5 Reason for the "First Look"

Benjamin Clifford Photography

Back in the day the Bride and Groom didn’t see each other for two reasons

1.       Bad luck can come their way if they lay eyes on each other. Mainly, because they had the chance to glimpse the future before it happened.

2.       The goal of arranged marriages were solely to increase respective families real estate portfolios and lineage, the bride often did not see her groom until the day of their wedding so no cold feet would happen to groom until the deal was done.

So romantic right?  

Both of these reasoning don’t make sense anymore – so let’s kick the old out and embrace the new. Brides and Grooms feel a definite sense of anticipation leading up to when a couple first lay eyes on each other but wouldn’t you enjoy, and even benefit from, some private moments together before the whirlwind of their wedding day takes over.  

Hence the concept of the first look!

 Here are 5 reasons for a First Look

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YOU WILL HAVE TIME ALONE TOGETHER

Instead of having your groom wait in room before the ceremony, imagine meeting him in a private place. No one looking, no distractions, just your man standing there waiting for you to walk up and tap his shoulder.

He will turn around finally get the First Look at his stunning bride – and mostly likely cry or at least grin from one cheek to the other.

YOU WILL CALM YOUR NERVES

Wedding days are stressful, no matter how well planned they are in advance.  Getting to spend a moment with your best friend, partner, and your person will give you the ease to not worry. You can relax and clam the butterflies swirling in your stomach.

THE GUEST WON’T HAVE TO WAIT

This one of the main reasons we love First Looks! When the bride and groom get to do some of the family, bridal and romantic portraits before the ceremony they get to attend cocktail hour for a while and actually mingle with their guests. If you decide to opt out of cocktail hour you get more time taking your photos and not be rushed!

YOU WILL GET MORE PORTRAITS

A First Look adds a huge cushion to your timeline and you will get 40% more portraits than couples who opt out.   Also, the bride’s make-up will remain intact with a Frist Look. Often times it will need to be touched up after all the crying during the ceremony, which take time and further delaying the night.

YOU WILL GET THE PHOTOS YOU WANT

The First Look is all about the natural light. Most brides like to get married at dusk for the perfect ambiance and look of the sunset. We agree it’s absolutely gorgeous for outside weddings. However, it leaves your photos during cocktail hour will dull light or no natural light. Trust us, the light before the ceremony is prime for taking those stunning photos you see on Pinterest. We recommend getting any photos done before the ceremony to take full advantage of natural light.

At the end of the day you should remember – On your wedding day, there are no rules, choose to do what makes you happy!

XOXO

Venue: The Wright House

Content: http://moosestudio.com and A Bride’s Book of Wedding Traditions

Photographer: Benjamin Clifford Photography

The Maid of Honor

Jess Legaspi Photography

As long ago as the eleventh century, the notion that a bride would consent to her marriage, even an arranged one, gave weddings a new key player; THE MAID OF HONOR.

The birth of “The Maid of Honor” came upon when the Bride was able to give a say if she wanted to marry. Two reliable witnesses who would vouch for the Bride and Groom, whom were required to sign the wedding registry. What better person to represent the bride than a dear friend?

 Over the years the Maid of Honor role and job duties has transformed to a full list. Today on the blog; we are giving you the top 10 duties any Maid of Honor should make sure she/he completes.

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Top 10 Maid of Honor Duties 

Help Pick Dresses

Help the Bride choose her wedding dress and provide input for the Bridesmaids dresses

Be Pal

Take anything you can off her plate

Make an Emergency Kit

You are also in charge of any last minutes items to pick up

Plan the Bachelorette Party

Make sure you plan everything in the bride’s style – also plan on hosting or co-hosting the bridal shower

Keep everyone on Schedule

Help get those gals to their hair, make up, nails appointments on the big day

Keep the Grooms Ring Safe

Either make sure you walk up there with the ring or whomever else has been chosen (ring bearer or Best Man)

Hold Bouquet during Ceremony

Plan on holding the bouquet, vows and make sure you also fluff the dress train if needed

Sign and witness the marriage license

The original duty as a bridesmaid - probably your most important job

Toast the Bride and Groom

During the reception have a prepared and meaningful speech about the Bride and Groom

Get all the Gifts Home

Make sure all of the gifts are collected and transported to their final destination

Now, when you choose your maid of honor to be by your side as you take your vows, you are connecting with this giant advance women made centuries ago.

XOXO

Jess Legaspi Photography

Photography: Jess Legaspi Photography (Link) 

Venue: The Wright House (Link)

History Content: A Bride's Book of Wedding Traditions - Arlene Hamilton Stewart (Link)

A Valentine Wedding

Are you getting married on Valentine’s Day? Here at The Wright House it has seems like every year we have a Bride and Groom who are ready to tie the knot on the romantic day.  Even if you decide not to tie the knot on that actual day, you can still use Valentines as the theme, which will still have that romantic effect. Let’s fill the air with romance, below are some essentials to make the day perfect;

To bring the Valentine feel  without over doing it we recommend using pinks, and deep burgundy, feel free to mix them with grays, white or even a dark navy. 

Romantic weddings for us means a garden filled with flowers. Bring in the collection of those soft pinks and creams, with lots of greenery to help the colors pop. Create the atmosphere with candlelight and twinkle lights to help set the mood. The center pieces can be simple with lots of candles in different sizes. Our favorite is the deep red chargers with scalped details to bring the secondary color on the tables. We like the use of the red heart ornament as their favor with either a Valentine card or love quote at each table setting. 

A must for the Valentine theme wedding is walking toward your groom on a blanket of rose petals. We love how our florist "Flower by Ellen" made this beautiful design down the aisle. Another must is having sweets and lots of them, pink, red, gold in variations of candy, chocolates or macaroons. 

To warp up the theme make sure you have your girl in one of the colors that complete them. The soft pink worked perfectly for these bridesmaids. We also loved the personal touch of the unity painting done during the ceremony. The painting really added to the ceremony and the entire evening it was out on display adding to the theme. Remember any theme you want to bring in should be done in those small details, like the programs and the cake. This cake is perfect for the Valentine theme wedding. The naked cake showcasing the red velvet with the pops of flowers says Valentine LOVE! 

In the end no matter what you do - show case the LOVE! Happy Valentine's Day 

XOXO