Here are some good reasons to see each other before:

• the bride is not stressed out after she sees her groom. He is often the best and only person who can calm your jittery nerves.
• it removes the need to play hide and seek with the groom before the ceremony
• it allows us to talk all of the formal wedding party photos before the ceremony allowing you to make an entrance into your reception soon and not keep your guests waiting
• we have more natural light to capture amazing images fo the bride and groom
• we often get twice as much time to take formals with the bride and groom which in turn means you have so many more photos to put on the walls of your new home
• the groom often has a more genuine and breathtaking “look” on his face when he doesn’t have two hundred guests staring at him as you walk down the isle.
• the is 99% less stress on everyone involved on the wedding day

Some people feel as though they are missing out of “that moment” when the groom sees you walking down the isle for the first time. I disagree, I do not think you miss out on that moment. I believe you are gaining a moment. A private moment in which he gets to tell you, just the two of you, what he thinks about the dress you have selected, he gets to express to you just how he is feeling in the moments before you walk down the isle to say “I do”. You aren’t missing out on a moment because the moment you walk down the isle is a completely different experience. In that moment, he doesn’t care about the dress you have selected, how your makeup looks, all he can see is the one he has chosen to spend his life with walking down that isle to exchange a covenant with him. So I truly believe you have TWO amazing and unforgettable moments when you choose to do a first look!

So how does a first look work?

We keep the couples separated until they are fully dressed and ready. Once the bride is ready we send the groom to a predetermined location facing away from the direction

the bride is coming. Her father can escort her or she can walk alone. When she is ready she walks up behind him and will often times tap him on the shoulder….although we have done this in many different ways and even had a little fun with it in the past. Generally she will tap him on the shoulder and he will turn around and take his first look at her in her stunning dress. This is where the magic happens. Tears, laughter, smiles, beautiful works are relief hit the couple. The bride and groom are no longer nervous. We usually capture this exchange from a distance so that it still feels like a private moment between the couple where they don’t have to worry about what emotion and words are shared.  When they are ready to go we photograph them privately and then start the wedding party and family portraits. When we suggest a first look please know that we are only suggesting what we believe to be a great decision that you will never forget BUT we also understand that it is not for everyone and completely respect that decision. We will typically only address it in our initial meeting and whatever you decide is what we roll with!