The first look

By Robyn Gautschy

Capturing a private moment between the bride and groom before the wedding has become quite popular with couples and their photographers, and for good reason.

"It's a really intimate time. It also really helps out with the timing on wedding photography," says Stephanie Goddard of Goddard Photography in Jackson.

A wedding is a big deal, and all that planning, timing and pressure can be enough for a couple to lose the specialness of the day, she explains. The "first look" gives the couple a few moments on their own before it all begins.

"I absolutely love the first look," says Elaine Rohde Pobst of Elaine Rohde Photography. "My biggest reason is that the couple gets to share an emotional and intimate moment together before the ceremony. This moment always leads to amazing photos of the first instant they see each other. This moment also serves to relieve the stress, tension and anxiousness that are inevitable on a wedding day -- not to mention, this may be the only quiet moment they have together for the rest of their wedding day."

First-look photos make for a more relaxed wedding day overall. When the wedding portraits are taken after the ceremony, many couples feel pressured knowing that their guests are waiting for them at the reception, says Goddard.

"The couple seeing each other before the ceremony allows the whole wedding party to be photographed before the ceremony," says Pobst. "This is especially helpful when there is not much time between the ceremony and the reception for photos, or during those months when it gets dark early, making outdoor photographs more difficult."

Pobst says she likes to keep the first look simple and realistic: She'll have the groom face toward her as the bride walks up from behind, then have him turn around when she reaches him. Pobst captures images as the bride walks and once the groom turns around; if she has a second photographer, he or she can capture images from the opposite perspective.

"My advice is for the couple to focus on each other and try to forget that I'm there and to act on what they're feeling at the moment," says Pobst. "Hug, cry, kiss -- just enjoy the moment for as long as they'd like."

Goddard likes to put the bride in a private space, bring the groom to her in a blindfold, then take off the blindfold.

"It's usually just the three of us," she says. "I take pictures of the initial reaction, then dismiss myself for a personal time for them. I love it."

Some couples prefer not to see each other before the ceremony, but there are still ways to capture that one-on-one moment. Goddard recently worked with a bride and groom who didn't want to see each other before the wedding, but did want to pray together first. They each donned masks and stood back to back while holding hands and saying a prayer. Goddard has photographed other couples separated by doorways.

The next "first look" comes at the start of the wedding ceremony. Wendy Cooper of Something Blue Photography in Cape Girardeau says most of her brides don't want to be seen before the ceremony, but they do love having images of the groom as the bride starts walking down the aisle.

"It is always such a sweet moment to see the pride and joy in a groom's face when he sees his bride," says Cooper. "It is good if the venue is set up so there is a clear view for the groom to see the bride right as she comes out -- the closer the better."

If first-look photos are important to you, Goddard says to make sure the photographer you choose can have two photographers available for the wedding. Goddard works with her husband, so while she's photographing the bride and her father walking down the aisle, her husband is zeroed in on the groom -- it's almost always her favorite shot of the wedding.

"It's a fleeting moment," she says. "It happens as soon as the doors open and it only lasts a few seconds."

The next day option

Another up-and-coming trend is taking photos the day after the wedding, says Stephanie Goddard of Goddard Photography. Again, this relieves some pressure from the wedding day and makes for a more relaxed photo session. The couple gets dressed up again, but perhaps more casually, with the bride's hair down and the groom in his comfortable shoes.