Why You Should Book a Second Photographer for Your Wedding
There’s a question that most couples have a lot of uncertainty around when it comes to their wedding planning, “do we need a second photographer for the wedding?” It’s a common question for a reason. For many couples this is their first time planning a wedding from the ground up, so how would they know whether they need a second photographer or not? This may even be the first time you’re hearing the term ‘second photographer’! This article came about to answer these questions and address that uncertainty as we’ll be taking a look at exactly what a second photographer is and what the benefits of having one for your wedding day are.
What is a Second Photographer
Before we can cover the benefits of having a second photographer at your wedding, we first need to discuss exactly what they are. Thankfully the name is pretty straightforward, as a second photographer is quite literally an additional photographer that documents your wedding day. There are a few qualities that separate your lead photographer and your second photographer though.
First is that your lead photographer is the one who handles all the editing of your photos, giving your album a cohesive look and feel. You also don’t have to directly book your second photographer. When booking your lead photographer you’ll let them know if you want a second photographer for your wedding day. From there your lead photographer is entrusted to provide a quality second photographer for your wedding day. For some photographers this takes form in them asking some of their friends in the industry if they’re available to document your wedding. In the case of Forest City Photographs, we’re a small but dedicated team of photographers who work together to provide the best possible lead and second photographer experience possible to our clients.
The 5 Benefits of Having a Second Photographer
1. More Photos of Your Guests
Now that we understand the difference between your lead and second photographer, let’s get into the benefits of having both for your wedding day. The first benefit is one of the most apparent, which is that you get more photos of your friends and family. You, the couple, are the lead photographer’s priority and main focus, but your guests are also a HUGE part of your wedding day. They’re the friends you’ve made throughout the years, both before and after you met one another. They’re the family that has supported you through every step of this journey through life. Weddings are a one of a kind occasion where all these people come together to celebrate you, so having photos documenting their involvement in your day is something you’ll adore looking back on.
2. More Flexibility in Your Timeline
One of the largest benefits of having a second photographer on your wedding day is the amount of flexibility it gives you in your timeline. This is the case from the very start of the day, as with a second photographer both you, your partner, and your wedding parties are able to get ready at the same time since there will be a photographer at both locations. This is one of many moments throughout the day where having a second photographer helps simplify and streamline the day. This flexibility of your timeline allows you to actually catch your breath during your wedding and truly enjoy some time together with your friends and family. There of course is a LOT that goes into planning the timeline for your wedding day, so for tips on how to make the most of your timeline check out this article.
3. More Creative Portraits
One bonus of a more flexible timeline for your wedding day is that your lead and second photographer are able to get more creative with your portrait photos. Whether it’s your newlywed portraits, wedding party photos, or family photos, having multiple photographers allows them to divide and conquer while taking portraits. This means that during the time you’ve allotted for portraits your photographers will have more time and freedom to get creative with your portraits, giving you photos that are more fun and varied than what you’d have with a single photographer.
4. More of the Details of Your Wedding are Documented
As we covered earlier, your lead photographer’s main focus throughout the wedding day is documenting you, the couple, while you experience the day you’ve created. While a solo photographer can and will document many details from the wedding day, it’s inevitable that some are missed or skipped so that crucial moments like first dances, speeches, portrait photos, and more are all documented. With a second photographer, this isn’t the case as their focus throughout the day is to document these smaller details of the day in addition to these crucial moments. It gives your wedding album a well rounded feel to it, and showcases all of the little things that make your wedding day the one of a kind celebration that it is!
5. You Can Experience the “Missed Moments”
There is a LOT that happens on a wedding day, so much so that it can kind of feel like a blur when it’s all said and done. There’s so much happening and so much you get to experience firsthand, but there are also many moments involving your friends and family that you won’t experience. Whether it’s your brother and new father in law bonding together over a beer, your best friend having an epic dance off with your cousin, or your parents slow dancing with one another, wedding days are full of these special little moments that you may or may not experience firsthand. With a second photographer documenting the day they’ll be able to preserve these moments for you to live through and experience through your wedding album.
Is a Second Photographer Right for Your Wedding?
So now that we know all of the benefits of having a second photographer at your wedding, the question now is whether it’s right for your wedding day. In my opinion the answer is yes for most cases, especially when it comes to larger weddings. If you’re eloping or planning a more intimate wedding a single photographer is usually enough, but for larger gatherings the benefits of having a second photographer become more and more apparent. There are of course many other factors to consider when making this decision, one example being your budget, but if you plan on having a wedding with more than 50 guests I would strongly suggest booking a second photographer for your day.
Be sure to check out more of our wedding planning tips on our blog, and feel free to check out our Instagram for a look at some of our work. For couples looking to book us as their photographers be sure to send an inquiry through our contact page so we can start the planning process today.
