Getting Married? Consider Having Two Photographers

Are you getting married and planning your wedding? You're quickly {or not so quickly} crossing things off your to-do list from securing a venue, arranging for catering, and music for the reception. One thing I would strongly consider for you when budgeting for your big day, is considering having two photographers there to capture your 'I dos' and reception afterwards.

I hear you when you say that weddings are expensive enough, but many photographers include a second shooter in their large wedding packages at an affordable rate. There are many benefits to having two photographers capturing your wedding that work well together. While having two photographers, you have to people telling your story. When I shoot alongside Kara Vorwald Photography, we convene before the ceremony and first look and decide which photographer will zero in on the bride and who will focus on the groom. From each of our vantage points and angles, we're able to capture the full story. Seeing the groom's face while the bride walks down the aisle as well as having the father of the bride tear up handing off his baby girl to her future husband is priceless!

Having two photographers allows for full-day coverage. Despite what people think, photographers are not superheroes, and we do occasionally take time out of shooting to use the restroom, refill our Stanley cup, or grab a granola bar from our camera bag. Being able to communicate between photographers and stagger those microbreaks allows for flawless, full-day coverage.

When I second shoot, I love being able to capture candid moments while the main photographer is directing the wedding party. I have snapped some adorable shots of the flower girls and ring bearer while waiting for their turns at the formal portraits, that the couple loves more than the posed photos. Why? Because I'm able to capture the real smiles and kids engaging in kid-like activities in an otherwise formal setting. We also have very different ideas on poses and prompts to suggest. If the main photographer get stuck, having a second person with fresh ideas is so helpful. You should also consider having a second photographer due to equipment failure or under delivery of photos. As a professional photographer, I shoot on a full-frame camera that writes on 2 SD cards. I also have a second camera body and multiple lenses available in my camera bag. That means if that one camera malfunctions during an important moment, I can quickly utilize my second body. Same thing with a corrupt SD card, writing on two cards ensures that all the moments are being captured. But what happens if your photographer only has one body? Or their camera cannot record on multiple SD cards? If there is an equipment malfunction, and there's no second photographer, that leaves you without images. These are important questions to ask when you are interviewing potential wedding photographers--especially photographers that are new to the industry.

Unfortunately, I have also seen too many instances lately with photographers photographing weddings, then not delivering the images, under-delivering images, or missing important shots. Having a second photographer have your images available on their hard drive is another peace of mind. Although the photographers I work alongside with would not do that, and it's extremely important to vet your photographer, it has been known to happen.

Lastly, the reason you need a second photographer is because they will vibe off from each other and with your guests. Do you need a hype person to get your crowd on the dance floor? Having two photographers dancing and snapping will engage your guests far more easily than just one. Everybody knows that doing the Cupid Shuffle with another person will get other people on the dance floor, which will make really amazing reception photos for you to view with your honey.

I hope this helped answer some questions for you on why having two photographers on your wedding day should be a consideration!