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1st First Look

January 18, 2011

I’m Catherine.
A New Orleans based wedding photographer and educator. We are excited you are here and cannot wait to connect with you!.
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My heart was beating at a much quicker pace than normal. And I began to feel the pressure of what was about to happen. I turned to Dustin and he was all smiles. He said his heart felt like it would beat out of his chest; he was SO excited to see her.

As I walked him to the edge of the brick pavement, I pretended as though we were shooting a few of him. And there she was…walking up behind him to surprise Dustin before the wedding.

The concept is much debated: Called the “First Look” it’s an opportunity for the bride and groom to see each other. I’ve talked to several of my couples about the pros and cons and they were the first to take the plunge. So, I was nervous. And I wanted it to be perfect.

Dustin had no idea his bride was walking up behind him. And as I was casually instructing him for the photos, I asked him to turn around, and there she was.

The moments to follow were priceless…

As the tears rolled down his face, my nerves disappeared. I photographed them without saying a word and captured this special moment for them.

Gretchen was the first to notice. As we looked over to our left, we saw their closest friends and family peering through the window….all smiles.

On the wedding day, things can get hectic. By reserving this time following the first look for a short session, I am able to capture the the bride and groom in a pre-determined location…alone. For the bride and groom on their wedding day, there is usually little to no time for them to spend alone enjoying the moment.

Beautiful!

Thank you two so much for trusting me and for taking the risk. I couldn’t be more excited that you felt it was worth it!!!

By agreeing to a First Look, Gretchen + Dustin were able to enjoy the following:

  • Most importantly, they were able to see each other….ALONE…before anyone else. They were able to embrace each other, to cry, and to prepare for the biggest day of their lives. I asked them after if they could do it all over again if they would have waited and Dustin said,

“I was completely surprised and loved this moment…I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

  • We spent the time following their first look taking beautiful images of them….the type of pictures that usually get left behind in the rush of a wedding day.
  • They were able to take all bridal party pictures in the last bit of daylight…allowing for more creative bridal party images.
  • Family photos were also taken before the ceremony, allowing Gretchen + Dustin to go as quickly as they’d like into their reception.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on doing a “First Look”…no matter if  you’re for or against it.

Feel free to comment in the comment box below!

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  1. Nancy Dauzat (Dustin's Mother) says:

    Catherine, I am falling in love all over again with the special moments on this beautiful day. Thank you for sharing…we all want to see more. You did a beautiful job and I’m so excited to see more..thank you for sharing all the beauty of this wonderful day..You know Dustin is so special to my husband and I since he has gone through so much we are so happy that GOD has blessed him. Again thank you…looking for more beautiful captured moments.

  2. Nancy Dauzat says:

    I might add that we are so happy for both he and Gretchen. She is so right for Dustin and we love her. Our two families are very special and combining the two cultures made this union even more special. Again thank you for capturing all the beauty of not only Dustin and Gretchen but this beautiful day!

  3. Pam Jackson (Dustin's Aunt) says:

    I took particular notice of the fact that Gretchen and Dustin were able to enjoy their reception with all of us, instead of having to pose for photos the entire time. I think this is a wonderful idea and will recommend to other couples.

  4. Beth says:

    ok Cat (wiping tears from my eyes)…it’s so indescribable how emotional your photos and the stories are! I understand the feeling you were descibing about being nervous when this happened…I am only a viewer looking at these pictures and on the very first one with Gretchen in the background my tummy got tight with a nervous feeling myself. Then when i saw the next 2 pics when they saw each other i just teared up so much just as if it were me and George going through the same emotion. If you can make someone just looking at these FEEL THE EMOTION that the bride and groom feel…WOW!!!

  5. Gretchen Dauzat ;) says:

    Catherine,

    I was just looking at these pictures again and I thought I should add why we chose to do the “First Look.” First, of all I want to say that I’m not superstitious at all, which I think is the reason why many couples decide not to do the this. I am also a very emotional person and thought if Dustin and I saw each other before the wedding I would be less nervous and I could let out my emotions in an intimate setting other than in the middle of our mass. Yes, if you look at the blog with the rest of the pictures we still did cry…but just think how much worse it would have been if we hadn’t seen each other! HAHA After I saw him all my nerves went away and I felt so at peace the rest of the time. We also chose to do the first look because I wanted to take as many pictures as we could before the wedding so we would be right behind all of our guest and really enjoy the reception. It really worked out great because our mass actually ran about 30 minutes over (which is happens more than people expect), so if we would have taken all the pictures after the mass we would have been soo late to the reception. FINALLY I wanted the first time for Dustin to see me to be so intimate..just me and him…because at the end of the day that is what this whole day was about and I’m glad we we picked the most amazing photographer to capture on of the most important days of our lives! Hope this helps any couples that had any questions about the “First look” I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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