5 Reasons You Should Do a First Look On Your Wedding Day

Resources & Tips

Oct 27

Written by Barbara Oliveira

wedding tipsfirst lookbride and groom tipswedding best practiceswedding photographer tips

Barbara Oliveira

Unforgettable Fall Wedding at St. Francis Hall | Washington, D.C.

Vintage-Styled Cylburn Mansion Engagement Session | Baltimore, MD

Let’s be social!

Garden portraits first, then a party in an old mill. The perfect Baltimore wedding day.

These two kicked things off at Cylburn Arboretum, soaking up the greenery and soft light, then headed to the Dye House at Mt. Washington Mill, where the brick wa

There’s a moment at every wedding where I stop feeling like the photographer and start feeling like I’ve known everyone forever.

At this one, it happened right away ❤️.

These two filled an old stone mill with the warmest, silliest, mos

St. Francis Hall is one of those DC wedding venues that gives you a little of everything: old-world character inside, green space outside, and enough room for the people you love to actually spread out and celebrate 🎉❤️.

Photos by Associate Lauren

Few things get my soul dancing like a good baraat!

What I love most about documenting a fusion wedding is watching two families figure out each other’s traditions in real time. Someone’s grandmother teaching someone’s college roomm

Coffee, croissants, a plant store, and a skateboard. That was the whole plan, and it was perfect.

These two showed me their version of a day in West Chester, and I just tagged along. We lingered over pastries, got lost in rows of hanging pothos, and

I first met these two on their wedding day, sneaking glances at each other across a crowded room.

Now there’s a tiny human running ahead of them through the tall grass, and I’m still the one lucky enough to be standing there with a camer

   Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Destination Wedding Photographer.
 © 2026 Barbara O Photography