WEDDING “FIRST LOOK” GUIDE
ARE YOU CONSIDERING DOING A FIRST LOOK BEFORE THE CEREMONY? PERSONALLY, I ENCOURAGE DOING A FIRST LOOK PRIOR FOR MANY REASONS! OF COURSE, IF YOU ARE SET ON KEEPING THIS 100% TRADITIONAL AND WANT TO SEE EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE AISLE, THAT’S COOL, DON’T LET ANYONE (ME, FAMILY, FRIENDS, ETC) STOP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS ENVISIONED. BUT! IF YOU ARE UP IN THE AIR ABOUT IT, AND LOOKING FOR OPINIONS, PROS AND CONS, AND HOW “FIRST LOOKS” BEFORE THE CEREMONY UNFOLD, THEN THIS “FIRST LOOK” GUIDE IS FOR YOU! P.S. I’VE NEVER HAD A COUPLE TELL ME THEY REGRET DOING A FIRST LOOK, AND IF YOU ARE HESITATE BECAUSE YOU THINK IT MAY “RUIN THE MOMENT,” COUPLES EXPERIENCE SAY IT WAS JUST AS SPECIAL AND WAS LIKE HAVING TWO MOMENTS, ONE PRIVATE AND ONE SHARED.
YES TO FIRST LOOK...
•NOT TRADITIONAL
•HELPS LET GO OF ANY NERVES BEFORE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE
•MORE TIME FOR PHOTOS/VIDEO
•MORE TIME = LESS STRESS
•AFTER CEREMONY - ONLY FAMILY FORMALS SHOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN (UNLESS YOU WANT TO SCHEDULE THIS BEFORE CEREMONY AS WELL) - THEN YOU CAN ENJOY THE REST OF COCKTAIL HOUR WITH YOUR GUESTS! OR DO ANY TOUCH-UPS!
•MORE TIME WITH EACH OTHER, SPENDING ALMOST THE ENTIRE DAY TOGETHER
•A MORE PRIVATE MOMENT BETWEEN JUST YOU TWO AND NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE
•HAVE MORE TIME TO SOAK IN THE MOMENT, SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY, TAKE YOUR TIME!
•SOMETIMES THIS IS THE ONLY “PRIVATE” MOMENT YOU TWO WILL HAVE TOGETHER ALL DAY
•SINCE WE WILL HAVE TIME TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS/VENUE GROUNDS, YOU MAY RECEIVE MORE PHOTOS, WITH A VARIETY OF POSES/BACKGROUNDS
•DEPENDING ON CEREMONY TIME/LOCATION, AND VENUE GROUNDS, THERE IS USUALLY MORE CONTROL ON GOOD LIGHTING WHEN DOING A “FIRST LOOK”. IF IT IS REALLY SUNNY OUT, THE PHOTOGRAPHER WILL MOST LIKELY BE ABLE TO FIND A SHADED OR WELL LIT AREA FOR THE “FIRST LOOK” TO BE AT
•TYPICALLY A “FIRST LOOK” IS SCHEDULED 2 HOURS BEFORE CEREMONY BEGINS, THIS DOES MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE DONE WITH HAIR AND MAKE-UP AND READY TO GO EARLIER IN THE DAY
•AGAIN, THIS GIVES MORE TIME, SO ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR “FIRST LOOK,” YOU CAN TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT WITH EACH OTHER. THEN YOU GIVE ME THE QUE WHEN READY AND WE’LL START PHOTOS
•BRIDE AND GROOM PHOTOS ARE MORE INTIMATE SINCE NO GUESTS HAVE ARRIVED YET, WHICH ALSO MEANS LESS DISTRACTION
NO TO FIRST LOOK...
• TRADITIONAL
• TYPICALLY MORE NERVOUS PRIOR TO WALKING DOWN THE AISLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T LIKE ALL THE ATTENTION ON YOU
• LESS TIME FOR PHOTOS/VIDEO ( THIS LEAVES FAMILY FORMALS, BRIDE AND GROOM AND FULL BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS, AT A MINIMUM, TO DO DURING THE COCKTAIL HOUR )
•COMPLETELY MISSING COCKTAIL HOUR, LESS TIME WITH YOUR GUESTS
• SEEING EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF YOUR FAMILY AND GUESTS, SHARING THAT MOMENT ALL TOGETHER
• DEPENDING ON TIME OF CEREMONY AND TIME OF YEAR, NATURAL LIGHT AVAILABILITY FOR PHOTOS MAY BE LIMITED
• DEPENDING ON CEREMONY TIME/LOCATION, LIGHTING MAY NOT BE IDEAL AND IS COMPLETELY OUT OF ANYONES CONTROL ( WE WILL HAVE THIS EITHER WAY, BUT IF YOU DO A “FIRST LOOK” YOU WILL HAVE THE WELL LIT PHOTOS IN ADDITION, OPTIONS ARE NICE! )
• YOU HAVE MORE TIME FOR “GETTING READY,” ALTHOUGH I RECOMMEND AT LEAST DOING BOTH BRIDE AND GROOM WITH THEIR PARTIES (BRIDESMAIDS/GROOMSMEN) SEPARATELY BEFORE THE CEREMONY TO SAVE TIME! (WE JUST HIDE THE BRIDE/GROOM FOR THIS PART IF YOU ARE AT THE SAME LOCATION) COMMUNICATION IS KEY HERE!
• OFTEN TIMES, AFTER THE CEREMONY THERE ARE A TON OF DISTRACTIONS BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS TO COME SEE YOU (I ADVISE TO TELL GUESTS YOU’LL CATCH UP WITH THEM AT THE RECEPTION) WHICH REALLY CAN CUT INTO OUR ALREADY PRECIOUS TIME.
DO YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OF THIS TRADITION?
WAITING FOR THE GROOM TO SEE THE BRIDE AT THE CEREMONY STEMS FROM THE PRACTICE OF ARRANGED MARRIAGES. (WHAT!) BACK IN THE DAY, A MARRIAGE WAS TREATED MORE LIKE A BUSINESS DEAL. NOT SO ROMANTIC... THE BRIDES FAMILY WOULD BE LOOKED DOWN ON IF AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE WAS CALLED OFF. SO, THE BRIDE AND GROOMS FAMILIES WOULD KEEP THEM FROM SEEING EACH OTHER UNTIL THE CEREMONY, IN CASE THE GROOM FOUND THE BRIDE UNATTRACTIVE, THIS WAY HE COULD NOT CALL OFF THE WEDDING. IN ADDITION, THIS IS THE REASONING FOR VEILS, SO THE BRIDES FACE WOULD BE COVERED AND HIDDEN FROM THE GROOM UNTIL IT WAS LAST MINUTE AND TOO LATE.
OF COURSE, MARRIAGES ARE PRETTY DIFFERENT NOW, BUT THAT TRADITION HAS HELD ON. YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT REASON AS TO WHY YOU WANT TO WAIT TIL THE CEREMONY, MAYBE IT MEANS SOMETHING SPECIAL AND UNIQUE TO YOU. BUT IF YOU’RE PURELY DOING IT FOR THE “TRADITION” MAYBE CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING ELSE THATS MORE FITTING FOR YOU.