THE BLOG

When i’m chatting with couples in our initial consultation, I often ask if they have considered the possibility of doing a first look. Some cringe at the idea of breaking with tradition and seeing each other before that big walk down the aisle. In these cases, I never want to push the idea and you should do what makes you most happy on your wedding day! I want to photograph couples as they always dreamed and envisioned.  But for others, the possibilities a first look holds are intriguing, and for many couples, its the best decision. If you are in one of the following scenarios, a first look might just be the thing for you to consider!

1. Your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are at the same location and will happen one immediately following the other. Your cocktail hour is going to be amazing and you really have your heart set on attending and using it as an opportunity to begin celebrating with friends and family. But you of course want to ensure you have time for amazing wedding day portraits…
2. You love the idea of a more relaxed timeline where group shots are taken early in the day and everyone is simply set to celebrate and party on as the ceremony commences.
3. You tend to be super nervous and know that you will feel much calmer having seen each other before walking down the aisle. You want to have those precious few moments alone to be together before the rest of the day unfolds.
4. You really want to utilize a portrait location outside of your wedding venue where both your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are set to be happening one immediately after the other. You know that traveling in Newport on the weekends is tricky and realize that traveling out during cocktail hour could present major time constraints and delays.
5. You are getting married in the winter or late fall and your ceremony will be taking place right around sunset, leaving no daylight left for portraits after your ceremony. You want to have great images of the two of you but don’t want them to be captured all indoors with artificial lighting.
6.  You think that first look images are adorable and like the idea of spending the earlier moments of your celebration together.

I thought I’d follow this chat with some favorite shots of mine from Alissa and Bobby’s first look last month. They celebrated at Regatta Place, one the most beautiful spots in all of Newport in my opinion. But for their first look, they wanted something with a contrasting backdrop and the Newport Mansions was the perfect stop. I often encourage my Newport clients to consider one of the mansions for a number of reasons. For starters, weekends in Newport can be very busy and finding a quality location outside of your venue can be tricky with heavy foot traffic. The mansions provide pretty and diffused light on bright days, gorgeous Newport architecture, trees, and fences, and a good bit more privacy than many of the public locations in high tourist season. The Elms is always my first recommendation, because, well, its just stunning! Check out the images below and you’ll understand why!

  We left the Elms with enough time to head to Regatta Place and grab some shots on the docks….    

After we grabbed lots of great shots of Alissa, Bobby, their bridal party and their family, they escaped up to the bridal suite so that guests wouldn’t see Alissa until the ceremony began. After the ceremony, we grabbed just a few minutes to capture the couple’s beaming newlywed faces as their guest’s transitioned to cocktail hour…   …And then it was time to party and celebrate with their loved ones! Such a fun night!