Tropical Sturgeon Bay Wedding | Second-Shooter Photography Highlights
Summer Saturdays are for weddings, and on weekends I’m not booked I love to help out my friends who need second-shooters. In fact, there are three other photographs I work with regularly. As solo entrepreneurs, we don’t have employees to lean on when we find ourselves too sick to stand up, have a pressing emergency, or just want to be in two places at once on a wedding day. Instead, we rely on friends in the industry, and it’s comforting to know we all have each others’ backs.
I shot this wedding with Kelly Avenson, and she focused on Haley and the girls while my attention was on Pete and the guys. One difficulty when shooting for another photographer is that you and the couple don’t have rapport going into the day. While I meet with my couples several times before their big day, second-shooting often requires introductions while the couple dresses. However, you’re off to a good start if you can make them laugh.
“I know we haven’t met before,” I said while shaking Pete’s hand, “but I promise I’m not just a creep taking photos of you dressing; you’re paying me to do it, I swear!”
“Oh yeah, I sure am!” he said with a smile, and that’s all there is to it :)
There where two things that made Haley and Pete’s celebration particularly unique, and the first was the dogs! Not only were there three pups in the wedding (two participating and one guest), but Juice the ring-bearing bulldog even dressed up in a suit and bowtie. If you’re looking for other ways to make your wedding stand out, I’m slowly assembling a Pinterest board to store my favorite ideas!
The second unique feature was the tropical theme and florals. We may live in a state known for winter, but Haley and Pete’s vision transported us to South Africa with bird of paradise bouquets, palm leaf jumpsuits, and enough pineapples to pass for a Glass Animals concert. Many celebrations follow a similar script, and I approvingly tip my hat to couples not afraid of standing out. Dare to be different; authenticity is always in season!
