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david springer estate

Why Should You Do a First Look at Your Wedding?

May 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment
groom crying during wedding ceremony bride reaction revival house stratford
bride and groom first look in green garden
Danica & Tom’s First Look

The wedding day “first look” has been growing in popularity in recent years. Rather than the tradition of the couple first seeing each other on their wedding day as they meet at the altar, they meet earlier in the day, revealing their wedding attire and having an intimate moment. Seeing each other ahead of the ceremony relieves a lot of the growing anticipation the two may be feeling and allows for the two to really take in this authentic moment. When a couple sees each other for the first time during the ceremony, not only are they in front of an audience of guests, but they have a number of rehearsed things to do and say, possibly taking away from their ability to have a real moment with each other. The main reason, however, for a First Look is to allow the formal photos to be taken before the ceremony. It means the ceremony can be scheduled for later in the day and allow your guests to immediately go to the cocktail hour from the ceremony, rather than have to wait around for 3 hours while the wedding party goes for photos – it also often means the newlyweds can attend their cocktail hour and be present at their own party.

In this post, I’m looking to explore pre-ceremony “first looks” and the traditional moment of reveal, during the ceremony, from either end of the aisle. Some who go the traditional route may feel that seeing each other before the ceremony will take away the special moment during the ceremony, but in my experience, the couple seeing each other ahead of time doesn’t negate an emotional response during the ceremony. Take Danica and Tom, for example. They opted to see each other before the ceremony, allowing us to get the majority of their formal photos out of the way, and giving them the freedom to join their party earlier in the night.  The above set of photos is their first look before we began their wedding party photos. The moment was emotional and special and in a beautiful, private location by a waterfall. Below is the moment they saw each other during their ceremony. Though they had already spent several hours together, they still had a beautiful, emotional reaction.

groom's emotional reaction to seeing his bride during outdoor ceremony
Danica & Tom’s Wedding Ceremony
bride and groom first look in carmen's hotel lobby hamilton
Brenda & Reid’s First Look
bride and groom's crying during carmen's banquet hall ceremony hamilton
Brenda & Reid’s Wedding Ceremony

Reid’s reaction to seeing Brenda walk down the aisle brought tears, while at their first look he was all smiles. My wife and I also had a first look on our wedding day and I can say from first hand experience that even after seeing your bride earlier in the day, the emotion really hits when you see her walking towards you at the beginning of the ceremony. I was calm and collected all day long until that moment and that’s when I started getting choked up. During Sarah & Ari’s first look, Sarah couldn’t hold back the tears, while Ari held it together.

bride and groom first look fantasy farm wedding toronto
Sarah & Ari’s First Look
groom sees bride for the first time springer estate wedding
Beverly & Vish’s First Look
groom bites fist upin seeing bride during first look
Becky & Wyatt’s First Look
bride and groom backyard deck first look
bride and groom exchange gifts and letters during backyard first look Sarah & Joel’s First Look
bride and groom first see each other during steinmann mennonite church ceremony
bride and groom first see each other during church ceremony Sarah & Joel’s Wedding Ceremony

The first look can hold more surprises than each others’ wedding outfit. At Sarah & Joel’s first look, the couple exchanged a letter they each wrote to the other and the other’s wedding band, which made the moment even sweeter. John also gave Melissa a few gifts at their first look, including an engraved jewelry box and a beautiful pair of earrings.

bride and groom's first look under tree victoria park kitchener
bride and groom's first look under treegroom gives bride jewelry box and earrings gift Melissa & John’s First Look
bride & groom emotional first look staircase hotel inn on the twenty
Ashley & Matt’s Inn on the Twenty Wedding First Look
bride and groom first look by backyard fence
Laura & Jarred’s Bellamere Winery Wedding First Look
bride and groom winter first look white gloves
Dana & Joe’s Rebel Creek Wedding First Look
bride and her father's first look at revival house stratford staircase
Jamie and her father, Marc’s First Look

Some brides with special relationships with their fathers, like Jaime, will opt to also have a first look with their dad, so that the moment he sees his little girl in her wedding dress is documented. Jamie also shared a first look with her then husband-to-be, Steven on the balcony that overlooks the Stratford Wedding venue. Steven’s reaction during their first reaction was sweet, but not overly emotional, which made his reaction during their ceremony, after several hours of formal photos, even more surprising.

At the end of the day, whether you and your husband or wife-to-be share a private first look hours before the ceremony, or keep the tradition of waiting until the processional to first see each other, and whether you’re all smiles or reaching for the nearest box of tissues, your moment will be its own sweet, unique mix of emotions, as you each look into the eyes of your best friend, preparing yourself for the official beginning of your journey through life together.

bride and groom indoor first look revival house stratford
bride and groom indoor first look revival house stratford Jamie & Steven’s Revival House First Look
groom crying during wedding ceremony bride reaction revival house stratford
wedding ceremony in converted church revival house stratford Jamie & Steven’s Stratford Wedding Ceremony

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Posted in: Tips & Advice, Wedding Tagged: carmens banquet hall, david springer estate, fantasy farm, inn on the twenty, kitchener, london, rebel creek, revival house, steinmann mennonite church, stratford, toronto, victoria park, wilmot township

David Springer Estate Wedding – Burlington, Ontario

April 13, 2018 by 2 Comments
bride & groom stand by stone wall at springer estate

You would never know it by the photos in this post, but when I arrived at David Springer Estate in Burlington, ON for Beverly & Vish’s June wedding, I was preparing myself for a wet, rainy day of wedding photos. It had already rained earlier in the day and another dark cloud was moving over this beautiful 1830s home, threatening to pour as I was unloading my gear from my trunk. I took a look around the gorgeous property, nearly grieving for the beautiful wedding photos I could have taken, if the rain wasn’t an issue. Attempting to stay positive, I went inside to find Beverly & Vish, each getting ready in separate rooms of the beautiful historic wedding venue.

david springer estate wedding venue Burlington
filipina bride with henna getting makeup done
filipina bride and indian groom getting ready wedding prep
bridal shoes, green and white rose bouquet, engraved wedding bands

After a couple hours of rain, the bride and groom were each ready to take their pre-ceremony formal photos. I took a peek outside, pleased to see that the clouds moved on and the sun made its first appearance since I arrived. As we were setting up for Beverly & Vish’s first look outside Springer House, we could see that the sunlight’s heat was causing steam to rise from the wet grass on the front lawn. Thinking we might only have a short time before the rain returned, I took a walk around the property with Beverly & Vish, capturing their incredible connection and love for each other through portraits.

bride and groom first look old springer house burlington
bride and groom portraits old springer house burlington
bride wedding attire details
bride and groom portraits at old springer house burlington with carriage buggy

Before too long, it was time for the guests to begin arriving and for the ceremony to start. To my surprise, the clear skies stuck around and the ceremony could be held outside as planned. The ceremony was set up behind the house, near a gorgeous old shed, which stands in front of the ruins of an old stone wall. The wall, I would guess, was once part of a larger barn, shed, or perhaps a house. Beverly & Vish really wanted their wedding to feel authentic to them, so some of the formalities and traditions normally associated with weddings were abandoned for a more causal, low-key occasion. It was sweet, beautiful and perfect for Beverly & Vish. They said their vows in front of a wall of hanging origami cranes, which symbolize happiness and eternal youth.

wedding ceremony details and guests at old springer house burlington
bride with parents and guests at old springer house outdoor wedding ceremony
bride and guests old springer house outdoor ceremony
ring exchange wedding ceremony old springer house burlington
wedding ceremony kiss with paper cranes old springer house burlington
bride and groom portrait by old brick wall at springer house burlington
wedding photo booth with comic book props bishplz2017

After the ceremony, the couple joined their guests for an outdoor cocktail hour on the patio and yard to the side of the Old Springer House, as the staff prepared for dinner service to begin. Beverly & Vish put an enormous amount of work into personalizing the details of their wedding, including a custom picture frame for photo booth style photos, a window pane seating chart, a chalkboard “guestbook” and small potted plants for each guest, each with their own personalized, illustrated tag. Their reception was packed full of interactive games, which had guests chuckling throughout.

wedding reception details old springer house burlington
bride and groom kiss, guests dance and laugh at wedding reception old springer house

To end off my night, I invited the newlyweds out to the back of the David Springer Estate property, which opens up to a field that offers a gorgeous distant view of the hills of the Niagara Escarpment. The golden, late-day sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a brief few moments before disappearing below the horizon. Congratulations Beverly & Vish!

creative wedding photo ideas focus bokeh black and white old springer house burlington
golden hour sunset wedding photos bride and groom portraits burlington toronto

If you’re planning a wedding at David Springer Estate, connect with me!

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Posted in: Wedding Tagged: burlington, david springer estate, mansion wedding, niagara escarpment

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