Why Couples Need A Second Shooter

After the gown is boxed up, the tuxes are returned and the tan from your honeymoon fades, you’ll look forward to opening your photo album and reflecting upon the heartfelt memories from your wedding for years to come. And more importantly, you’ll count on your photographer to capture and deliver the most important highlights, from the vow exchange to your first dance!

But, where does that leave the candid moments unfolding in the background? Whether it’s the interactions between your guests or the sweet embrace you share with your parents, hiring a second shooter to work with your lead photographer on your wedding day will ensure that no precious moment goes un-captured!

Multiple Locations: Wedding photographers are talented, but they don’t have the power of being in two places at once. Ultimately, this forces them to choose between capturing multiple moments that occur simultaneously, like your grandmother’s tears of joy or your parents’ reactions to an emotional part of your vows. An additional photographer can help cover these high points of the day, meaning you can have footage of every special moment, big or small.

Complete Creativity: From the father-daughter dance to the cutting of the cake, your photographer’s schedule will be pretty tight on the day of, meaning they may not have the luxury of testing out a variety of different angles or lighting techniques. A second photographer can use their time to experiment with different compositions and other points of view, complementing the lead photographer’s work for a complete story of your day.

Stress-Free Schedule: More manpower equals more help and a stress-free wedding day timeline. Say you plan to exchange love letters with your fiancé prior to the ceremony and want both of your reactions captured -- however, you’re opening the letters in two different locations. Having an extra team member to assist with documenting those reactions can reduce the stress of traveling from location to location, resulting in a smoother overall schedule.

It’s All in the Details: Remember the gorgeous venue you fell in love with? The only time to capture the full effect — flowers, decorations and all — is right before the doors open to your guests! Fortunately, while your lead photographer is shooting photos of the bridal party and family members, the second shooter has time to sneak over to the venue and cover the little details you spent so much time perfecting, from the intricate centerpieces to the wedding favors handmade by your aunt.

When deciding whether a second photographer is right for you and your wedding needs, try to remember that you only have one chance to capture your college friends raising their glasses in song and the emotional impromptu speech your sister gave during the pre-ceremony celebrations. These moments only happen once in a lifetime. Two photographers at your wedding means more memories to cherish and stories to tell long after your wedding is over!

This article is a courtesy of our friends from At Your Side Planning

flavio@flavioscorsato.com  | +1 (858) 531-9560 |  710 13th Street #207 San Diego, Ca 92101