Erin and Johnny: Getting Ready and First Look

Erin and Johnny were married at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle early this month. It was a fun Steven Moore Designs wedding with a large, boisterous wedding party set in downtown Seattle. Before this wedding, I hadn't had much opportunity for urban wedding photography and I loved all the new visual elements to work with. You'll have to wait for those shots however, because I'm starting with a post dedicated to photographs made of Erin getting ready as well as her first look with Johnny.

I love shooting the getting ready shots because there are so many opportunities -- the bride is surrounded by her best friends on the happiest day of her life, making for perfect candid moments in an emotionally charged situation. There is also a chance to be creative with still-life shots of the dress, shoes and other details. The light is often ideal for photography because it comes in directionally and softly from a window. The Hyatt was especially nice because it had huge windows covering one entire wall.

And of course, Erin and Johnny were wonderful people to photograph. They're easy going, fun, and willing to brave the cold weather! :) Just look at the emotion in the frames from the first look and try to tell me these two aren't in love.