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Second Shooter? Photographer Help!

Bean32Bean32 member
1000 Comments
in Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
I know the evenings are super busy here, but I figured a photographer question might get some responses.

A friend of mine got married a few months ago and told me today that her #1 regret was not getting a second shooter. There are some pictures she wishes had, but weren't possible with just one photographer. There are also some pictures she loves and wishes she had more angles, etc on.  Her wedding was about the same size as mine 120-140 people.

My photographer said I wouldn't need a second shooter for 130ish people and my FI agrees with him, but I'm worried that I'll end up with the same regret as my friend.

So, what do you think? Should I spend the extra $500 to add a second shooter? Would you? Did you?
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Re: Second Shooter? Photographer Help!

  • jelybeancgjelybeancg
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I am having one. It was one of my must haves when choosing a photography package. We are having the same 120-140 people. I just love the different angles a second shooter gets. Not only do I want to remember walking down the isle, I want to remember FI's face when he first sees me. Also the second shooter can shoot all of the details in the venue before people mess them up while the main shooter finishes with us.
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  • dibsontopdibsontop member
    Knottie Warrior 1000 Comments 5 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    We were able to add a second shooter for $200.  And I'm so glad we did.  Not only did he get some really great shots he was also a really big help to our photographer the day of just with managing shots.

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  • rachelk456rachelk456
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Does your photog have a second shooter available to use? Personally, I would try to have one. If your photog isn't far away, you could even just see what the pricing would be for the ceremony only for a second shooter. I think that would be the most useful time to have one. 

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  • jamonit0212jamonit0212
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I seriously doubt your photographer would appreciate, or even allow, some other company to come and shoot as a second photographer. Unless they were really close to begin with.
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  • amy727amy727 member
    Sixth Anniversary 1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_second-shooter-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:105Discussion:e6619ef9-df1e-4595-8b70-d0994f50d766Post:663df604-8fa0-4a45-a2bb-b8cf7f1ffc35">Re: Second Shooter? Photographer Help!</a>:
    [QUOTE]I seriously doubt your photographer would appreciate, or even allow, some other company to come and shoot as a second photographer. Unless they were really close to begin with.
    Posted by jamonit0212[/QUOTE]

    I don't know she was hiring another company.  It sounds like she would ask her photographer for another shooter for the day.
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  • jamonit0212jamonit0212
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_second-shooter-photographer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:105Discussion:e6619ef9-df1e-4595-8b70-d0994f50d766Post:47d32aeb-275d-4471-8341-b690a27535d8">Re: Second Shooter? Photographer Help!</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Second Shooter? Photographer Help! : I don't know she was hiring another company.  It sounds like she would ask her photographer for another shooter for the day.
    Posted by amy727[/QUOTE]

    Duh. My bad. I misread this.
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  • LaRositaMonitaLaRositaMonita
    1000 Comments Fifth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Confession:  I just gvae your photograher a little side eye for encouraging you NOT to have a second shooter, especially his reasoning about the size of your wedding being a factor.  I 150% think you should have one for exactly the reasons your friend is explaining to you.  Here's a very simple but very important example of how having a second shooter would benefit you, regardless of how many people are at your wedding or the extra-shots/different angles a second shoter would get that a primary would miss.  Obviously you and FH will be getting ready in different locations...second shooter and take photos of the guys getting ready while primary photographer grabs photos of you. 

    Honestly, I am realy surprised that your photographer wouldn't have brought something like that up. I would have 100% regretted having only one photographer at my own wedding, which was about 115 people.
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  • Stacylynn702Stacylynn702 member
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    May I ask who your photographer is?  My package included a second photographer.  I definitely wanted one and we had 174 guests.  I'm glad we had one.
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  • CaitC21CaitC21 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    2nd shooter = must.
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  • bballgirl8789bballgirl8789 member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We haven't had our wedding yet, but we are having 2 photographers.  We are using the same photographer as dipsontop.  We're expecting 150-175 ppl and I'm glad we're having 2.  I've heard other friends that were sooo glad that they had 2 photographers for the reasons you suggested.   I would def get 2 photographers.
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  • ButtonsPepperButtonsPepper member
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    At first I didn't have a 2nd shooter, but then a few months before asked my photog. if I could, because of all the reasons mentioned above. There are so many shots of DH with his guys we wouldn't have had, there are so many angles of the ceremony we wouldn't have had... I'm SO glad we had the 2nd shooter, because some of my favorite pictures are one's the 2nd shooter got, that's just not possible for one to take..
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  • Madam AMadam A
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Ditto pps. Our photog brought a second shooter "included" in our package price and some of our favorite shots were captured by the second shooter. They were looking for different things and had different "focus" throughout the day so it was definitely beneficial, IMO.
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  • caraellen23caraellen23
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Ditto everyone else, I personally feel a second shooter is a must. There are some pictures you will miss out on simply because one person can't be in two places.  Also, it was helpful time-wise to have two photographers to get all the bridal party, family pics, etc.
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  • carli1216carli1216
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I agree with everyone else.  You'll get twice as many shots plus you get a lot of "behind the scenes" type photos while your main photographer is getting the posed photos.  A second shooter is a must as far as I'm concerned.
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  • paprika28paprika28
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I'm kinda late to this party, but we're only having 80ish (well, probably 100 by the time the invites go out) people and we have a second shooter planned. It wasn't really even an option not to have one. I didn't have one for my first wedding, and we missed out on everything. Seeing the guys getting ready, different angles that would have been amazing to see...
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  • a.lemma4a.lemma4 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We added a second shooter after thinking about it for a long time. We're going to have about 200 people though, so our photog highly suggested it. I think if you are already worrying about it now, you will regret not having one when you get your pictures.
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  • Bean32Bean32 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Thanks so much all!

    I just contacted my photographer to let him know that I wanted a second. I think that makes the most sense and really, what's another $500 in the grand scheme of things? It's just a splash in my wedding bucket. I would hate to get my pictures back and regret not having a second.
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