How to make a first look work, under any circumstance...

Every now and then we run into a snag on a wedding day. It can be the salon took longer than expected for hair, or the rental company hasn't delivered the chairs yet, or the weather doesn't cooperate. In the case that inspired this blog post, it was the weather. Tiffany and Tim had a beautiful outdoor ceremony planned in June. The chairs were set, the salon was on time but the rain clouds wouldn't disperse.

There were a few worries that came along with this. 1. Would they have to move the ceremony inside? 2. Where would we have the first look if it's pouring cats and dogs? and 3. Will we have access to areas in the building on the grounds where the ceremony was being held.

We had an hour or so at the getting ready location to shoot details, decide on an inclement weather plan and wait. Wait for those pesky rain clouds to get the heck outta dodge. But they didn't. Right about the time we would have been standing out under the big oak tree on the front lawn of Kent State Stark campus, it started storming. And I mean wind whirling and thunder rolling storming.

How we handled it:
1. They moved the ceremony inside, as well as the first look. We gave our unbiased opinions when asked, and gave Tiffany until the very latest second to decide what to do. We didn't rush or make demands, we simple reassured and waited.
2. We were given access to the Kent State Stark Main Hall, and the ceremony was to be held in the auditorium instead of on the front lawn.
3. While Tiffany was calculating her decisions, we scrambled inside the building to find a decent spot for their first look.
We looked for a place that:
1. Had natural light.
2. Was intimate and comfortable. (where passersby wouldn't interrupt the intimate moment.)
3. That we could adjust the elements. (we moved furniture, opened doors, turned off TVs)
4. That didn't have a lot going on in the background. There were no bathroom signs, desks or chairs, or posters on the walls. (well, there were some things we wished weren't there but nothing that a simple fix in post couldn't fix)

We decided on the entry way in the lower level. It was out of the way of guests arriving, and off the path of anyone traveling from the building or to the restroom. It had BIG windows, though they were covered outside with yellow and blue awnings, it was the best natural light we could find. It was quiet, and spacious and bright. There was a set of doors in the back, which made for easy access for Tiffany from the car as Tim anxiously waited inside for her arrival.

It wasn't ideal. It wasn't perfect. But it was JUST as special and JUST as beautiful as outside under the big oak tree. Here are a few shots:

The yellow and blue add a little bit of fun after all. The furniture in this shot was a minor detail compared to the moment I didn't want to miss.

The collection of handicap accessible doors made for a glitzy frame for this shot! Removal of a handicap sign in post and voila!

If we managed to shoot straight on, you almost couldn't tell we were inside.

This shot was as Tiff walked in, that nice blank wall was behind her! What you can't see if that there was a TV hanging in the corner and a trash can below it.

Here you can see the picnic area in the background...but it's not SUPER annoying, I actually like the lines.

 So, a first look location doesn't need to be straight out of a magazine to be successful. But it does make it easier!!