Have you ever wondered where certain wedding traditions come from or why we continue to carry them out? The most immediate one that comes to mind is the idea that it is bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony. This idea, along with others (wearing a veil), stem from not so romantic times. At one point marriages were arranged to increase real estate and lineage, not to grow old together. In fact, most grooms didn’t have the opportunity to see their brides face until it was too late. Although it is now 2018, we still carry out traditions that don’t necessarily enhance the special day.
However, over the last few years I have seen a shift in these trends. One of those trends that I resisted at first was the idea of doing a “first look.” I may be a little biased as a photographer, but here are a four great reasons to consider doing a first look.
1. A first look saves you valuable time.
Typically most of your group photos (bridal party, groomsmen, bride/groom, immediate
family, etc) are taken following the wedding ceremony. Typically you build in time to account for pictures during your reception. This means less time for you to enjoy your reception that you paid good money for. A first look allows you to have an extra hour to an hour and a half with your guests that the traditional approach doesn’t allow for. The last thing you want to do after you say “I do” is to have to take a bunch of pictures. You’re excited and you’re ready to eat and mingle. You don’t want to have to see your guests having fun from afar while you’re posing for pictures that could already be done. This also means your reception could end sooner and you could be on the road to your hotel to enjoy the night with your new bride/groom.
2. Nerves of steel.
It happens every time. You have spent all this time planning your wedding and you’ve been separated from your partner all day. The anticipation is building and you find yourself nervous. So what is the solution? Doing a first look. In my experience, having a first look almost always calms down the nerves of the bride and groom before they commit their lives to each other in front of a group of people. You will feel more relaxed and it will provide comfort to each other.
3. Privacy is the best policy.
Most of the opposition I hear against having a first look is that the groom wants the first time he sees his bride to be her walking down the aisle. By doing so, you are adding a ton of pressure on each other, particularly the groom. Of course all eyes are on the bride as she walks down the aisle, however, people are watching to see how the groom will react. Will the groom cry, smile, jump up and down? We all want to see the grooms reaction to seeing his bride. However, by doing a first look, the bride and groom will have a private and intimate moment together without being observed. From what I have observed, this doesn’t take away from the actual moment of the bride walking down the aisle...the groom still gets emotional. I think it is more about seeing his bride walk towards him and knowing they are about to commit themselves to one another, rather than seeing her for the first time.
4. Location is key and so are logistics.
By having a first look, you won’t have to coordinate to keep the bride/groom apart the whole day. We can take our time to get incredible photos and it also gives us the option to move to another location as well. If you wait for photos until after the ceremony, you have limited time and lighting to get your dream photos. With more time to take photos, we can get more creative as well. By getting the majority of your photos done earlier, this leaves extra time after the ceremony to get any last minute shots you would like to have.
You still aren’t convinced? That’s okay. It’s your day and our main objective is to get you amazing photos regardless of the method you choose. Reach out to us today and let’s talk about how we can partner together to make this your dream wedding.
Here are a few of our couples that choose a first look:
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