Well, to be 500% honest, you’ll probably get 7000 different answers from different photographers. Some create their best work alone, but for me, a wedding day just isn’t about that.
A second photographer for me means a backup for your wedding photos or a person to take over should they need. It’s another eye and a way to complete your full story like when I’m photographing family photos, they’re photographing your guests at the cocktail hour. They’re getting your persons reaction as I photograph you walk down the aisle. (Dare I say Yin to my Yang once more on this website?)
I always recommend a second photographer for wedding with 60/70+ in attendance. Can you get by without having an additional photographer? Absolutely! A wedding day just isn’t a day that I want to take chances on.
“Can we choose are own second photographer?”
This is where it gets a little tricky! Usually your photographer will have their little team or favorite photographers that work with them. This is someone who has a similar styles, camera gear (so that it looks similar), someone they can trust and know they work well together.
“Does our second photographer edit our photos?”
This may vary depending on the photographer, but the common answer is no. To be cohesive with my style, I hand edit all my second photographer’s images so they all look consistent with the work produced and shown on my website.
