That is me.

When I was little I thought I wanted the big princess wedding. And like all other little girls, I dreamed of everything my wedding could be, would be, & more!  …but as I grew older, the thought of 200 guests all in one room, with me being the center of attention really scared the living daylights out of me! I didn’t want to spend my entire wedding day trying to make my way around the room to talk with every single guest. Just the thought of being pulled in every direction by everyone (because everyone wants to talk to the bride!) didn’t sound appealing to me. Not to sound selfish, but I wanted to enjoy my wedding!!  So my husband and I opted for a destination wedding on the wonderful island of Aruba! And it was pure magic!

I chose to see Rick before the ceremony on our wedding day and it was one of the best decisions. EVER.  (The 1^st best decision was having a destination wedding!) We had about 35 guests with us in Aruba, but our “First Look” was the only chance we had to spend time alone on our wedding day. We didn’t have to share our first moments seeing each other with everyone else. It was our own special time together.

And this made me much more relaxed when I walked down the aisle! Like a huge sigh of relief! We were able to enjoy a portion of our cocktail hour & enjoyed spending time with our guests all the while spending less time taking photos. Don’t get me wrong, I am the biggest supporter of the importance of pictures (on ANY day, not just the wedding day!), but I am really glad that we did most of them beforehand and I was able to enjoy the rest of the day as it played out.

I have asked many of my brides to do a “First Look”, but all have been worried about losing that part of the tradition when the groom first sees his bride as she walks down the aisle. I can only speak from my own personal experience, but I do not regret waiting to see my husband. I encourage brides to step outside the box. I feel like you can make your wedding day anything you want it to be! Don’t be afraid to change tradition! Weddings shouldn’t have rules!

Why would I prefer a bride & groom to see each other beforehand? From a photographers standpoint, it just helps things not feel so rushed after the ceremony. There is more time for family formals & cocktail hour. Things just run smoother. But honestly, it doesn’t matter to me either way. A bride should do what makes them happy. That is what is important.

This is your wedding day after all!

What would a post about weddings be without a picture right? Here is a glimpse of a wedding I did this past weekend. I caught this little tidbit during their first dance! More coming soon!