What you see below is a picture of Alicia, a fantastic photographer who often second shoots for me. I happened to snap this shot of her only miliseconds before the bride gave her mom a big hug before her vows.
A second photographer, unlike the primary photographer, has a lot more freedom to focus on creativity and doesn’t always need to worry about weather or not they’re getting the standard photos that must be taken at every wedding. For instance, during the formals, the second photographer is able to focus on photo-documenting many of the details and flowers, decorations, and candid moments of the bridal party, family, and the guests that the primary photographer simply might not have time for.
And, since the second photographer shoots the whole wedding from a different vantage point, you get to see the whole story of your day from two different views.
Aside from these benefits, the formal photo times of your wedding will also go by faster if there are two photographers - while one photographer is taking pictures of the groom with all his groomsmen, the second photographer could be focusing on all the photos of the bride and her bridesmaids. This is extremely valuable since it frees up additional time to focus on photos of the Bride and Groom together before the reception starts.
For me, I love having Alicia, or Jon, or Aaron along with me at a shoot - two artists are always more artistic than one, and since we always bounce all our ideas off one another you’re only guaranteed some of the most amazing images you’ve ever seen.
So, if it’s in your budget, and you’re in love with the idea of having the best photo coverage of your wedding, I highly recommend considering a second photographer for your wedding to ensure you catch every moment and memory.