we prepare, crazy stuff can sometimes happen. But with two photographers, you’re covered.
Two photographers means two copies of your wedding memories. It means that if a one-in-a-million situation comes up on your wedding day, I’ll still have amazing images to deliver to you!
These reasons are why I include a second photographer in EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY WEDDING PACKAGES.
So if you’re an #SLPBride, don’t worry about any of these situations. Just relax and know that I’ve got you covered!
Here are some of my favorite images taken by my second shooters!
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- My husband, Caleb, is my go-to second photographer! It’s his job to hang out with the guys while their getting ready and get their detail shots.
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- The getting ready portion of the day is often when we’ll get a classic groom portrait, like this one.
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- The church where Maggie and Zack got married had a very long aisle! On the left is my view of Zack from the front of the church. On the right is the view of my second photographer, Dana. I usually have the second photographer capture the groom while I focus on the bride.
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- This wedding day had a very tight timeline and we wouldn’t have had a chance to get photos of the reception decor if my second photographer hadn’t been there!
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- I love the different perspective that my second photographer, Emily, was able to capture while doing bridal party portraits for this wedding.
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- Second photographers often take bride and groom portraits from different angles. This increases variety and the number of portraits that my couples receive in their final gallery.
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- The second shooter often stands at the back of the aisle and can get some photos of the bride right before the ceremony begins.
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- The way that this chapel was set up, I couldn’t move from my spot in the front of the church without being very distracting. I trusted my second shooter to stay in the back and get wide shots of the whole room while I got closer shots of the bride and groom.
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- While I was getting shots of the Best Man’s toast, my second photographer, Amber, captured this shot of the groom’s mother. It is one of my favorite images from this reception!
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- This is one of my favorite images of the 2019 wedding season and it was taken by my second shooter, Amber!
