Planning · May 10, 2026
Five places around Port Alder for a first look
A first look gives you ten private minutes before the ceremony. These are the five places around the harbor where I like to put them, and why.
A first look is a few minutes alone together before the day begins. It calms nerves, gives you a quiet moment and leaves more time for the party afterwards. Here are the five places around Port Alder where I like to hold one.
1. The headland path at Gull Point Lighthouse Lawn. Open, windy and wonderfully private in the early evening.
2. The apple tree at The Salt Barn at Dunmore Farm. A gravel yard with a single tree and soft shade, a short walk from the main hall.
3. The porch at Fenwick Hall. Wooden steps and white boards, with good light after lunchtime.
4. The quay outside Harbor Rose Inn. A wide stone edge above the water. Mornings are best, before the street wakes up.
5. The upper lawn at Larkspur Cove Gardens. Hedges on three sides make the garden feel like a private room.
How to choose
Pick the place that matches your day. If your ceremony is at the hall, hold the first look on the porch. If your reception is by the water, use the quay. And if you are not sure, ask your photographer to scout it with you, because the best spot often depends on the hour.
Planning a wedding around the harbor? Send me your date and the place you love, and I will tell you if I am free.
Planning a wedding on the harbor?
Tell me your date and the place you love, and I will tell you if I am free.
More posts
An elopement on the Gull Point lighthouse lawnTwo people, eight guests and a lot of wind: how a short ceremony on the headland turned into one of my favorite days of the year.
Rain at The Salt Barn, and why it turned out perfectA forecast that said rain all day, a barn with big doors and a father who could not stop hugging his daughter: a wet wedding that photographed beautifully.
Golden hour at Larkspur Cove GardensA late September wedding in a walled garden above the cove, and the twenty minutes before sunset that gave the couple their favorite photographs.