In the world of wedding planning it is so easy to be swept away in the options. I mean you get engaged stare at some beautiful bling and all of a sudden you're expected to be a wedding planning pro. Holy pressure! Talk about information overload too. After looking at pricing and packages of 10, 20, 100s of vendors your head is ready to spin off. How could you possibly keep all the details straight? And that's just for photography! Well I'm here to shed some light and help take some guessing out of the planning. Let's see....
Do You Really Need a Second Photographer?
First off, what is a second photographer and how does it work? A second photographer is often called a "second shooter." It became popular to have more than one photographer present on your big day to maximize the volume of your gallery and for photographers to efficiently capture your big day. One might be with the bridal party while the other is taking details shots. It also helps change the angles captured to give the photographer more options to edit and potentially include in your gallery. This strategy is extremely helpful with large weddings based on the size of a gallery promised or expected. But is this option really right for you? Let's take a look at the list below to find out 3 tips to help you decide if you need a second photographer for your wedding day!
It might seem almost automatic to just assume you need a second shooter these days. It's in almost every photography package whether it's listed or not. It's okay to ask yourself if you really need the additional service or not. How to decide if it's important for your wedding day or not is to ask yourself those three questions. Let's go chat about one at a time.
1. Do you prefer quality or quantity?
This is important to consider because sometimes a second shooter isn't the same quality as the photographer you are hiring for your primary service. Meaning if you like the style of your photographer, the second shooter might not be up to those standards. Most of us try to pair with people that have similar techniques but everyone is different and some are still learning. If you feel that quality is more important that quantity you can still get a substantial gallery from one photographer. On average a photographer can produce 50-100 finished (fully edited after the fact) photos per hour for your gallery. That's a lot when you consider most people have a photographer for an average of 5-7 hours. Sometimes less is more!
2. Is it worth the extra cost for your day?
Some might say 100% yes, no question. But I know you're here because you really aren't quite sold on the whole idea. After all, the expense of a photographer is no small investment. Does it really pay off to have a second photographer? Most times a second shooter is charging less for their services than the primary photographer but is the expense worth it after all? I am a wedding photographer and I opted out to have a second shooter to save on cost. I wanted to put that extra $500-1,000 towards something else to make the day special. I had faith in the primary photographer I was hiring to get all the big moments captured and left it up to her to get all those small moments in between. I didn't feel the additional money was worth it either knowing my gallery would already be hundreds of photos. Do you really need 100 different pictures of people dancing? Does every guest really need a solo shot? I was after intimate photos for our smaller wedding. Are you planning an elaborate 200+ rsvp's , multiple locations for getting ready, ceremony and reception? Then it might be worth the cost. A smaller scale event can definitely get away with a single photographer.
3. What relationship would you like to have with your photographer?
This is arguably the most important tip to consider. Being on the receiving end of the relationship formed between wedding photographer and couple - I can promise you that relationship shows in the outcome of your pictures. When you connect with your photographer on any level the focus point of the whole day changes. Are you silly and excitable? I'll focus on that. Are you romantic and sexy? You'll feel it in the photos. The personality of you as a couple shines through in photography if you can create a relationship with your photographer. With a second shooter you'll have to work harder to connect with not just one but two people on your wedding day. Or on the flip side of that the primary photographer will stick with you all day and the second shooter will take care of the rest. It could leave you unhappy with the results in your gallery. If you don't care and just want every picture possible then maybe building a relationship isn't necessary for your day. If you want to connect on a level that will improve your gallery, maybe opt out of the second shooter option.
What to do now? After reading you're likely leaning in one direction.
If you are going to hire a photographer with the second shooter included in their package make sure to ask these questions. Does the second shooter have a portfolio of their own for you to look at? (to see their work solo and make sure it works well with who you're hiring) Does the second shooter have wedding experience? (important for them to know what's expected out of their services) If you like the answers to these then you should be in good shape!
If you decide you really don't need a second photographer for your wedding then you are among similar minds! If you have found a photographer that is the right fit for your personality but every package includes a second shooter, try asking for pricing without it. Maybe they will surprise you! Otherwise, I'd love to talk with you more about services I offer that don't include second shooters in the packages. I prefer to customize a timeline and services for my couples based on their unique vision for their day. Don't be shy, check out if I have your date available below!
