I want to discuss an amazing option I’ve been offering my brides and give it a little bit of explanation as to what exactly it is and why I encourage it soo much.

When I got married my husband and I decided to be “traditional” and not see each other before the wedding. And at first I will admit it was great having that sense of surprise at the alter but as I look back on it I wish during that time, that one time moment when you get to see your soon to be spouse for the first time, often the full excitement and emotion of that is not caught on camera. And  for my own wedding that was the case. I don’t have ANY photos of that special moment between bride and groom. I don’t have a photo of my husband in shock when he realized I lied and wasn’t wearing a short wedding dress. All those moments are lost, well except in my own head but things get lost up there all the time, haha.

So after experiencing that lost memory, I’ve decided to start offering what is called a “First Look” option to all my bride and grooms. Actually I HIGHLY encourage it. But let me explain that it isn’t a staged, superficial photo opp. It is purely for JUST the bride and groom. What we do for the first look is we make sure ahead of time that about 15 minutes to a half hour is set aside before the ceremony.  At that time Joe (my husband and second shooter) takes the groom to a secluded area or an area the bride and groom choose before hand. During this time I keep the bride hidden and ready to see her soon to be husband for the first time.  We try to limit it to JUST the bride and groom so that all their interactions can be organic, candid, and real. When the time is right, we bring the bride out and let the couple be themselves and experience that TRUE magic moment together. Joey and I capture the moment from afar at first so that the couple doesn’t feel crowded or feel like they are even getting their photos taken. We like to stay invisible during this time because, like I said, it is TRULY just about the bride and groom.

What I like most about this time is that we helped the couple create a moment that they will treasure forever. These are ALWAYS my favorite photos from the wedding because, I believe, this is where all the true and real emotion lie during the day.

Here is an example of a first look I did for a wedding this last summer. I will be honest the groom was a bit skeptical about the whole idea and didn’t really think the time we took out of the day would be necessary. But after looking at these photos you try to figure out his thoughts about this moment after wards.

So if you are still a little bit apprehensive about the idea of doing a “first look,” please consider what you want to really capture on your wedding day and be open to the idea of taking this quick moment out of the day to just be with each other. Because trust me the rest of the day everyone will be around which is amazing because the whole day is full of love but stealing just a few minutes alone is truly priceless.

If you are considering a “first look” on your wedding day but have some questions please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be MORE than willing to explain anything I missed in this post or just for more clarification.