Dear Emily,
I've heard a lot about doing a "first look" at weddings now, what exactly is a first look and in your opinion should I do one?
-Bride to Be J
A first look will usually happen once the bride and groom are both done with prep just before the ceremony. We will pick a quiet spot at the venue to have the groom wait in and bring the bride to him. We typically shoot first looks for 10 minutes or so and this usually adds another 10-20 photos to the final gallery. Couples sometimes exchange gifts or letters during a first look which always leads to some cute reactions. Some couples choose to actually see each other during the first look like this wedding at the Atkinson Country Club..
For other couples who still want to keep the groom from seeing the bride until she walks down the aisle we find creative ways to keep them from seeing each other, like this beautiful wall at the Wychmere Beach Club..
Either way, a first look is a special time for couples. They can have a private and quiet moment together, which is often hard to come by during the excitement of a wedding day. Having a first look also adds beautiful romantic and fun photos to a final gallery which is why we like to recommend having one!
-Emily