Should We Have a First Look On Our Wedding Day?

Should We Have a First Look?

One of the questions that my clients often ask as they’re creating their wedding timeline is “Should we have a first look?”

More than anything, your wedding day is about you and your husband (or wife) to be. If any particular tradition is important to the two of you, then, by all means, stick to it. However, if you and your fiancee are open to a different approach, there are definitely some great benefits to having a first look.

What is a first look?

A first look is a special time set aside before your wedding ceremony where you two can take a moment to enjoy each other before the day gets crazy. When my clients opt for a first look, the bride meets the groom at a predetermined, private place. Usually, his back is turned and the bride will tap him on the shoulder too turn and see her for the first time.

A first look allows you to share this incredible moment privately. In almost every first look I’ve seen, the couple takes a few minutes to take it all in and chat quietly together about their excitement, how surreal it is, and how much in love they are. The photo and video team will be present, but for documentation purposes. For the most part, we’re quiet and just let the moment unfold without any posing. These are some of my favorite moments because we’re always able to capture the most incredible candid facial expressions! A first look makes for great emotional photos!

If you’re nervous about pulling it off, don’t be. I’ll set you and your husband to be up in the first look location and give you easy instructions to make sure we get the best shots! Every so often we may need to shoot it from an alternate angle or the video team might need some additional footage so we may shoot it a second time. While this may sound weird, it actually sometimes yields even bigger, better reactions than the original moment!

What are the benefits of having a first look?

One of the biggest reasons that I’m a fan of first looks is because it gives you an intimate moment to take it all in. Traditionally, the groom doesn’t see the bride until she’s walking down the aisle and all the craziness of the day has begun and it feels like a blur. A quiet moment alone beforehand gives you a chance to savor the experience and calm your nerves before the big stuff happens!

Another great benefit of having a first look is that you’ll have way more time for photos before the ceremony, giving you optimal time after your ceremony to get through family portraits or spend more time with your guests without feeling rushed. Since a first look is planned ahead of time, there’s no worrying about having enough time or daylight left to get the photos you want. This is especially useful for evening or winter weddings.

It’s Still A Surprise

A Common misconception first looks is that they will take away the surprise or “special moment” when your husband to be sees you for the first time. I’ve seen a LOT of first looks in my career and I have come to believe that they can be even MORE special because you’re less distracted without a crowd watching or worrying about the ceremony running smoothly.

But what about when I’m walking down the aisle? Won’t that be less special? Nope! Couples who do the first look still have that electric twinkle in their eyes as the bride is coming down the aisle, the groom still holds back (or doesn’t hold back) tears of joy and awe. Seeing each other before the aisle doesn’t take away from the special moment of walking down the aisle. In fact, sometimes it intensifies it!

A bride’s thoughts…

Kamrin, one of my past brides, volunteered her experience with a first look:

“Morgan and I decided we wanted to have a first look because we wanted that special moment to ourselves. That’s one of the most memorable moments on a wedding day and it’s normally shared while walking down the aisle. We wanted to capture it better and share the moment one on one. I’m so glad we did because every time I look at those first look photos in our beautiful photo album I get those same butterflies all over again. I suggest that anyone considering a first look should DEFINITELY do it! It helped calm our nerves on our wedding day!”