Why I Never Shoot A Destination Wedding In Puerto Rico Alone
Two is company…
As fate would have it, any wedding in and of itself is overwhelming to a couple. Little do they imagine it’s the pinnacle of stress for the people tasked to document it. Don’t get me wrong, I love being entrusted to fulfill the task of commemorating someone’s special day but, from start to finish, it’s no cakewalk for us either. For this reason, and primarily this reason, is why I never show up as a destination wedding photographer in Puerto Rico alone.
Work Load
Being part of a wedding is stressful; there’s no circumventing the pressure that comes with the job of wedding photographer. As a result, having someone with you from start to finish (or at least for the bulk of the festivities) takes a lot of heaviness from my shoulders. Weddings in Puerto Rico can become quite hectic which is why it always eases the tension of the amount of work required to capture at a wedding.
Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely no problem whatsoever shooting one alone. Do I really want to? No. That’s because I know I will have missed a few shots here and there and chances are it’s one for which the bride herself will probably never forgive me. Think about this for a second: the average wedding entails details, getting ready for both bride and groom, a first look, the ceremony, bride and groom session, cocktail hour, reception, etc. The thought of having to carry that load all by yourself is exhausting, let alone actually doing it.
Having a 2nd shooter comes in handy for a plethora of reasons the most important of which is knowing you have backup and you don’t have to do everything yourself.
Just the two of us…
2. Delegation
Having a second shooter by your side at all times also gives you the ability to delegate. This, by nature, means that the photographer that you choose to accompany you will be provided with a certain amount of shots that you’d normally have to take yourself. This includes, but isn’t limited to: the venue, the details, the entourage, the lunch/dinner plates, etc. Although never less important, they help tell the story so that you can stitch it all together in post-production.
Moreover, a 2nd shooter will almost always be able to capture the pictures that you would otherwise miss. Let’s face facts: you cannot be in two places at once. Sometimes things are happening in the pews and you’re nowhere near that side of the Church. Other times you’ll be requested to shoot both the bride and the groom getting ready simultaneously and this is where you can send your 2nd shooter to take care of one while you’re shooting the other.
More often than not I’ll recover my SD Cards from all of my shooters (both photo and video) and, when I go to check the pictures that they’ve taken, I’ll know for a fact that there was no way I could’ve taken those images because I was somewhere else creatively.
Your turn…
3. Spotlight On You
I think that we can all agree that, when it comes to your destination wedding in Puerto Rico, you want most, if not all, of the attention to fall on yourself. And you know what? Rightfully so! It’s your wedding, not anyone else’s and I agree. When it’s all said and done, my galleries all include pictures of you and your partner 75% of the time. There’s a reason why this is the case.
You guessed it: because I brought a second shooter. You see, the main (and by far the most important reason) why I never shoot destination weddings in Puerto Rico alone is because of the fact that it allows me to place most of my attention on the bride and groom. That’s ultimately where we both want to be: you in front of my camera and myself behind it. Yes, the bride and groom sessions are paramount but what if I told you that I can make your entire wedding a bride and groom session?
You’d jump all over that in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you? Of course you would which is why I always include a second photographer in all of my packages regardless of the length and size of the destination wedding. If I can put myself in a position to succeed and provide you with more memorable moments of yourself and your other half, trust me when I say this: I’m going to do it.
We both get one shot at this: let’s do it right.
