Benefits of Having Two Photographers on Your Wedding Day
When deciding on photography and videography packages, you’ll often see the differences come down to number of hours of coverage, prints, travel, and if you get to work with one or multiple photographers. If you’ve ever wondered what that means for your wedding day, read on!
more coverage
If you have a large wedding guest count, or a large venue space, it can be so beneficial to have two pairs of eyes to work the room, so to speak. Especially if you love candids, or want a photographer available to shoot group photos during a reception, this is way more possible with two people. One of the biggest things we hear from married couples after the fact is that they love seeing all of the things happening on their wedding day that they missed because it went by so fast, or they weren’t in the room for it - this is more possible to capture when it isn’t just one of us there.
built-in assistance during busy times of the day
This can be a game changer especially during family photos! If you have a big family, this can be crucially helpful. After the ceremony, we always recommend getting all the family photos you want, and we ask that you compile a list beforehand to make it go as smoothly as possible. When there are two of us, one can shoot, while the other calls out names to gather people and places people in the right places based on our communication. It turns 45 minutes of more-difficult wrangling into 15-20 minutes of quick and painless photos.
can capture multiple scenes at once
There are so many examples of “I can’t be in two places at once” at any wedding day, some of which matter more than others. Here are a few:
While getting ready, I can be with one side of the bridal party while the second shooter can be with the other side, usually at a completely different location. (Or, they can photograph details at the ceremony/reception space while I get the getting ready shots.)
When photographing the bridal party, we can each take a side to shoot simultaneously, halving the time we spend taking group shots. (Which means you can spend that extra time partying, getting individual photos with everyone, or heading to cocktail hour, depending on when you do it!)
During cocktail hour or sunset, I can take the couple to do some portraits together, while the second shooter stays at the reception to get candids.
more security
Despite all of the backups, duplicate systems, and experience we have, there is always the possibility of technology failing us during an important moment. It hasn’t happened to us in a serious way yet, because we put a lot of time and money into a smooth camera setup, but it’s always a relief to know we have someone else there to get the shot JUST in case.
can capture simultaneous different angles
Depending on how you format your day, this can be so important. To get two angles of one event happening, it sometimes just requires two people. A few examples:
At a ceremony, one person stands at the mid-point or back of the aisle to get shots of everyone walking down the aisle, the vows, the first kiss, and the walk back down. The other person can stand near the front to get the groom seeing the bride for the first time, the bridal party’s reactions, and candids of the crowd. One person might also be able to go up to a balcony or other different angle to get a wide shot, too.
During a first look with say, your bridal party, it can be an incredible moment to get both your and your friends’ reactions at the same time.
If you have a very fast event, like a bouquet toss, it’s just not possible to get shots of you AND everyone in the crowd in such a short amount of time. Having two people shooting that can both give better coverage AND be a more secure way of getting “the” shot.
creative collaboration
My favorite shooting days are when Rachel and I can work together to create something that’s even better than what we could do apart. When we’re at a wedding (or any photoshoot, really) we come up with new ideas, work through challenges together, and play off of each others’ strengths to come up with a spectacular end product.
better photo scouting
Sometimes our schedules are so packed on the day of, and maybe we couldn’t do advance research on the location. (We look up venue spaces to see what it looks like before we arrive, but it’s not always possible when it’s someone’s private land or it’s not as populated.) To get the best possible locations for your portraits, big group photos, etc., it’s sometimes almost necessary to have someone else (who knows about photo/video and lighting) find those spots while the other person is shooting say, getting ready photos. This is especially important if there’s strange weather or constantly changing lighting that day. We usually do this at the beginning of the day while shooting details and getting ready shots, which is a natural fit for a second shooter. When we can scout, the photos are ALWAYS better.
ability to take risks
It’s so important to get the “necessary” shots at weddings - a reveal, the first kiss, the twirl at a first dance, mom crying during a ceremony. Those are the photos we anticipate and wait for at every event, because if we wanted to get a different angle but the first kiss came quickly out of nowhere and we missed it, that’s on us. By having a second shooter at your wedding, it leaves more wiggle room to try to head up to a balcony during a ceremony, or try a riskier shooting technique during a first dance, knowing that we got at least the shots we know we need on the day. Ultimately, this ends in better photos when we can step out of what is the base-line of what’s expected of us!
Most of the weddings we shoot are by ourselves, and we can get so much done in one day this way, so no worries if you don’t want the expense of a second photographer as part of your package - but the ultimate conclusion is that you get more photos per hour AND a much smoother, efficient day with a second shooter. We’ve got options for either method, so get in touch!