Another hot summer wedding at the Battle-Friedman Home!

A HUGE thanks goes out to Sarah for assisting me with this wedding. I wasn’t feeling well that day and literally couldn’t have done it without her!

One of the most important things about photographing a wedding day is the bride and groom’s “first look.” In years past, the bride and groom were not to see each other until the bride is walking down the aisle. That tradition is quickly fading away. When the bride and groom let go of tradition and allow their photographer to shoot the majority of the photos before the ceremony, it makes an easy day for everyone.

The guests benefit because they don’t have to wait between the ceremony and the reception. The photos are out of the way and the bride and groom can usually go straight from the ceremony to cake cutting. The bride and groom are also less stressed. They immediately get to enjoy the reception without having to rush through pictures. It is in my experience that when the bride and groom have their photos made after the ceremony, they are exhausted and their desire for photos has diminished. They are left with but a few photos of them as a couple.

It also makes the day much more special. Whose wedding day is it? It’s the bride and groom’s. They should enjoy it together. With the first look taking place as soon as the two are dressed, they can enjoy being together instead of hiding from each other.

Most people think having the couple’s photos made before the wedding will take away from the sentimate of the aisle walk. Not only is that false, but it also provides for not one, but two special moments. As the bride comes down the aisle, it will be special to the groom no matter what. Having a first look creates another special moment and those emotions are carried into the photos.

So how does a “first look” work? Once the bride and groom are dressed and ready to go, the location for the first look is cleared of any onlookers. The groom gets in his place and waits for his bride. Once the bride reaches her groom and I’ve snapped all the photos I want, the couple is left alone for a few minutes. It’s a great way to ease the stress of the wedding day.

Here is my favorite first look that happened just two weeks ago.

Jimmy & Melissa were married at Christ Episcopal Church downtown. The church has a beautiful garden and nice architecture. There are no photos of the ceremony (church rules).

Misti & Chris had a beautiful wedding at the Battle Friedman Home in Downtown Tuscaloosa. What a hot day it was on May 15!! I couldn’t have done it without Sarah and Bryan. Thanks guys for all your help.

Check out even more photos by watching the slideshow at the end. Click the arrow in the middle to play.

I assisted Sarah with this wedding. It was so sweet. Dan and Mandy were already married. They tied the knot just before he left for Iraq. This was the actual ceremony after his return.

 
THANKS DAN FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY!

Some call it Trash the Dress, others call it Down and Dirty. I’ve coined my own term, Unformal Bridal. I got the idea for the name after hearing the term “undead” which means, what used to be dead, now seems alive. Well, what used to be formal is now relaxed. The bride doesn’t have to “trash” her dress. She just needs to be willing to go to odd locations that contrast her beautiful white gown. Although it does help if the bride doesn’t mind getting a little dirty.

My first subjects were my sister-in-law Jill and her sister Summer. The day we chose was… what word should I use… YUCKY! We knew it’d be difficult to reschedule. Summer lives at the northern tip of Alabama, almost in Chattanooga. Jill lives in northeast Alabama. Here I am in west Alabama. So, the girls took in deep breaths and stood out in the rain and did everything I suggested.

I’ve been waiting to blog these for months. Now that their mother’s Christmas present (a 16×20 of the last picture below, along with a few other 8×10s from the session) has been presented, I’m free to show them off!

THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!

Let me start out by saying,

“Go Gators!”

Now that I’ve got that out of my system.

Chris is Jennifer’s brother. He and Misti caught the boquet and garter at Jennifer’s wedding last May. He though it only fair that he proposed. Just kidding. They were basically engaged at that time anyway. He made it official during their tour of Bryant Denny Stadium this past summer. We went back to do their engagement shoot. Only this time, it was much colder.

Misti & Chris’s wedding will be in May at the beautiful Battle Friedman Home. The ceremony will be outside (Yay!). Pray for awesome weather!

Dan and Mandy said their vows last December just before Dan left for Iraq. He’s been back for a few months. Yesterday they celebrated their marriage with a ceremony complete with a wedding dress, bridesmaids, cake and all. I was priviledged to assist Sarah with the photography. The day went as perfect as anyone could ask for. The sky was blue. The sun wasn’t too overwhelming. Not hot and not cold. No wind. I hope to share the great images I captured very soon. But for now here’s a very special one that is dedicated to all of our troops, past, present, future, overseas, back at home, in the reserves, etc.

Sarah was my second shooter for Elizabeth & Joseph’s wedding back in August. Here’s a shot I took of her playing with the umbrella I had handy (just in case). Luckily, I never got to the point of having to convince Elizabeth that pictures in the rain could be romantic.