A winter "First Look" | Photography Tips

For those that don't live in Michigan (recently recognized as the second worst state for winters in the country) - Sunlight is seriously lacking. The sun sets in the winter at 5 PM. And we all miss it.

Winter weddings have some amazing advantages and some serious disadvantages. Are you planning a Winter Wedding? Let me fill you in a few things:

*Have a Church Wedding? Winter Church Weddings can be amazing - a church fully dressed up in winter foliage (poinsettias, trees, twinkle lights) that YOU DID NOT PAY FOR! Churches during the Christmas season are so well decorated and it's beautiful! 

*Snowy Bride and Groom Portraits are OH SO ROMANTIC! I mean, seriously. If you're going to have a winter wedding please (oh, please!) be brave enough to throw on a gorgeous wrap and spend 5 minutes outside in the snow. It's worth it.

*Winter Portraits: Winter light is interesting, often softer but sometimes more dramatic which can create such beautiful images. If we have to use other light sources (Off Camera Flash or Strobes) we can even bring in more drama to portraits. It definitely sets the winter tone as summer weddings have light galore for hours on end. It's beautiful. 

*Planning Ahead for the Lack of Light: This is a serious matter. Working with a photographer that has a plan for either alternative lighting or helps you prepare to shoot some or all of your portraits before the sunsets is a MUST. I never try to talk my clients into a  First Look. It's their wedding day - they can decide when/how they first see their partner. BUT, my only exception are winter weddings. If you want naturally lit portraits a First Look is almost always a must. 

So today I show you a gorgeous church winter wedding (at St Joseph Oratory in Detroit) with a first look just before the ceremony. This bride and groom just got married on New Year Eve here in Detroit, Michigan. They had a gorgeous church and wanted to see each other beforehand, choosing the main aisle as the place for the encounter. It was beautiful! The natural light coming in from the stainglass windows was perfectly beautiful and slightly dramatic and they were so excited to see one another. 

Enjoy their first look!