The Magic Hour
Don't let the name full you, sometimes it's 10 min and other times it 2 hrs., it just depends on the time of the year. Magic hour sometimes called golden hour is just after the sunsets, when the sky turns into a glowing soft box. Photography is all about timing. Most weddings are around sunset, which in the winter months leaves me biting my nails. When you’re planning your wedding consult your photographer about your timeline so that you get the best photos and lighting possible. If it were my Big Day I’d have a first look and get all the formals done before the ceremony. That way after the ceremony there's no time pressure. After the ceremony we can do a couple images of the bride and groom and then its off to cocktail hour. Believe me the last thing your family and bridal party want to do after the ceremony is take photos for an hour... they want to party. It easier all around getting formals done before the ceremony.
The bride and groom get to have a romantic first look. Doing the first look down the aisle is a lot of pressure and couples generally feel the erg to squeeze on each other a little bit. Who could blame them it's only natural.