Why You Should Have A Second Shooter At Your Wedding!

Hey there! Today I am sharing why it's so important to have a second shooter on your wedding day! Lets face it, your wedding photography is one of the biggest investments you will make for your wedding day. There’s already a million questions to ask and choices to make, so when you’re asked whether you’d like to include a second shooter on top of that, things can get a little complicated. I’ve come to learn that it’s such an important part of a wedding day that can help so many things run smoothly and allow you to get all the photos you’ve dreamed of!

What is a Second Shooter?

A second shooter is basically a second photographer who is assisting me (your main photographer) on capturing a second set of photos from different angles. It technically allows me to be two places at once!

Getting Ready Photos

One of the biggest reasons you should have a second shooter the day of, is because they'll be able to capture the groom getting ready. It's basically impossible to have just 1 photographer capture both the bride & groom getting ready when they are in different rooms getting ready at the same time. While I am with the ladies, capturing the process of you and your bridesmaids getting ready, my second shooter will be with the gents, helping us capture the process of him and his groomsmen getting ready.

Ceremony Shots

The moment we're all here for - the ceremony. During this time, having a second shooter is VERY valuable! Your second shooter will normally stand at the front off to the side of the altar. They will be able to capture wide shots of your guests & venue, as well as your groom's emotions while you're walking down the aisle towards him. This is all happening while I am at the start of the aisle capturing photos of the bride walking down the aisle being given away to her groom.

Family Formals

This is the trickiest part of the day, especially with weddings that have larger families. While I am capturing photos of each and every grouping, my second shooter is assisting with gathering all the members that are being included in these photos. This way, its all one smooth flow that shouldn't take more than 20-25 minutes.

Bride & Groom Shots

At this time, while I am getting some very adorable shots of the newly-weds, my second shooter could either help us with getting a second set of shots of you two during this time or they could either stay behind at the reception and get detail shots of the reception venue.

Receptions

During this time, a second shooter is especially helpful if you have a large reception venue! Even if you dont have a large venue, its still helpful to have another photographer there to be able to capture the fun & dancing from all angles!