Why a First Look?
I was always a traditionalist! Why would I want my husband to see me in my wedding dress BEFORE I walked down the aisle?
Would that ruin the moment when I walked down to the altar? Would he be less emotional or even lack excitement because we had already seen each other? No, I definitely didn’t want to do a first look on my wedding day!
But after I became a wedding photographer, that all changed!
In this post, I’m going to break down the reasons of how I came to that conclusion, and why a first look might just be one of the most special parts of your entire wedding day!
One on One Time Together
You’ve waited, dreamed, planned and prepared for your wedding for many long months, and now that day is finally here! A lot of weddings happen in the afternoon or evening, which means that if you decide not to see each other before the ceremony, you are spending the majority of your wedding day apart.
It is one of the most special things to be able to spend the best day of your life together with your fiance!
The moment that every bride dreams of is walking down the aisle and seeing the love of her life standing at the altar, waiting just for her. Will he cry? Will he laugh or get excited? A lot of brides assume that if her fiance sees her before the aisle moment, none of those emotions will be there! But what I’ve found is that it makes the aisle moment even MORE special! There have been times where the groom even cries TWICE — once during the first look, and once when the bride comes down the aisle.
Having a first look also provides a time for the couple to see each other alone for perhaps the only time on their wedding day. Your wedding day will be so full with guests and family members wanting to congratulate you two, not to mention wonderful festivities and celebrations. A first look ensures that you get to have alone time for just the two of you — uninterrupted. Some couples will share love letters that they have written with each other. Others take time to pray together or share a special gift.
Extra Portrait Time
Another plus is that you will have additional couple portrait time. If the timeline gets crunched at all or the schedule runs behind, you have lots of couple portraits already done! This makes it that much easier to make up time later in the day.
Everyone Looks Their Absolute Best
The bridal party LOVES the first look timeline. Your bridesmaids would have just finished getting ready and are looking their best, and they haven’t had a chance to cry during the ceremony and smear their makeup. Their feet don’t hurt from walking in their heels for hours, and they are feeling fresh, full, and happy! The groomsmen love the first look timeline because it means more time to party at the reception later!
More Time to Enjoy Your Reception
The first look timeline also allows for the bride and groom to enjoy more of their reception! Instead of spending the hour and a half after the ceremony taking family photos, bridal party photos and couple photos, they are able to immediately join their reception following the ceremony. It’s a win win for everyone!
Photography Friendly
The photographer also loves the first look timeline. Photos like bridal party portraits, family formals and lots of couple portraits will happen before the ceremony takes place! This is such a plus to make sure everything happens on time. Instead of rushing to make all of the portraits happen after the ceremony, everything is squared away beforehand, and there is more time to celebrate!
Your Guests Will Love It
I have been to several weddings where the bride and groom don’t make their entrance into the reception until over two hours following the ceremony. Although a reception can still be fun without the bride and groom, it is the couple who make the day! Not only is it their day, but festivities and other details like toasts, first dances, cake cutting, and open floor dancing can’t happen until the couple is announced. Guests always love it when the couple is there to enjoy the wedding reception with them instead of using that time for portraits.
To sum it all up, I’ve been converted. I used to think first looks were purposeless. But now that I see how many amazing benefits there are to doing one, I know that I want to do a first look when I get married! It is one of my very favorite parts of the day to photograph. It is private, intimate, and beyond special, and it’s one of my favorite things!
What do you think about a first look?
Joyfully,
Lauren
Photos: Lauren Olivia Creations
Photo Credit: Lauren Olivia