So your officiant has just pronounced you husband and wife… it’s now time for your first official kiss as a married couple in front of your family and closest friends. I say… let’s make it last!!!
I see far too many couples that give each other a quick peck that last a quarter of a nano-second… and you know what that means? – that means your photographer might or might not have caught that nano-second of a moment. Or they might have caught you either going in for the kiss or coming out of it… since it was lightning fast.
… I understand that some couples might feel a little awkward kissing not only in front of their family and friends with all eyes on them (I’ve met more than a few brides that truly wish that they weren’t the center of attention that day) – but sometimes it’s even more uncomfortable kissing in a temple/church to top it off! I know… I understand… but I always beg my brides to hold it a few seconds (2 or 3 seconds would be awesome!!!). Of course, your photographer is surely ready pointing his camera right at you and with the shutter pressed half-way …. just to make sure they raise their chances of getting that shot. But, even the most expensive camera equipments might not capture that lightning-fast peck quick enough… you know what I mean? Give them a few seconds to make sure they get one or maybe two or three shots of that first kiss.
I sometimes get really extra lucky and they kiss for a few seconds and I can get a few different shots of the kiss – one that is zoomed out, and even one that is zoomed in!! I love giving my clients a few options for the first kiss. The zoomed out picture is always very popular and brides love it because it’s usually a grand moment for the day… so you get to see the reactions of your bridal party as well as the setting where it took place. The close-up of the first kiss is a super emotional image to capture because I know it will bring back wonderful memories!! It’s a very intimate shot that will bring butterflies to your stomach each time you see it. It’s a truly sincere kiss… filled with love, happiness, and even a sense of gratefulness for each other’s willingness to profess your love for each other (I know that sounds a little ‘mushy-mushy’ – but really it’s a great shot to see over and over again). Of course, I know some circumstances won’t allow for that close-up shot no matter how long you kiss for … depending on how close we are allowed to get (see my previous post for indoor ceremony rules to consider)… but still – that extra few seconds will give your photographer the opportunity to experiment for a brief moment.
I have to admit, I am guilty of missing the first kiss – but only once… and it was a combination of circumstances that caused that little incident. The kiss was lighting fast, but that wasn’t the reason why I missed it.. it was an over-zealous guest that jumped right in front of me to take his shot that made me miss my shot (he literally put his camera right in front of mine… my jaw dropped to the floor – I had never had a guest cross that line before!!!). I actually did take the shot and I did include it in the bride’s images, since I didn’t want her to think that I didn’t even try to capture that moment. I took 3 fast shots of that kiss… so I got them going in for the kiss, then the next image was the guest’s camera, then the next shot was them coming out of the kiss.
So today’s lesson… hold that first kiss!!! LOL!!!
The First Kiss - at a beautiful Temecula winery
