Bubbling With Joy: Our First Look

We decided to have a first look on our wedding day for a number of reasons.  Chief among those were 1) I didn't want to blubber and bawl my way down the aisle upon seeing Mr. C for the first time that day, so I figured if I were going to cry, I'd prefer to do it in advance, and 2) we both felt quite strongly about getting 99% of our formal photos out of the way before the ceremony, so we could enjoy more time with our guests at the party. 

While I finished getting ready, the boys were hanging out in the pavilion with some beverages, patiently awaiting my arrival. 

Brother P, Best Man S, and Mr. C having a chat.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Remember the rain I woke up to that morning?  The skies had suddenly cleared, so we decided to attempt to take as many photos as possible outside.  Hooray!  We had some umbrellas on standby just in case, but the outlook was good for at least the next hour or so.  Beto asked Mr. C to stand on what would have been our ceremony aisle (had we been following our original outdoor ceremony plan) and wait for me to walk up behind him.

Waiting on his bride.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

I walked into the pavilion with the girls and ran into the groomsmen, who had a fabulous reaction to seeing me for the first time that day.  I hoped Mr. C's reaction would be just as great!  I also got to see all of the reception decor and the ceremony set up when I walked into the pavilion (more on that soon!), which made me cry happy tears for the second time.  Good thing I had my hankie.  

About the time I calmed myself down and headed over to the door shown above, my mom noticed there was quite a bit of standing water on the ground between me and Mr. C, and suggested that I might not want to drag my skirt through all of that.  So, Beto had Mr. C back up and reposition himself a little closer to the pavilion, around a slight curve.  (I wish we had a photo of him backing up down the path!) Now there were fewer puddles between us, and it was still a pretty background.

Waiting yet again.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

I took a deep breath, adjusted my skirt, and headed toward Mr. C.

Navigating the stairs (and thinking "Good thing the
girls don't have to walk down these on their own for the ceremony!")
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

On my way...
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Hi there!
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Who's there?
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Awww.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Going straight in for a kiss.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

My mom and the groomsmen were watching from the pavilion.  Love this shot.

Peeking through the doorway.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

More kissing!
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography  

Lindsey and Beto gave us a few minutes together to just talk and enjoy the moment.

Yay!
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Telling me he likes the dress.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Talking about our mornings.
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

Just the beginning!
Photo by Lindsey & Beto Photography

We definitely enjoyed our first look.  Though I didn't actually wind up crying when we saw each other (hooray for being more excited than tearful!), which meant one of my reasons for having a first look was moot, I still wouldn't trade these moments for anything.  Not only did we have a chance to simply talk a little bit with each other and shake off a few nerves before the day started to really ramp up, we have these beautiful pictures, too!  My walk down the aisle at the ceremony was a special moment of its own, so our first look didn't take away from that one bit.

Next on the agenda: portraits!

Missed a Cauldron wedding day recap?  So far, we've had: 

Cauldrons Get Hitched!
Wedding Day Morning
Arriving at Pecan Grove
Donning the Dress
More Bridal Attire