“should i hire a second shooter for my wedding?”
this is the age old question i get asked in so many of my consultation calls with couples: should we hire a second shooter?
if you’re booking your photographer for your wedding, this is one thing you most likely have wondered about in the process. for those who don’t know, a second shooter is a second photographer that accompanies the main photographer.
first i’ll start by saying, a second shooter is not a necessity and i personally have never shot a wedding with one — your photographer should be capable and comfortable of shooting a whole wedding without a second shooter! however, if it’s within your budget, there are definitely lots of benefits to hiring a second shooter!
- a second shooter comes in most handy during getting ready shots. you and your partner will of course be getting ready in separate rooms and having a second shooter allows for one photographer to be with each person, meaning that nothing will be missed and the photographer won’t have to leave in the middle of getting ready to photograph both of you
- if getting lots of photos of guests is a priority for you, then having a second shooter is very helpful!! often while the couple does their portraits is cocktail hour. with a second shooter, one photographer can go with the couple and the other can stay behind to get photos of guests
- if getting multiple perspectives is important to you, then a second shooter is a must. you can get every important moment from different angles and will make sure nothing is missed!! this is especially great for the ceremony and during the reception — one photographer can be focused on you (the couple) and the other can be focused on guests and getting shots from different views
- another bonus that you’ll get a lot more photos in your gallery since there are twice as many photos being taken at your wedding!
so there are definitely benefits to having a second shooter at your wedding, and it’s totally up to your preference and the kinds of photos that are important to you at your wedding! ask yourself if the points above are important to you, and if they are, look into getting a second shooter!
