• Helpful Hints
• Weddings

The FIRST LOOK: When the bride and groom choose to see each other before they walk down the isle. 

I am a girl from the south. Texas to be exact! We are rich in tradition and there always seems to be an invisible pressure from the elders on what you should do on your wedding day. I was told not to speak to my fiancé on the day of the wedding. It’s bad luck! I wasn’t supposed to see him after midnight the night before. It’s bad luck! What is bad luck and who decided that this is bad luck? It kind of makes me giggle.There is no such thing as bad luck.

I don’t walk around with a cassette player anymore because TIMES CHANGE. We are all very willing to go with the electronic changes in the world because it feels progressive and it gets better every time there is an upgrade. Now we all listen to music on our phones- who would have thought, right? It is the same for photography. Weddings have changed over the years and there is a new generation of brides that are changing the way your mom used to look at weddings. This is exciting! Photography is approached in a new modern perspective and our brides are wanting the MOST out of their wedding day photography. We couldn’t agree more! The biggest piece of advice I give my brides is:

IT’S YOUR WEDDING DAY AND YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!

ADVANTAGES of doing a First Look!

• Private and intimate moment between only you and your fiancé. It is sweet, emotional and rememberable. You can really take each other in and enjoy the one time you will be alone all day in mist of the chaos of the wedding. This moment can last as long as you want. We have long lenses on so that we can give you a private moment to enjoy each other.
• Knock out the nerves! Grooms tend to be very nervous on wedding day leading up to the big reveal. This allows him to relax and only focus on the bride. She taps him on the shoulder and he can be free to express himself in any way he wants. He can cry, smile, spin the bride, embrace the bride and do it as long as he wants. The pressure is off and he can truly focus on the person who matters most to him.
• Allows you to be ‘present’ when you walk down the aisle. Brides say they are just as emotional and nervous, but remember more of what was actually said!
• Extended photo shoot for the Bride & Groom! This is the most special time of the day. You and your man are all alone for 30-45 min where you can bask in one another.  It gives us the opportunity to produce natural, light-infused, gorgeous photographs that might (depending on your schedule) be missed otherwise. These are the images that will grace your wedding album and decorate your home. It is so worth it. YOU are so worth it.
• Wedding Party photos can now be done BEFORE the ceremony as well! 30 minutes of fun with your wedding party allows for many more photos! You can really enjoy your wedding party and get some rockin’ photos to celebrate your friendships. If time allows, you can also travel to a cool and more contemporary spot to shoot. Some choose famous local spots or maybe trendy parts of town!
• Family Portraits can be taken care of right before the ceremony! You know what this means!! No photos after the ceremony and everyone can go straight into celebration mode! No sitting around for 30 dreaded minutes trying to keep peoples attention for photos. It really is a dream come true for your guests.
• Sunset weddings are then much easier to schedule. Many brides want to be married in the last hour of the day to get the beautiful light! (We agree!) Getting all of your photography done before ceremony will ensure you get all of your photos  and still have the sunset wedding you dreamt of.
• There has never been a bride who regrets this decision. Ever.

TRADITIONS  have changed. BRIDES have changed. PHOTOGRAPHY has changed.

Brides always want creative and unique photos of their wedding day. THIS IS HOW! We are so excited that brides are choosing the First Look. Here are some testimonies from our brides!

 

MEET SARAH & STEVEN!

Sarah and Steven were married in a church, but really wanted photos on the beach. They chose to do a first look and have their wedding party meet them there 30 minutes after their First Look. BRILLIANT. They really maximized their photography and got their dream shots! This was the very beach they both grew up on and it made for amazing photos.

“Doing the first look not only made my nerves go away, but I now have some of the most special pictures. I’ll forever be able to see the smile on my groom’s face when he saw me the day we began our forever. Regarding time management, I was able to get all the wedding party photos taken care of and have more time after the ceremony for one-on-one pictures with my husband. I also got to my reception quicker!”~ Sarah

MEET KATIE & DAN!

Katie and Dan decided to do a destination wedding within their state! Destinations are no longer considered on a beach or thousands of miles away. A short 3 hour trip landed you at the beautiful Stone Oak Ranch in East Texas. Katie was set on NOT seeing Dan before the wedding because she thought it was bad luck. The schedule had been made two months prior and everything was ready to go! The night before the wedding Katie called me in a panic. It was going to rain on her wedding ceremony and therefore the dream wedding photos she wanted were not going to be a possibility. We made a last minute decision to do a First Look and get all of the photos done pre-ceremony. It was the BEST decision Katie could have made and really maximized her beautiful location and photography. ALL photos were done and completed before the wedding. WOW!

“I consider myself a traditional bride. I really thought I wanted to see Dan when I walked down the isle. When the threat of rain came I knew we had to do a First Look. The photos are the most important part of the day to me and I just couldn’t imagine not getting photos at this gorgeous venue we chose. Leaha was quick to change the schedule last minute to make sure we got the photos we always wanted. It was the single BEST decision I have could have made. when thinking about first look, I never considered the extra time we’d have to do all the photos. I know the wedding party and family loved that they could go inside right after the ceremony to start celebrating and get a drink to cool off. I know there is NO WAY we could have gotten the quality of photos and the AMOUNT of photos if we didn’t do the first look. We really wanted as many photos as possible and just couldn’t let our guests sit in the reception waiting for an hour. Trust me- it was the best decision. I was just as nervous and excited to see Dan at the end of the isle waiting to be my husband. All brides should highly consider doing a First Look. You will not regret one single photo.”~ Katie

MEET LESLIE & MATTHEW!

Matthew and Leslie were not the only ones getting married on their wedding day. McKenna, Leslie’s daughter, was too! It was important for them as a family to see each other before the ceremony. Matthew was one lucky man. He had two beautiful girls revealed to him on wedding day. It was a highly emotional moment and one of the most heart felt First Looks we have shot.

“Matthew and I loved being able to do the first look! It allowed us to really focus on each other for those moments before we officially walked down the aisle. I personally loved it because it allowed me to not have those “jitters” walking down the aisle! I could focus on walking down to the man I was marrying! It also allowed us to have a few minutes as a family before the craziness of the day!”~ Leslie

 

Click “LIKE” to let us know you were here!

SARAH & STEVEN’S WEDDING PHOTOS

DAN & KATIE’S WEDDING PHOTOS

LESLIE & MATTHEW’S WEDDING PHOTOS