On the wedding day, the schedule can be super tight, especially after the ceremony. As soon as those vows are done and the bride and groom head back down the aisle, the clock starts ticking. There's pretty much just the cocktail hour to get all the family pics, bridal party portraits and the bride and groom portraits all done. And, although I'm quite adept at getting those portraits whipped out quickly, few people would argue that a little more time for the portraits wouldn't hurt.

   This is why some couples choose to see each other prior to the ceremony to get the bulk of the bridal party and bride and groom portraits done while there's still time for some extra creativity. I know that to many of you the thought of seeing each other before the wedding is absolutely crazy. You've spent years imagining your wedding day, and one of the things that you've imagined is walking down the aisle toward your groom and seeing the look of love on his face and tears in his eyes as he's in awe of your beauty (don't tell me that you haven't imagined that, because I'm a girl too and I'm on to you!). The truth is that on the wedding day as your groom is standing at the front of the aisle waiting for you to walk down, he is keenly aware of all the eyes on him and his nerves are climbing. And although it is true that some men tear up at the site of their gorgeous bride walking toward them, it's also true that even the most affectionate grooms often choke under pressure and stand there stoically as they're concentrating on just not messing anything up. So whenever a bride tells me how important it is for me to get the shot of her groom watching her walking down the aisle (don't fear- this is absolutely a shot I get, no matter what his expression is!), I tell her to be careful to manage her expectations so that she's not disappointed if her man who's normally so very expressive becomes one of the stoic variety in that moment when all eyes are on him. This too is where the first glance comes in handy.

   The first glance is a private moment before the ceremony in which we arrange for the bride and groom to see each other for the first time in a private setting. At this time they get a few moments for him to tell her how beautiful she is, then there's some cuddling, kissing and all that good stuff. And as all this is happening, I'm shooting. I get shots of her face as she's excited approaching her groom from behind, and his expression as he's feeling a bit nervous, then as she taps him to get his attention my shots will show the love on his face when he turns and see his bride for the first time, and the joy and relief as the two take a look at each other taking it all in. Then the loving moments as they hug and kiss, I'm right there getting those shots. The first glance offers many more emotion filled shots than just the walk down the aisle. And the truth is that it doesn't take away the emotion from the wedding ceremony. The first glance has helped the bride and groom a chance to de-stress a bit (because lets face it, when you're nervous who calms you better than your fiance?), so as the ceremony starts the couple is able to focus a bit better, and that moment that a groom sees his fiance walking down the aisle is a moment he will never forget whether or not he has seen her prior to the ceremony. Then after the ceremony, there's not nearly so many pictures to be taken, so the two of you can head off to enjoy your reception quicker.

  So for the couples who are open to it, I definitely recommend doing the first glance (also sometimes called the "first look").  There are many photographers who require a first glance as a part of the photography package because allows for a much more relaxed photography schedule on the wedding day. However, I don't require it. If a couple chooses to forgo the first glance, I'll respect their wishes, and we'll still have an awesome wedding day with amazing photography. But if a couple decides that the first glance isn't for them, I want them to make that choice fully informed, so that's the purpose of this post. If you have any questions about the first glance, feel free to ask me. And as always, you can email me at [email protected].