“First Look” - Created by Photographers, for Photographers

What happened to the magical moment when partners, about to be married, first locked eyes on one another at their wedding ceremony, witnessed by loved ones and guests? Has this once-in-lifetime moment become secondary to the modern photographer’s preferences and convenience?

I remember being overcome with emotions the first time I saw my bride on our wedding day. Michelle was on the arm of her father, Bob. They had just entered the church through a set of double doors, some 100 feet away from where I stood with my groomsman. I thought I was Mr. “cool as a cucumber” as I stood with my best pals, waiting for the ceremony to begin. My “coolness” turned to “gooeyness” the moment I first laid eyes on my beautiful bride; my legs turned to jello, my eyes welled up with tears of joy, every movement was now in slow motion as beads of sweat formed on my brow…“OH MY GOSH!!! I’m about to be married!”

Traditionally, weddings prescribe to an order of events. But not all couples want to be squeezed into a formula. The “first look" was created by wedding photographers in the mid-2000’s as a way to script a dozen or more poses of the couple, and sometimes the wedding party. The result? Partners are sharing their weak-in-the-knees, once-in-a-lifetime magical moment not with their loved ones, but with their photographer.

I do not believe your wedding day should revolve around your photographer’s direction, but rather you being present for each moment of your day. Capturing raw emotions and candid moments as they happen, your photographer moves silently throughout, documenting the beautiful, touching, loving, laughing, crying and powerfully real moments as they unfold.

Whatever you decide, carefully consider the role your photographer plays in your wedding day. My passion is capturing those real, unscripted and truly authentic moments which cannot be manufactured. Your wedding day preferences should be yours, not your photographer’s.