I have confessed my deep love for “First Looks” numerous times, and there is a reason for this. They’re AWESOME. However, not everyone is aware of how awesome they are because they get caught up in how “non-traditional” it is and they immediately write it off. I can understand those bride’s position. I understand wanting a huge reaction… wanting your husband to be so surprised and overcome with joy when you walk down the aisle that he’ll bawl at the first sight of you! Isn’t that EVERY girl’s dream? Who doesn’t want that reaction? Luckily, I’ve seen many times that brides can have the best of both worlds because a first look provides an intimacy on a wedding day, AND many times the groom is still overcome with emotion when their bride comes down the aisle. Walking down the aisle on your wedding day should be a moment that you treasure for a lifetime!

After shooting dozens of weddings, I’ve come to this conclusion. Some brides love the “traditions”, but what a bride really wants when it comes to her groom seeing her for the first time is a REACTION. Those who are not interested in a First Look usually think that by seeing each other beforehand, they will lose part of that reaction. They also assume that it will not be as emotional or as intimate as it would be if they were coming down the aisle. What I have found is so ironic! Please indulge me as I share with you this story about how a wedding day with a First Look can go:

Everyone knows that wedding days are a bit stressful for the bride and groom. The whole day is focused on them, they need to look their best, they need to be on time, the groom has no idea what side the boutonniere is supposed to go on and little by little… the tension grows. For most grooms, the nerves kick in before they see their bride because when they see her, everything becomes VERY real! So when the nerves start creeping up, instead of keeping the groom in a secluded space until the wedding coordinator queues his time to enter the ceremony, what if you took him to a private place, no people, no onlookers, no distractions, and you let his beautiful bride, the love of his life, quietly call his name and have him turn around to see her for the first time. He would turn around and finally get his first look at his stunning bride. Not only would he get to see her, he could embrace her, cry with her, kiss her, pray with her, and ENJOY that moment with her for as long as they wanted. As she shows him her dress, twirls a few times and then asks him what he thinks… his nerves start to diminish. After all, she’s the one who can make him most comfortable anyway.

Because they aren’t on a time crunch, they casually move into their romantic portraits. No one is around, the coordinator isn’t announcing “15 minutes left”, and there is no pressure. It’s just the two of them and their photographer, capturing the excitement and the joy of their wedding day. This is their time to be TOGETHER… and to be ALONE. When does that happen on a wedding day? Without a First Look, it doesn’t. After their romantic portraits are done, they meet up with their best friends. Their bridal party joins them and because they still have plenty of time to spare, the bride touches up a little makeup while the boys are acting like boys. After a few minutes the bridal party portraits begin and they’re FUN.

There aren’t any guests waiting impatiently at the cocktail hour and there isn’t a DJ coming to find the photographer to get a time check. It’s wonderful!

After portraits are done, the girls and guys separate and prepare for the ceremony. The guests begin to arrive and the ushers are in place. Pretty soon it’s time for the processional music to begin and one by one, the bridesmaids make their way down to the front of the ceremony. The groom clasps his hands in excitement. The music builds, the mother of the bride stands and all of the guests follow her lead. The groom looks up and here comes the bride. His best friend, his companion, his sweetheart… and she’s absolutely stunning. The closer she gets, the bigger he smiles.

Now let me put a disclaimer on here before we continue. My clients are NOT required to do a First Look by any means! I used to feel bad for sharing this option with couples who were against it because I didn’t want to push anything on them. However, I’ve seen the benefits of a first look over and over again and so I share this because I want the BEST for my couples! It’s totally okay if couples choose not to share a first look! For brides not interested in a First Look, let’s start chatting soon about how we’ll create a special timeline to fit everything in!
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