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]. 

This year as one of my New Year's Resolutions, I've decided to put more emphasis on the Boudoir portion of my business (including FINALLY getting that boudoir blog done that I've been planning for forever!). These sessions are a ton of fun, make the best gift ever(!), but mostly the reason I love shooting these sessions is because it's great to help women feel sexy again! As mom's, wives, employees, students, or wherever else daily life takes us, we get so caught up in the daily hum-drum, that we forget that we're still, beautiful, sexy & desirable. These sessions are a great way to remind women of that very thing, and there's nothing better for me than when a woman receives her pictures and tells me she feels beautiful! 

I know, most of us are always waiting until we lose those elusive last pounds before we take on a session like this. But our honeys love us for the way we are (and I'm damn good at finding those flattering angles), so there's no need to wait. I wrote a post about this on FB a few years ago, that addresses this very issue: https://www.facebook.com/notes/becca-hamilton-boudoir/i-cant-do-a-boudoir-session-because/10150250436834186

So if you're ready, see the dates & locations below for session info! If you don't see a date/location that works for you, let me know and we'll see if we can set something up that meets your needs. However, the awesome deals listed are for these dates.

Each session will be $300 for one hour session, make-up & hair done on site by an awesome professional, and a disk of all your images. You can add an hour to your session for an extra $100, or book with a friend and you each get the one hour session, make-up & hair & a disk for $220 each. These awesome deals are available now while I'm boosting my business, but these deals won't be available much longer! Would you like to add a "For His Eye's Only" gift album? For these sessions you can add a 5x7 Little Black Book for $50, or an 8x8 Black Book for $90. 

Or if you're on a budget (and not shy!), I'm offering Modeling Session on these dates as well. The Modeling Sessions cost $120 for the one hour session, hair & make-up, and the disk. The cost is to cover my costs (for the make-up artist, and some of the rental fee for shooting location), but you get the photography and disk absolutely free. You have to sign a model release though, and understand I will be posting the images. I only have space for a couple of modeling shoots at each location, so if you're interested, email me at [email protected] with either a pic of you or a link to your Facebook page. I'll be accepting women of different sizes and looks, but don't need multiples with the same look, so I've got to see you.

So here's those dates:

January 10-11 & 16-17

I've got an awesome location in Patterson, fantastic furnishings, for the perfect setting! I'm in love with this location & have no doubt that you will too!

January 23-24

San Francisco Sessions are always popular for me! You can come, get your hair & make-up done for the shoot, and then follow-up with a night on the town while you're all done up! This is a great location to book with friends- make it a ladies night out!

Email me at [email protected] with any questions or to schedule a session.  

I had this post over on the blog I had temporarily while I was developing this one, and just didn't want this post to get lost in the shuffle, because I just loved it too much! Ashley was absolutely stunning in her golden hour shoot. Toward the end of the session black clouds rolled in and fat rain drops fell on us, but the smile never left her face- she was such a sweetheart! A couple of weeks after this session I got to shoot their amazing little bundle of joy, so keep an eye out as I'll posting a few from that session soon!