Ah yes, the good old question of should I have a second photographer at my Bloemfontein wedding. The answer is a simple YES. If we had our way at Snap Photography we'd never attempt to photograph a wedding without a second shooter.

Needless to say, if the budget doesn't allow a second wedding photographer it's understandable, but the second shooter is worth every. Read why ...

1. Being At Two Locations At Once

On the big day your photographer will probably have to be at different locations at different times. The bride will probably get dressed at the wedding venue and at the same time the groom and his best men will be getting ready at a hotel or guest house on the other side of town.

This means that the wedding photographer will only be able to photograph the bride as there would simply not be enough time to capture both parties. So even before the wedding has started you already missed some great moments of the groom getting ready. See what we mean?

2. Getting Two Unique Perspectives Of The Wedding

The main wedding photographer will focus on getting the most important moments of the day. From the bride coming down the aisle, exchanging of rings, first kiss etc. But a lot of the action happens behind the lens ... or rather ... when the photographer is already busy.

This is where the second wedding photographer can add dimension to the wedding. Not only will the second shooter cover the groom getting ready, but all those candid moments of the guests will not go unnoticed. And while the main photographer is taking family photos the second shooter is capturing all the decor shoots at the reception venue.

Another great example is the tossing of the bouquet and removing of the garter. The main wedding photographer can focus on the bride throwing the bouquet the second photographer can catch the action as the ladies try to capture it.

The second wedding photographer has the freedom to experiment with unique angels and capture photographs that would otherwise be impossible for a single photographer to capture.

The second shooter will capture the events of the day with his/her own unique style at a completely different angle than the main photographer. Remember, two photographers ... twice the creativity, twice the amount of photographs shot by twice the amount of experienced wedding photographers!

3 . See The Second Photographer As An Insurance Policy

A second wedding photographer reduces potential risks on a wedding day by 50%. Why? Because the odds of things going wrong is brought down to a minimum. As with life, things can go wrong:

- Main photographer's car breaks down or is involved in an accident
- Equipment breaks down on the day (from the body, lenses or even memory cards)

Having a second photographer can make those headaches disappear. Ideally the second photographer should be a full-time wedding photographer that if the need arises and something might go wrong the second photographer should be able to take charge of the wedding and continues like he/she is the main photographer.

Take another look at your wedding budget and try to get a second photographer for the big day. Ask your photographer if they have a second shooter available and if he/she would trust them to run the entire wedding if anything would happen on the day. Find out if your contract includes a second shooter and at what rate.