The Wedding Timeline: The First Look

The Wedding Timeline: The First Look

Last week in the wedding timeline series, I talked about getting ready for the day and what you can do to prepare for those moments to be as joy-filled and stress free as possible. Today is all about the first look, a modern tradition that took me a little while to be on board with – and now I am completely smitten!

 

For those who haven’t heard of a first look, it’s a moment where the bride and groom see each other prior to the wedding ceremony. For parents, grandparents, and even some young people this is almost unimaginable – they aren’t supposed to see each other before they’re married! However, after photographing many weddings with and without first looks, I am here to tell you why they are the best option on your wedding day...

The Wedding Timeline: Getting Ready | Business

The Wedding Timeline: Getting Ready | Business

I have been wanting to write this timeline series for awhile now, so I'm glad to finally get started! The wedding timeline is one of the most important parts of the planning process (and most wedding planners would probably agree!). Today I want to share what I have learned from photographing dozens of weddings, and provide some tips for brides planning their weddings in Hampton Roads.

One of the biggest decisions that will affect your timeline is whether or not to have a first look. I will blog about this more next week, but having a first look puts almost all the portrait time before the ceremony instead of after, and changes how the timeline is built. Most of my couples do opt to have a first look, so I will assume that is happening for this blog series...

The Importance of Bridal Portraits | Business

The Importance of Bridal Portraits | Business

One area of the wedding world that I didn't know before entering into it was the idea of bridal portraits. I thought this meant taking pictures of just the bride on her wedding day - and of course it does! However, a tradition that I have seen (especially because we live in the South) is when the bride gets her hair and makeup done, gets in her dress, has a bouquet made, and takes portraits prior to the wedding. Then on the wedding day, she will often have a large print made of an iconic bridal portrait and place it at the reception entrance.

While I firmly believe that each bride should choose what works for them and not feel pressured to do what everyone else chooses, I have fallen in love with bridal portraits and believe that more brides should have them done! There are a few great reasons I'll mention if you're on the fence - or even if you've never thought about taking them before. I hope this helps as you decide if this is the right choice for you...