There are many facets to wedding planning that a bride and a groom must consider. Guest lists, food, vows, ceremonies, venues, music, clothing, flowers, cake – and the list keeps going on. And on the wedding day, these things must come together to create an experience for the happy couple that will create beautiful memories.
One decision that is typically a “given” is the decision to hire a wedding photographer. With all the planning and time spent preparing for the big day, it would be criminal to not capture it to share with family and friends now and children and grandchildren in the years to come. While hiring a wedding photographer is often a given, what is not always considered is the decision to hire a second photographer.
Hiring a second photographer can provide many advantages and opportunities to capture the big day in ways you may not have considered. This article will hopefully highlight some ways in which having a second photographer can further enhance capturing the memories of your special day.
Is A Second Photographer Expensive?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first – cost. Hiring a second photographer is obviously going to be a higher cost to your wedding budget than if you only hired one. You should absolutely consider that. However, many photographers will offer a second photographer at a discounted rate from the primary photographer, or, they will offer additional discounts on albums, photos, or other items to help offset the extra photography you will get during your day – and you will get a ton of great photography with two photographers!
So while considering the cost of a second photographer, let’s talk about some of the major benefits of having one.
Why Should I Hire A Second Photographer?
There are quite a few reasons a second photographer should be considered for your wedding day. Here are a few.
You Will Get More Photos
This one may seem obvious, but often people don’t consider all the work a photographer does at a wedding. A good wedding photographer will help you to keep your day moving along, ensure that the bride and groom are where they need to be at the right times. They do this all while capturing the photos you want on your wedding day!
When you add a second photographer, however, there is one, whole individual who is free to move about your day and take photos unimpeded by anything but looking to capture those special shots of you, your guests, and your event. This will result in not only more images, but a larger variety of images from the same moment. And while quantity isn’t the only factor you should consider when hiring a wedding photographer, there will be more chances for those special shots to be captured when you have more photos being taken.
You Won’t Keep Your Guests Waiting!
Everybody is familiar with the formal photos. After the bride and groom have said their “I Do’s,” there is the inevitable large amount of time between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception where guests can sometimes feel lost or, worse, become grumpy while they have to wait for their food!
Two photographers work more quickly. Various pairings can be put together more quickly, shots can be put together more rapidly, and the bride and groom can be on their way to the big celebration. This keeps the happy couple happy and it keeps the guests happy.
You Can Mix Styles
At Morby Photography, we have a number of different photographers who each have their own style of shooting and what and how they tend to capture those shots. With such great photographers, it’s often difficult to choose just one!
When you hire a second photographer, they will each give a different “eye” to your day. This can result in a wide variety of photos that can create unexpected “surprises” (good ones!) that you never might see.
You Can Capture Uncapturable Shots
With two photographers, you can capture shots that were otherwise uncapturable. One of our favorites is when the bride and groom first see each other as the bride starts down the aisle. With two photographers positioned perfectly, they can each capture the first look that the couple has of each other. Additionally, some couples want one photographer focused on the more traditional shots while the second photographer captures shots that otherwise would have been missed.
With two photographers covering more ground, you will see parts of your wedding day that you didn’t even realize happened!
Summary
Your wedding day will be one day where you want the memories to last for a lifetime. Hiring a second photographer creates opportunities to record memories and moments – especially the little ones – that can set your day apart and provide you with smiles as you look back at your day for years to come.
