Imagine our faces when we swung open the doors to the Botanical Gardens, to see a packed house of overly-sugared Easter best-dressed children in a mile long line for a picture opp with a big fluffy adult-sized bunny. An audio backdrop of crying kids and stressed out parents.
Yeah, that's how our first attempt at this engagement session went. FAIL.
Even though I prefer how beautiful skin tones look outside for family photos, I know that your mom or grandma won’t stop about the tradition of the altar photos at your church to match their own. And I respect their wishes. And I have flash to help. BUT we all need to have an understanding about TIME.
So there’s this trend in the industry right now that I despise. One that brides are gushing over and have requested from me most of 2021.
The infamous First Look with your bridesmaids.
👍🏻 I know I’m supposed to nod and smile when receiving Pinterest requests, but here’s the deal: It’s painted as this picture-perfect moment all over social, where you’re walking into a room as a bride for the first time with your wedding dress on, and you get the reaction of a lifetime from your best friends, adorned in their own dresses, over how beautiful you look. Bonus points to the Maid of Honor who makes her mascara run and puts her hands up to her face like Kevin in Home Alone.
☀️ And I’m here to shine some light to brides on how you are making your morning as complicated as it can get by trying to set this “moment” up.
I know you love the idea of this photo. But let’s remember, one of the reasons I’m here is to be as honest and upfront to my couples as possible in order to reduce logistical stress on your wedding day.
⛈ So let me be frank...The Bridesmaids First Look photo will rain dreaded chaos in the morning upon yourself, and more than likely piss off your girls. Here’s why...
There are 1,000 reasons for my photography dance during bridal prep hours. It mostly has to do with keeping my bride calm and in the moment. Want to know what ruins that? A clock and not enough space for everyone.
🎬 Scene: You are ready to put your wedding dress on, around an hour before you need to leave. We select the room with the best light for this, no matter what room that may be. If we’re in a hotel room, well, we’re in the hotel room. If we’re in a house, it could be the living room. It could be the sunroom. Hell, I’ve even done this in a kitchen once. But it will more than likely NOT be in the messy, secluded dark bedroom upstairs.
💄 Now you also have hair & makeup sprawled out in the hotel room/1st floor of the house, where bridesmaids are most certainly still getting done up, because brides go FIRST in the chairs. Not last.
If you truly want your girls to be surprised, this requires halting all getting ready, and kicking them out of the good-light space for you to put your dress on. If you have one hotel room, this means the girls have to hike it to the hallway or lobby for 30 minutes in their pajamas while you get your dress, veil, and jewelry on. Yes, it takes that long. Yes, MacKenzie is going to be PISSED.
😱 Now you’re ready to be unveiled to them, because we need to move about to take bridal portraits, your awaiting dad wants to see you, etc. Guess what? Only half of them are dressed, one can’t find their shoes, and because 99% of things run late on a wedding day, two are makeupless and NOT going to agree to be in a photo.
See what we have here? Chaos.
My advice? Let that shit go. Let the girls’ first look happen as it happens. Let them for real see you for the first time, you in your dress and them in their robes maybe. I will FOR SURE capture any real reactions that take place. I will ALWAYS set up a scenario to the best of its potential for the love of the photo, maybe they’re grouped together, maybe they’re not.
📸 But point being, just let the idea be imperfect. That’s when the stills captured are authentic, the faces are honest, and it makes for an even better Kevin Home Alone reaction. I promise.
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏽♀️🙋🏾♀️Who here can attest to the above?? Or maybe you had a different experience? Let’s discuss!
