planning for wedding day portraits.

One of the things I look forward to the most on a couple’s wedding day is taking photographs of my brides & grooms together.  To me, there is nothing more special than documenting a happy couple, oh-so-in-love on the day of their wedding.  Scheduling enough time during the day to do so can be a bit of an obstacle for some, but I think most brides will agree that having plenty of time for these photos is incredibly worth it.

Several of my 2010 couples opted to see each other before their ceremonies for “First Look,” photos.  Doing so not only allows for plenty of time for photos of the couple together, but also provides the opportunity to do any other group photos the couple wants as well.  That way, after the ceremony, the couples can go straight to their reception (or cocktail hour!) and enjoy themselves!

Opting to do something that is considered to be non-traditional on one’s wedding day may surely seem somewhat intimidating at first.  I asked two of my more recent brides to share a bit about their own decisions to see their soon-to-be husbands before their wedding ceremonies.  (Read past couples’ experiences here & here.)

From Molly: “Ben and I are both so glad we decided to do the ‘first look’ on our wedding day. We were really hesitant at first but after talking to Meredith about it, we knew it would be the best thing for us. We were both really anxious about standing in front of 200 people during our ceremony. By seeing each other before, we felt much less nervous and we were really able to focus on the ceremony itself. It was a very intimate, special moment that we will remember forever. Now we cannot imagine doing it any other way. For me, our ‘first look’ set the tone for the rest of the evening and was a perfect reminder of what the whole weekend was all about: marrying my best friend.”

From Nina: “Aaron and I decided to see each other before the ceremony because we wanted to spend time with our friends and family during the cocktail hour. We had also heard that it made the moment of seeing each other more romantic and more intimate, which I completely agree with. I was bursting with excitement when we saw each other and I am so glad I didn’t have to wait until the end of that long aisle!”

Even more “First Look” goodness!

Another option, if you’d like to keep with the tradition of not seeing your soon-to-be husband or wife before the ceremony, is simply allowing enough time after the ceremony.  When creating your wedding day timeline, it’s best to consider varying factors like sunset times, reception start times, etc.  One of my very favorite sets of wedding day portraits were taken at Abby & Guion’s wedding in Chapel Hill.  After their daytime wedding ended, the three of us walked all around Carolina’s campus, taking photographs & enjoying the late spring afternoon.  With no concrete time commitments, Abby & Guion were super relaxed, which made for plenty of cute photographs!

There are plenty of options for fun wedding day portraits, however timing & planning are both key to help making those photographs a reality.  I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and comments about wedding day portraits if you have any!