Do you really need a 2nd photographer for your wedding?

Poconos Wedding Photographer Bride and Groom posing
wedding vows, wedding rings, wedding details, summer wedding, bride, groom, couple
Bride pose, summer wedding, outdoor wedding, lake wedding, second shooter, flowers, bouquet

My answer, yes!

So why do I prefer to have a 2nd shooter on wedding days?

  • I literally cannot be in 2 places at once. I don't care how much you think I'm a superhero, it's just not possible. Yes we can make sure key parts of the day are captured. However, I could be getting bridal photos in the morning, while the guys are off doing something fun that would have been perfectly captured.
  • Allows for more flexibility in your timeline. Since I cannot be in 2 spots at one time, you can have one photographer with one side of the wedding party and the 2nd photographer with the other side of the wedding party. If there wasn't a 2nd photographer on the wedding day, you would segment time out for both sides of the wedding party instead of photos being done at the same time on each side.
  • More variety of photos!! My 2nd photographer and I use completely different lenses on the wedding day! What does this mean though?! Simply put this means we could be capturing the same exact moment, like the first kiss, but the photo will be completely different. I for instance normally do more of a grand view/full body photo where Dan normally captures a close up/from the waist up photo. Two totally different looks for the same moment!
  • Backup in case of an emergency. Lets face it, we try to plan for all emergencies but some cannot be planned for. Say for instance there was only one photographer and they happened to accidentally fall into a lake while taking photos. With a 2nd person there, you may not have all the photos, but there would be backups and moments still captured from the wedding day.
  • Assistant to the main photographer. Dan tends to hold the camera cards, fetches drinks, sets up lighting etc. He is there to assist on the wedding day with anything I may need either in regards to photos or making the day run smoother.
  • Veil thrower!!! Ok so not the most popular reason! But who is going to throw the veil when we are out taking photos to get the epic veil shot in the wind?! Or run around you with sparklers to get the fun sparkler shot? That would be Dan aka the 2nd shooter!


While 2nd photographers are not an absolute MUST to capture the key points of the day, they have so many benefits that I require them for all of our weddings!