I always enjoy photographing the wedding party while they are getting ready for the wedding day. There is much hustle and bustle going on, folks are coming and going, brides-maids waiting their turn for hair and make-up. The fun appears never-ending and the bubbly flows and flows. I love the relaxed atmosphere during that time of the wedding day; I love listening to the stories that are being told, and trust me, there are always stories! Tales about childhood friendships, first dates, bad dates and anything else one might imagine.
Sometimes I worry that I am the intruder but then I remind myself that I am here to do a job and that will get me centered and focused.
The first look is a whole different concept. Often, we are in a time crunch, and the one thing you can depend on is that nothing runs on time during a wedding day. It is just the way it is. If we planned for 45 minutes to photograph the first-look, and/or pictures with the wedding party, we probably only have 25 to 30 minutes. However rushed it might get though when the groom waits for his soon-to-be-wife, and she walks towards him;  those moments are amazing, and then when he turns around and sees her for the first time… talk about real authentic, raw moments! As photographers, that is what we all live for.