Wedding Recap: We Get Our First Looks

After putting the finishing touches on my bridal look (and some portraits with my beautiful girls, which I will share later!), I finally got to see Handsome Husband for the first time on our wedding day!

We had been engaged for over 22 months at this point, and there was a lot of build-up to this one moment. Early on in our engagement, HH and I had decided to go the first-look route.  We (really being me) wanted to really utilize our time with our photographer, as well as getting to spend the most time with our guests during our reception.  We did a first-look and only had about 15 minutes of family portraits to do after the ceremony.  I am so glad we went this route, because I think I would have been a crying mess had I waited to see HH until the moment I started walking down the aisle.

Our photographer got me all set-up on one of the beautiful bridges at Coyote Hills Golf Course, while her assistant led my groom out with her hands over his eyes.  She had him turn away from and wait for her count to turn around to get his first look at me as a bride!

She counted 1, 2, 3 - and the moment we both had been waiting for finally happened!  

(Handsome Husband gets his first look)

(And I get mine, gum-smiling and all)

He walked up to, told me how beautiful I looked (he's well-trained), and kissed me for the first time on our wedding day.

Our photographers handled this moment so wonderfully.  They gave us enough distance for us to really have an intimate moment with one another, but still were able to capture these beautiful photos.  HH and I talked about how crazy it was that the day was really here, and that I was in a wedding dress.  We talked about how our mornings went, and how excited everyone around us had been all day.  We told each other we loved each other, and that we couldn't wait until the end of the night when we would get to go to bed for the first time together as man and wife.  This was the only time in the entire day I was overcome with emotion, but I managed to shed just a tear or two.

(Wiping away one of the few tears shed)

("Well, what do you think??")

I cannot reiterate enough how glad I am we decided to do the first-look.  It's not for everyone, but it worked out so wonderfully for us, and I am so glad we had the time we wanted to get all of the beautiful pictures DeeDee and Tiffanie took for us.

Next: I take photos with my beautiful bridesmaids.

All photos from D2 Photography Studio in Riverside, California.