To look, or not to look...
Whether or not to do a First Look before the wedding ceremony is one of the most common questions my clients grapple with. There are definitely pros and cons. As a wedding photographer, I am a fan of the First Look and I’d like to share my top reasons to do a first look. You may want to be traditional and not see your partner before the ceremony. However, there are wonderful benefits do doing the first look before you walk down the aisle.
The Pros
Reasons One:
The moment you first see your partner on your wedding day will be incredibly special whether it’s before or during the ceremony. Why not have that special moment in private, away from the distractions of the ceremony and guests so you can truly focus on each other?
Reason Two:
When you have a first look moment before the ceremony, you get a rare moment alone together with your partner when you can kiss and hug and talk – really soak them in. This may be the only time you get alone together for the rest of day.
Reason Three:
Most couples are the most nervous until they see one another for the first time and then the butterflies leave their tummy and they feel warm and relaxed. The first look allows you to reach this relaxed state before you walk down the isle. You may then enjoy the experience of not only seeing your partner at the other end of the isle, but also enjoy seeing your family and friends welcome you as you enter.
Reason Four:
The cocktail hour usually follows the ceremony so if you’re off taking family photos, you’re missing this time with family and friends. You’re paying for those cocktails so it would be nice to enjoy one or two, wouldn’t it? By doing a first look before the ceremony, you open the door to completing some or all of the family and bridal party photos before the ceremony as well. This frees a lot more time after the ceremony to enjoy the cocktails – or at least allow your family and wedding party to enjoy them while you and your partner shoot some romantic sunset photos.
Reason 5:
Finally, if the quality of your photographs is important to you then the pre-ceremony first look is the best possible way to ensure great photos of the moment you first see each other. When the photographer controls the setting and the lighting, the photos will be perfect and there will be no one blocking the shot or distracting either of you from the magic of the moment.
Read more about how to look amazing in your wedding photos in my post Top Secrets to Amazing Wedding Photos.
The Cons
The cons of doing a first look are really just that you will not have that traditional thrilling moment of seeing your partner at the start of the ceremony itself. You may have deep emotional, spiritual, or even superstitions feelings about when you see your partner for the first time on the wedding day.
In Conclusion
Our preference is that our couples have their first look before the ceremony and most of them do. However, the most important thing is that our clients are happy and we handle the first look any way they wish.
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