Elyse and Dan Wedding in Hartford, CT

Elyse and Dan chose to reserve time at the Hartford City Hall, and I am glad they did! The day before the wedding was rainy, so even though the weather was great for the wedding, the ground was too soft for many outdoor locations. We took pictures on every level of the City Hall. I love the light in the building!

Elyse's shoes were not only stylish, but they were also extra sparkly.

There was a spot beside Elyse's family's dining room window that was great for some quick portraits. I also love the wooden tables that were available to take pictures of the jewelry.

Elyse and Dan knew what to expect from interacting with each other during the engagement session, so it made the time at Hartford City Hall flow very nicely. I was impressed by how well Elyse navigated the spiral staircase in the heels and dress. It makes my job very easy when the bride and groom interact so naturally.

Congratulations, Elyse and Dan! Best of luck!

Special thanks to Nicole Gentile for helping to photograph the wedding! The last picture below was taken by Nicole.

Laina and John's Engagement Session at UCLA - Los Angeles Photographer

Laina and John were up for suggestions about where to have their engagement session. It so happens that they live near UCLA. Is there a better campus for an engagement session? Laina asked if they could include their Boston Terrier named "Jeter". But they forgot to mention that Jeter is a highly skilled model. Jeter certainly earned some serious camera time. I loved that Laina, John, and Jeter brought along their Yankees uniforms. Laina and John look fantastic together! I am excited about their wedding coming up near my home state CT!

Priscilla & Samuel Engagement Session at Newport Beach

Priscilla and Samuel's engagement session at Newport Beach on Balboa Island was a whole lot of fun! The clouds held off and we were fortunate to have plenty of sun on the beach. There were a few little spots near the ferris wheel that made for some fantastic backdrops. I loved the bright colors in the area. Don't Priscilla and Samuel look great together?

The Value: First Look

Travis Flynn Photography is excited about this new year of weddings! They will be here before we know it, but first let me introduce a "Value" running-series this year.

Every month the blog will take a look at the value of optional parts of the wedding day. If you think of a topic you would like discussed, I would like to know: travis@travisflynnphotography.com

The "first look" trend has been growing in recent years. Instead of waiting for the ceremony for the bride and groom to see each other, many couples are deciding to see each other earlier in the day.

Drawbacks:
1) Some couples want the magical moment to be during the ceremony
2) The bride, groom, and often others have to get ready earlier in the morning for this to work.

Benefits:
1) It typically frees up time for the bride, groom, and others to enjoy cocktail hour.
2) More pictures can typically be taken of the bride and groom together before the ceremony than after. Or it results in more time between the ceremony and reception for just pictures of the bride and groom, since group portraits (including pictures with both the bride and groom) were taken earlier.
3) It can often result in better, and more intimate, pictures of the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time than during the ceremony, when angles of capturing both the bride and groom are limited.

There are certainly valid reasons for either take on this. Let us know what you think from your experience in the comment section below!