Top 5 Reasons To Include A First Look In Your Wedding Day
So what is a ‘first look’ and why should you consider it in your wedding day?
The moment when the groom sees his bride for the first time on their wedding day is almost always an emotional one, full of surprised faces and plenty of hugs and happy tears. In the US, the first time a groom sees his bride on the wedding day is almost always at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. It is almost strange that something so intimate is done in public, but that has been what tradition has dictated.
A ‘First Loo'k’ is when the wedding photographer coordinates for the bride and groom to meet prior to the wedding ceremony. As a bit of a traditionalist I was horrified when I first had this suggested to me. I always thought one of the most special moments on the wedding day was watching the groom’s face when he first sees his bride walking down the aisle. What I had not considered was the lack of intimacy of the situation.
During this period the photographer will often take the opportunity to get a number of candid and more formal shots of just the bride and groom.
Top 5 Reasons for a First Look
1. The only intimate time to spend with your partner on your wedding day.
This is the time for the bride and groom to connect prior to the ceremony. Nobody else to try to look after, just time for them to reconnect before they need to share the rest of the day with their friends and family. Rather than taking away from the walking down the aisle moment (or a traditional first look), which is shared with their closest 100 or so friends and family, this First Look adds to a special moment into the bride and groom’s day. Every couple that I have had the pleasure of organizing a First Look for have commented that it added a special moment to their day, and often enhanced the experience of seeing each other at the aisle.
2. Allows time for the bride and groom to get comfortable with the photographer and also with having their photos taken.
A recent bride that I interviewed stated her groom was more nervous about having his photo taken than of being married. I was shocked to hear that having one’s photo taken could cause that amount of stress. Her now husband was so relieved after their First Look because he was able to interact with their photographers and began to relax into the process of having their every movement captured.
3. A chance to relax
A time to stop and breathe. In the lead up to the wedding there are so many things to do and not enough time to do them. Stress levels often prevent the bridal couple from truly enjoying their wedding day.
A first look can give you the opportunity to slow down a bit and enjoy the day.
4. More time with your guests after the ceremony.
Not only are bridal couples more relaxed having done a lot of their formal photos prior to the ceremony, it also allows them more time to spend with their guests after the wedding.
5. More wedding photos.
Lastly the bridal couple is typically provided with more wedding photos to choose from if they do a First Look. Due to the more relaxed environment and setting, usually the photographer can gain more candid and intimate moments between the bride and groom.
All those advantages made me allocate time in each of my wedding packages for couples to choose to have a First Look. The reasoning is simple - I am able to catch some lovely candid moments with the bridal couple and they are able to be more relaxed during the day adding to the overall experience.
Final Words
There are pros and cons to a first look. Every couple needs to make this decision for themselves. Should you decide to do a first look, I will be happy to provide amazing photos of that moment.