You've heard it before: The time will fly by on your wedding day. The cake will be gone, the flowers will begin to wilt, and before you know it, the bottom of your dress will be soiled from spinning on the dance floor. Your wedding pictures are the only thing that will ever be as lovely as the day you say "I do"! Having shot several weddings over the past few years, I have a lot of ideas on using a second photographer to capture your big day. Find out why you might or might not want a second photographer to be there to capture your special day in the following paragraphs.
What is a second shooter?
On the day of your wedding, a second shooter is an additional photographer who will be there to capture all the lovely elements you have put together.
Check out packages with 2 extra shooters here
You might want to hire a second shooter if...
You might wish to hire a second shooter if your wedding is larger (80+ guests) and/or has a complex schedule (8+ hours, bride and groom getting ready in several places, plenty of details that need to be documented).
Picture yourself working with your photographer while the bride and husband pose for pictures. Your guests are beginning to mingle during cocktail hour in a different part of the venue. The dining tables have bags and phones on them. The tables, which required months of preparation and thinking, are exquisitely ornamented. The tables that haven't yet been captured on camera...
Oh no.
It is quite hard to take pictures of the table scape once guests have seated themselves at their tables. We definitely need a second shooter in this scenario!
A second shooter = more angles and more photos!
For example, during the ceremony, you could want photographs taken from various perspectives. The bride can be photographed as the other photographer captures the groom's response to seeing his bride go down the aisle. The day will be captured by two photographers if a second shooter is hired, ensuring that nothing is missed.
The second photographer might aid the first photographer as well. While I am taking pictures of the bride and the bridesmaids, my second photographer is taking pictures of the groom and the guys. They can carry the bouquet, fix the bride's train, throw the bride's veil for me during the bride and groom photographs, and even get some water if necessary. A second shooter is really beneficial in many ways!