Hey brides! Thanks so much for stopping by. Today I’m sharing why it’s SO valuable to have a second shooter on your wedding day!! I’ve come to find out that it’s such an important part of a wedding day that can help SO many things run more smoothly and allow you to get all the photos you’ve dreamed of, even if something doesn’t go quite right the day of or you’re working with a tight timeline.

Here are my top 3 reasons I offer second shooters for my wedding collections:

1. You can have different angles of the same moment. When you’re walking down the aisle, it’s usually pretty tricky for me to capture the bride walking + the groom’s reaction. With a second shooter, I have freedom to focus solely on the bride, while my second shooter focuses on the groom alone.

If you have a first look, I will be capturing the side angle of you walking up, and a second photographer can capture your groom’s reaction close-up. During the first kiss, I will be front and center… but a second shooter can also get an up-close side angle at the same time. While taking portraits, in addition to having the traditional shot of everyone looking at the camera, a second photographer can capture all the side angles.

The options are endless, and can apply to every part of your day!

The two photos below were taken at almost exactly the same moment. My guy (and super awesome second shooter), Michael, focused on the groom, Ryan, to capture his reaction. At the same time, I focused on the bride, Caroline, while she walked down the aisle!

2. It allows for timeline flexibility on your wedding day. If something runs a little behind, a second photographer can help save SO much time!

For example, I can capture bridal party portraits of the guys, while a second photographer is capturing photos of each bridesmaid with the bride. Or while trying to coordinate and set things up, having a second person around to arrange things can help a lot (especially during a first look!).

Also, a lot of times, the ideal time to capture details of your reception space is right after the ceremony during cocktail hour, before all the guests have arrived at the reception space. A second shooter has time to capture all the little details you’ve been working on in your reception, while I focus on family photos and any other portraits we need to take.

3. You can capture your groom getting ready. This is one of the BIGGEST reasons my couples choose to have a second shooter!

Even if the guys get ready at the same place as the ladies, it can still be really difficult to fully capture both of them getting ready (if they are getting ready at different places, it’s impossible!). Whereas with a second shooter, they can go hang out with the guys in the morning, while I stay with the girls.

The pre-ceremony photos is a good chunk of the day, and allows your guy to feel more special and included photography-wise.