Kiki & Peter Intimate Destination Wedding in Zion | As Featured in Rocky Mountain Bride

Kiki and Peter met through a mutual friend after college, while both living in Wisconsin. The two hit off over a Brewers’ game and quickly became inseparable. From Madison to Milwaukee, the couple dated long distance for over a year and a half. Kiki and Peter eventually moved to Phoenix together so Kiki could start grad school. After her graduation ceremony, Peter asked Kiki to marry hm in front of their families and closest friends. Overjoyed she said “Yes!” They planned an intimate and relaxed wedding in Zion for that summer. After visiting Zion a few summers prior, Kiki and Peter fell in love with the park and the charm of Springdale, Utah so they opted for a southwestern destination wedding! It was so special for the couple the share the beauty of Zion and the culture of the Southwest with their intimate guest list.

From the bride: “Peter and I will never forget sneaking away for an intimate hike together the day before the wedding. We were truly able to slow down, soak it all in and capture epic shots with our amazing photographer before walking down the aisle. I don’t think either of us have ever felt such a strong sense of belonging.”

Vendor List
Wedding Planning: Forevermore Events
Floral: Bloomers
Beauty: Tracy Sotirakis
Bridal Shop: A & BE Bridal Shop
Catering: Padre Canyon Foods
Dress Designer: Rue de Seine
Entertainment: Festival Sounds
Invites: Minted
Menswear: Tom James
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Cake: Cupcakes by Julie
Venue: Zion Mountain Villa

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Should You Do a First Look at Your Wedding? Advice from a Pro

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Hi there! Thanks for visiting. I’m McKenzi, a seasoned wedding photographer based in Southern Utah. I’ve been in the business for over 8 years so I’ve seen my fair share of all kinds of weddings! My experience in the industry has given me a good amount of knowledge and expertise that I love to share with my clients. I hope you find this advice helpful and please feel free to reach out to me directly if you’d like more info!

One of the most common questions I get asked by my clients is if I recommend a first look on the wedding day.

I’m sharing my thoughts on first looks from the perspective of a professional photographer who has been in the business for a lot of good years. I thought it would be helpful for you to read about the pros and cons of having a first look and then decide that if that something you would like to do for your day! I also included a section about opting for a Day After/Bridal Session if you choose not to do a first look and still want plenty of time for gorgeous portraits. 

First look Southern Utah Wedding Photographer

Pros to a First Look

Time to Connect Before the Ceremony and Take a Breath. 

Let me tell you what I love about first looks. It’s one of the few times in your day that you will have a quiet moment together to soak it all in. From my perspective, I love that I get to spend time with the bride and groom separately before this moment. They’re getting ready, making the final touches before it’s time to go, feeling all of those excited and jittery vibes. If I haven’t met them before, it’s extra special because I don’t yet know how they are when they’re together. I just know them as individuals. Nerves are high, everyone is anxiously awaiting this moment. And then after what I’m sure feels like forever, it happens. They see each other and I can actually feel the emotional exhale. It’s so beautiful and sweet. It’s like these two people are finally complete and I can see how they just fit perfectly. If the day was stressful before this moment, it always seems to calm down after the first look. It’s a time to connect before the ceremony and just be together.

Now I understand that it’s obviously not just the two of you during this moment and you might be like “But I don’t want to spend this time being interrupted for photos!” This is the part where I’m awesome- ha! I know that this is your time to connect and share this special moment together, and it’s my job to quietly and unobtrusively document and give you a little space. I’m usually quite aware of what you need and I know when it’s time to start taking the posey photos. It also helps if we have a good amount of time for the first look session so we’re not rushed.

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No Distractions.

As I mentioned previously, this is the first time you will see each other before you exchange your vows and it allows you plenty of alone time to soak in that moment without any distractions. This will also help you soak in the ceremony a little more because you’ll be able to focus more on that moment.

More Time Hanging with Your People After the Ceremony.

This is probably the number one reason why couples choose to do a first look. If you take the majority of your photos before the ceremony, you will have plenty of time to hang out with your friends and family after the ceremony. If you wish, you can take your couple wedding portraits, wedding party, and family portraits before the ceremony. Making it entirely possible for you to actually attend your own cocktail hour. Imagine that!

First Look in Zion National Park

Cons to a First Look

Earlier start time to the Day.

I recommend setting aside at least an hour for a first look and wedding portraits, and another 30 minutes to an hour if you’re going to do wedding party and family photos at that time too. This means that you will need start everything earlier in the day so you can be ready in time! I also recommend setting aside about 20 minutes before the ceremony so you can chill out, freshen up, and have a quiet moment before everything starts.

Lighting Isn’t Always Ideal.

Since the first look usually happens early-to-mid-afternoon, the lighting isn’t as nice as it is before sunset. However, we always make it work! Depending on where you are getting married I’ll find a good spot to do the first look. I have a lot of couples who get married in or near Zion National Park and they usually like to set aside some time to drive into the park for the first look session. This is always beautiful! But keep in mind that most of the photos you see of a couple in Zion are taken at golden hour or right at sunset. See my next section about a Day After/Bridal Session if you want lots of killer sunset images. Even with this, I always recommend setting aside at least 15-20 minutes during your reception for sunset portraits if that is important to you.

Pressure to Have the Perfect Reaction.

This is just my opinion but I’ve noticed lately that a lot of grooms feel pressure to have the “perfect” reaction at the first look. I think especially with the rise of Instagram and the desire for those epic picture perfect moments, it feels a little bit like our desire for first looks as the purpose of making your day more seamless and relaxed has turned in to another thing you “must” have. 

I always tell my grooms to not worry about what their reaction “should” be or what it’s supposed to look like. That’s not what it’s about. You don’t need to cry and freak out if that’s not you! Just focus on the moment. Hug one another. Kiss. Jump up and down. Whatever you want! I’m not going to interrupt and make you do something that isn’t authentic to how you feel. I’ll let that moment unfold as it does and be there to document along the way.

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The Tradition.

The tradition of the look on the grooms face when you walk down aisle is no joke. It’s a real thing that is super special. The energy between you radiates throughout the entire place. It can be truly amazing. So all things aside, I totally get wanting that moment. Heck, that’s what we did at our own wedding, so I can definitely relate!

On that note, if this moment is super important to you, I most definitely 100% recommend hiring a second photographer as well. Joey (my awesome husband a.k.a kick ass second shooter) is a total pro at capturing the look on your groom’s face as you walk down the aisle, which allows me to fully focus on the bride as she makes her grand entrance!

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Additional Advice

I do my best to be unobtrusive during the first look, but there is a lot of coordinating to make it happen! First looks work best if you hire two photographers.

Joey and I are pros at coordinating the first look to make sure the bride and groom don’t see each other, and also capturing the reaction on both of your faces when you see each other. 

There is a lot of guidance at the beginning of the first look, but once it’s time I stay quiet and totally out of the way and let you have your moment! I always encourage my couples to stay connected to each other after the initial reveal and that I will let you know when it’s time to “look at me and smile”. My goal is capture that sweet moment between the two of you and that works best when you’re not worried about what the camera is doing .

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What About a Day After/Bridal Session?

A day after session is often called “Bridals” here in Utah (yeah, Utah is weird sometimes). I have a lot of destination wedding clients that always ask about this so I thought I’d include it in this post! The portrait session can also take place before the wedding- which negates the first look at the ceremony thing- but it allows you time to get amazing portraits at an awesome location with great light.

A day after or bridal session is great for wedding couples who may want to venture out the beautiful area where they’re getting married but don’t want to ditch their wedding guests for two hours- lookin’ at you, Zion weddings.

You can opt for this session after the wedding if the walking down the aisle moment is important to you. You can also do a bridal session before the wedding. We can coordinate a first look at this time so you can still have those photos of that special moment. If gorgeous sunsets, not being rushed for time, and having lots of beautiful images are your thing, I most definitely recommend a day after/bridal session.

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Thanks for reading! Interested in having wedding photos that capture the feeling and love? You can reach out to me here. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Summer Barn Wedding in Southern Utah

It doesn’t get much better than this lovely barn wedding in Southern Utah. Jordan and Evan held their ceremony in a beautiful straw field overlooking Kolob Canyon. The reception was held inside a gorgeous red barn that belonged to a family friend. Their wedding was focused on the things that were most important to them: family and each other! I love these two and their families. Joey and I were so happy to be part of their day. One thing that really stood out to us is the sweet and close relationship that Jordan has with both sets of her parents. As a stepmother myself, I was incredibly touched by the fact that Jordan wanted both of her moms with her while she got ready, and she did a first look and a dance with both dads. It really had an impact on us to witness such a special relationship. Also, I've never cried during the mother and son dance but this one had me in tears.

It was really important to Jordan that they have sunset portraits in this beautiful field so we made sure to set aside a good amount of time for that during the reception. It was definitely worth it!

Floral: Jocelyn’s Floral

Venue: Private Residence

Editorial Glam Meets Boho Style in this Same Sex Wedding at Willow Glen Inn

Clay and Kyle had an editorial style, modern, and edgy wedding at a charming little bed and breakfast in Southern Utah. This wedding was everything. When Clay and Kyle first contacted me about photographing their wedding, I loved them right away. I felt like they had such a unique vision for their wedding photos and they completely trusted me to carry it out. There were so many fun DIY elements to this day- from the hand picked fabrics for the handmade dreamcatchers made by Kyle and his awesome mother. I loved the antique chairs that they used for their wedding dinner table. The umbrellas hanging from the air over the reception. It was so unique and fun!

After this wedding, I just wanted to photograph more same-sex weddings. It was like all of the love that is normally at a wedding was more magnified and special. Plus, these two grooms were just a blast to be around. They are truly genuine people and I fell in love with their families too! I left their wedding feeling rejuvenated and just so damn happy that I get to photograph such a special day in people’s lives. I’m so excited to share their photos with you!

Sabina & Justin Destination Wedding in Punta de Mita, Mexico

Sabina and Justin’s destination wedding at Imanta Resorts in Punta de Mita, Mexico, will always be a favorite of mine! They wanted an intimate beach setting for their destination wedding and I think they picked the perfect location. Imanta Resorts is the most stunning property I’ve seen- completely private and secluded on a beach cliffside in Mexico, about 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta. This wedding was magical in every sense of the word. Joey and I climbed about a million steps while shooting this wedding and I lost my Rainbow sandals on the beach somewhere after the ceremony, but it was pretty cool to shoot this wedding barefoot. Can’t complain about that. The reception was held under a tent right on the sandy beach, and the evening ending with a wild dance party and beach bonfire. I’m ready to return to Punta de Mita already!

Sabina and Justin’s intimate destination wedding in Mexico has been featured on the pages of Brides magazine, and was the cover of Elite Wedding Collection magazine. It was also selected for a feature in Style Me Pretty.

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Morgan + Mark Horseshoe Bend Elopement

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Spring Wedding at Shangri La Event Center

 

As I was prepping this blog post, I was getting so excited for SPRING! I’m ready for the green to come back and for all of the lovely weddings on my calendar this year. Tori and Jose’s wedding at Shangri La Event Center was beautiful and heartfelt. This venue is stunning in late April and May with all of the green trees and this lovely little orchard. Sadly they have since cut down this gorgeous willow tree that I was obsessed with, but the orchard is still there thankfully. The bride put a lot of work into the DIY elements of the day and it really allowed the emotional elements of this wedding to shine through. The day began with the bride getting ready at the venue and we coordinate a first look at one of the bridges on the pond. Jose’s reaction was so sweet. I think my favorite moment from the day was Tori walking down the aisle. She was just so happy and stunning. The look on her face (you’ll see in the photos below) was priceless.

 
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Summer Bridal Session in Pine Valley

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We started CJ and Sabrina’s bridal session at the St. George LDS Temple and then headed up to Pine Valley. It was the day before Pine Valley closed because of the wildfire, so we really lucked out that we were able to still shoot there! It also made for some gorgeous warm light. I loved working with these two! They are so much fun to be around. I will share the beautiful photos from their wedding in Pine Valley next!

 

Floral: Bloomers
Dress: David’s Bridal

 

 

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