Do I Need A Second Photographer At My Wedding?

Are you getting married and wondering if you need a second photographer or confused on what is the point of a second photographer at your wedding? At Love Life Images, we’re a team of wedding photographers based in the Washington, DC area and can easily provide second photographers for weddings. Many couples hire us for their wedding because we have an entire team of experienced professionals take care of their wedding day from start to finish and provide them with images they’ll cherish for years to come. 

We often work with second photographers at our weddings. Before booking, couples ask about second photographers, what it is, what’s the purpose and how it all works. We thought we’d share with you some wedding planning insight regarding choosing a second photographer as you start to make your wedding organization and budgeting decisions. 

What Is A 2nd Photographer?

First let’s start with what is a second photographer, sometimes called a “second shooter.”  A second photographer is an additional professional photographer from our team who is present on your wedding day helping to capture the special moments you want to cherish for years to come. A second photographer's job is to help the lead photographer be in more than one place at one time, to take more images from different angles and to assist or support the couples and main photographer throughout the day. 

All weddings, including yours, will have a lead photographer or main photographer who is in charge of your wedding day images. This person will be your main point of contact and will guide you through the entire day and beyond. If you feel that you need more coverage than one photographer is able to provide, or you’d like more images from your wedding day, you may add a second photographer.

What Does A 2nd Photographer Do? 

Simply put, more photographers, means more images from your wedding. A second photographer allows our team to be in more places at once and take more photographs at the same time from different viewpoints for you. More photographers increases the amount of images as well as the amount of angles and locations that we’re able to photograph for you.

For example, your second photographer might be with one group taking photographs as they are getting ready, and while your lead photographer is with another group taking photographs of that group getting ready. At the wedding ceremony, your second photographer might be in the balcony taking images during a church ceremony, while your lead photographer is on the ground floor photographing the ceremony from a different angle. 

Another option that we like to do at Love Life Images, is the second photographer will head over to your reception early and photograph the special details from your reception and then be ready to take photographs of your wedding party so that you can get to your cocktail hour faster with less waiting. 

A second photographer can also provide a smoother, faster photography experience for you, your wedding party and your guests on the wedding day. In addition to taking photos, the second photographer also serves as an assistant or a helper to the lead photographer and can adjust lighting, scout locations, arrange wedding parties, set up groups and more.

Benefits Of A 2nd Photographer

The lead photographer and the second photographer work together to map out and organize your entire wedding day so that they can be in as many places as possible for you. The goal of a second photographer is for all of your big and small wedding day moments to be captured with precision from as many locations and viewpoints as possible.

The result of hiring a second photographer is typically a smoother experience for the couple on the wedding day, as well as more images to choose from after the wedding is over.

There are many benefits seen and unseen to a second photographer at a wedding. The couple getting married often doesn't even notice their second photographer...and that’s a good thing! The second photographer is often working in the background taking care of photographing without the couple noticing their movements. But, their work is evident when the final wedding day images are presented.

About Love Life Images

Here at Love Life Images, we’re a team of trusted, experienced and talented wedding photographers based in the Baltimore, MD and Washington DC areas. We’ve photographed the love and life of hundreds of couples for their wedding and engagement sessions. From the most luxurious hotel ballrooms, to DC’s famed historic houses and museums, even small weddings in a couple’s home backyard, we’ve worked at just about every wedding venue and location in the DMV region including the vineyards of Leesburg VA, to downtown Washington DC and Baltimore, to the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Annapolis. 

Love Life Images is the best wedding photography team in the Washington DC area. We’re known for our elegant and sophisticated approach to photography so that you can enjoy your family and friends at your wedding. Our goal is for you to be stress-free, relaxed and confident knowing that we’re hard at work photographing your most special wedding day moments for you to enjoy and love for many, many years to come.

Do you have more questions about wedding photography? Are you wondering if a second photographer is right for your wedding day? 

Send us and email at info@lovelifeimages.com or click here to book a call to talk about photographing your wedding. We can’t wait to hear from you!