5 Reasons why you need a First Look on your wedding day
Whenever you sit down with your photographer, you’re usually asked “How do you plan on seeing your fiance for the first time on your wedding day?” What will you say?
Growing up you probably envisioned seeing your soon to be spouse down the aisle. You know the scene in every movie where the bride walks down the aisle with the groom balling his eyes out at the alter. It has become the “norm” of how weddings are supposed to be done. What if we told you that there is another option. The “First Look.”
So you may be asking, “what is a First Look?”
Simply put, the “First Look” is when you see your soon to be spouse before the ceremony. But Kristina, I want my guy crying at the alter! Now, hear us out, we get it, we want those photos too! The First Look stretches the day out, emphasizing more of the day between the two of you in a more intimate setting.
We’ve come to the conclusion that 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 intimate as it would be if there were coming down the aisle. We can tell you that every couple that has done a first look, the groom had a beautiful reaction during the first look AS WELL AS while she was walking down the aisle! Ladies, choosing not to wear your veil for the first look allows you to surprise your groom again when you are walking down the aisle!
Now let me put in a disclaimers on here before we continue, our couples are not required to do a First Look by any means! We used to feel bad for sharing this option with couples who were against it because we didn’t want to push anything on them. However, we’ve seen the benefits of a first look over and over again and so we only share this because we want the BEST for our couples! it’s totally okay if couples choose not to share the first look!
Here are a few reasons why we think you should consider having a first look:
The nerves are REAL!
Grooms become incredibly nervous on wedding days, even the cool and collected ones! The nerves kick in before they see their bride because when they see her, everything becomes REAL.So when the nerves start creeping up, instead of keeping the groom in a secluded space until his time to enter the ceremony, what if you took him to a private place… no people, no on-lookers, 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 see her and not only does he get to see her, he gets to embrace her, cry with her, kiss her, and ENJOY the moment with her for as LONG as they wanted. I’d say, literally 1/2 of my couples who have decided to do a first look, the grooms were not fans of it at first. However, because they have never experienced their wedding day before, they didn’t know how nerve racking it can be. We have testimonials from so many grooms who initially weren’t a fan of the first look... but afterwards admitted to being SO much more relaxed and ready for the ceremony! AND, they still completely LOOSE it again when they see their bride coming down the aisle!
2. 40% More Portraits
You’ve invested a lot into your wedding photography. With a first look, you’ll receive 40% MORE portraits of the two of you. Those are the images you will decorate your first home with! We really get more time with just the two of you which produce images that have real emotion and are not rushed for time. In addition, weddings are unpredictable and there are often delays or unexpected weather conditions. It would be a shame to reminisce about your wedding day and wish you had more photo time scheduled! Also, the best thing about getting formal photos done at the beginning of the day: you look incredible! Of course, you’ll both look amazing all day, but a first look is done before the ceremony and reception when your hair is in place, you haven’t cried off that bottom mascara, and neither of you has gotten the chance to dirty your attire.
3. React Freely
You actually get to have intimate time on your wedding day with your man. Most brides don’t realize that when you come down the aisle and totally SHOCK him with your gorgeous-ness… he can’t even tell you how amazing you look, he cant even kiss you! He can’t touch you, embrace you or even SPEAK to you. You have to wait until 30 minutes later when the ceremony is over for him to react and tell you how amazing you look, and honestly, he will have so many people congratulating him that he might simply forget. And after 30 minutes of the ceremony, the reaction isn’t the same as the initial first glance.
4. It’s your ONLY alone time!
First Looks allow you to be TOGETHER and alone on your wedding day. Ironically, a first look is one of the very few moments where you’ll get to enjoy each other’s company. The rest of your day is filled with family and friends that can’t help but share their love and excitement with you! It allows you to spend the majority of your wedding day TOGETHER! You can cry, laugh, hug… and then that puts you in the PERFECT mood for your romantic portraits. Normally portraits are a little rushed after the family formals and it can be hard to really get back into that “lovey dovey” mode…. especially with family around! When you have just shared your first look, you’re READY to love on each other and we always capture some super sweet images during those moments!
5. Enjoy your cocktail hour
First Looks allow you to extend your wedding day. Normally the wedding day would start when you come down the aisle, then the ceremony would end, you would rush through family portraits, bridal party photos as well as your bride & groom portraits so that you’re not late for the introductions and then it’s reception time. With a first look, your wedding day is extended by almost 3 hours! Instead of being rushed for your bridal party portraits… you actually get to enjoy them and have fun hanging out with your BEST friends on your wedding day. You can actually enjoy your cocktail hour with your guests!
Now that you have a better understanding of what a First Look is, let’s talk about first look expectations for a minute. I know you REALLY want him to cry BUUUUT, if you have never seen your man cry or get emotional, you can’t expect him to be overly emotional on your wedding day. Some guys just embrace their brides and never cry.... and that’s OK. Some guys show very little emotion when their bride is coming down the aisle and that’s ok too. Just enjoy this amazing day and try not to put any expectations on him. If you take this advice to heart, we could potentially be saving you a lot of disappointment on your day. One thing we have noticed is that the stress and nerves that come with a wedding day can sometimes make it hard for some grooms to truly express their emotions. It’s just a lot to take in all at once. This is a great reason to share a first look and also a great reason to give some grace to your guy! Sure, you deserve to feel beautiful, but my encouragement to you is to enjoy this time together, no matter what his reaction is like!
Again, we in no way will push you to have a first look! We just want to make sure you have all the information to make the decision thats best for you. The decision should be done between the bride and the groom. Talk it over, make a pro and con list if you have to.And if you have any questions, we would love to answer them! No matter what you decide, enjoy the moment. I can’t stress that enough!! Don’t let all the little details get in the way of you actually listening to your soon to be spouse say their vows to you. Be present and in the moment. Thats what matters!
xoxo
Kristina
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