— Two is better than one —
Why we work as a two photographer team and how that benefits you
Choosing a photographer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your wedding planning. And if you’re here, it’s likely you’re looking for someone to witness and document the complete, heartfelt story of your wedding day as openly as possible. That’s what we do.
As a husband-and-wife team, we’ve had nearly two decades and over 500 weddings to hone our craft and process. We work together efficiently and effectively in ways you may not even notice to make your experience stress-free and holistic. We know each other’s strengths and read each other’s body language and signals so that we can move through the moments of your day with our focus on our work, instead of worrying if the other knows what they are doing.
Here are some of the ways us working as a two photographer team will benefit you:
1) your experience
By your wedding day, you will have had touch-points with each of us. Individually, we will approach you as a friend with a camera—no need to worry about some random second photographer you haven’t met showing up at the last minute. Many photographers will hire a second who is not a part of their company; some will even hire one they have never shot with before. As a result, clients often don’t know who will show up day-of, or what their level of skill and professionalism is. With us, you have two photographers who care about you, each equally invested in both you and our work.
The moments right before the bride walks down the aisle are often some of the most emotionally poignant images on a wedding day. However, since a single photographer can’t be two places at once, they are usually up at the front of the ceremony for the processional. Which of these images is worth giving up? On the left, Jaclyn photographed Chase with his mom and brother as they lit a candle for his late father. At the same time, Nate photographed Alexis with her father right before they walked down the aisle.
All of the 8 photographs above were taken at the same time that Jaclyn was photographing the processional.
2) our Experience
Both of us are full-time, professional photographers. Neither is simply the assistant, helper, or weekend warrior. We could photograph weddings independently, but shooting together delivers a cohesive, complete product for our clients. (And, even after 18 years, we still like working together.) You can trust us individually to capture important moments: We each have the skill, training, and ability to photograph any part of the day without the assistance of the other. If you need something, have a question, or want to take that photo with your college friends or elderly aunt who needs to leave early, you can easily find one of us, ready to be of assistance.
Anna and Shezaad have a very large family, so while Nate photographed their family portraits, Jaclyn was able to arrange the groups and then photograph everyone hanging out and waiting for their turn. The result was a number of posed photographs AND a variety of candid photographs of their favorite people that would otherwise have been overlooked.
3) roles
After photographing over 500 weddings together, we have clearly defined roles throughout the day that ensure we offer the best coverage. We do not need to wonder who is going to photograph something or decide who is going to be where. We know our roles and we trust the other to get their shots. We work as a seamless team of two and are confident in the other to do their part. When hiring a photographer and a second, it is likely there will be some competition and stepping on toes. Instead of choreographing positions and assignments, our focus is on you, the day, and your people.
With a single shooter, couples need to divide the time so that the photographer can go between each party getting ready. As a two photographer team, Jaclyn could photograph Meredith praying with her bridesmaids at the same Nate was able to photograph Josh with his groomsmen. Instead of waiting for one of us to be ready for them, Meredith and Josh were able to spend this time as they saw fit.
Since we have been photographing with each other for 18 years, we seamless know what the other is going to be photographing. Here, Nate photographed Jessica and Jason right as they were pronounced as husband and wife, while Jaclyn photographed them from a different angle without getting in the way of the photograph Nate was taking.
4) coverage
Two photographers equals more photographs, leaving you with a comprehensive representation of the multi-faceted story of your wedding day. Each of us has a full outfit of camera gear that we use to showcase the scope of a wedding from multiple angles. People will be scattered, with moments happening everywhere—and we take great pride in our ability to see both the small and big picture. We do not photograph the same thing from the same angle, which means you will receive quantifiably more photographs of the moments that give your wedding day depth. A single photographer must constantly be choosing where to be and which photographs they deem as more important. With the two of us, you do not need to worry what moments are being lost and can relax knowing we’ve got it covered.
Part of working as a team means we can 100% trust each other. Jaclyn knew Nate would nail the grand exit shot and that they’d only be in each other’s shot if they were both down there (seriously, drunk people with sparklers can get crazy!). So she high tailed it up to the second story of the house and shot down on the them from above. The result is two very different photographs that comprehensively show what it felt like to experience this moment.