Our First Look

It’s been a while since I shared a wedding post! Today’s post is all about our first look. I knew that I wanted to do a first look with Michael for a couple of reasons: First, I really wanted to take the stress off of getting all of our photos together after the ceremony. The weather can be unpredictable in June, with afternoon showers and storms being common, so the idea of having two different times during the day scheduled for photos made me feel at ease. We also really wanted to be able to spend time with our loved ones during our cocktail hour before the reception, and doing most of our photos together prior to the ceremony gave us the chance to do so.

The second reason was that I really loved the idea of spending a few minutes with Michael before the wedding. There was so much excitement leading up to our wedding day, and I’ll admit, some nerves (which is totally normal)! The thought of being able to see Michael before our wedding gave me a sense of peace.

I am so happy with our decision, and our first look was truly was one of my favorite moments of the day. My dad drove me to meet Michael at a beautiful location in Wachesaw Plantation where moss-covered live oak trees form an ‘avenue’ of oaks, which I knew would be the perfect backdrop for photos. There were some clouds hanging over threatening to rain, so I was worried about how the photos would turn out. However, we only had the lightest sprinkle during our first look, which felt like the ‘good luck’ rain that everyone talks about on wedding days. We were so fortunate for the ideal weather our entire wedding day!

a groom getting ready with his father — Michael and his dad getting ready

a bride with her father — Michael and his dad getting ready

Of course, we had to have our pup, Beau, join us for our first look! I can’t get over how sweet he looks in these photos. He had the biggest grin on his face!

a dog with its tongue out — _{Photos by Rachel Red Photography}

a bride and groom with their brown dog — _{Photos by Rachel Red Photography}

Looking through these photos again brings up the most wonderful memories of a day we will always cherish. I’m looking forward to sharing some moments from our ceremony and reception on my next post!

-A