I am a true believer in the First Look for so many reasons! However, not everyone is aware of how awesome it can be, so they might get caught up in the tradition and immediately write it off. For those of you who aren’t aware of this new tradition, a First Look is a special time BEFORE your ceremony when you see each other for the first time on your wedding day! We pick a secluded, beautiful spot where you can share an intimate and private moment together!

I completely understand how you as a bride want that REACTION from your groom as you walk down the aisle.  Who doesn’t?!  Luckily with a First Look you have the best of both worlds – you get to share an intimate moment with your almost-husband, and get a sweet reaction. I promise you, YOU WILL still get that reaction when you walk down the aisle too! It’s totally worth it!

My husband and I decided to share a First Look on our wedding day.  It was incredibly emotional, and we were able to spend the couple hours leading up to the ceremony together. . . not apart. The moment I walked down the aisle we both lost it again, and that was a moment I will never forget!  So I am going to share my top reasons why I think a First Look is the optimum choice for my brides on their wedding day!

Why a First Look is Worth It

1. You’re investing a lot into your wedding photography. With a First Look you will receive many more portraits of the two of you and those are the images you will decorate your first home with! With a first look, you make the most out of this investment and get the most for your money.

2. You get intimate time on your wedding day! Most people don’t think about it but when you come down the aisle and totally shock him with how fabulous you look . . . he can’t even tell you how amazing you look. He can’t touch you, embrace you or even talk to you! You have to wait until your ceremony is over for him to react and tell you how beautiful you are, and the reaction just isn’t the same as the initial first glance.

3. A First Look extends your entire wedding day. Normally the wedding day would start when you come down the aisle, then the ceremony would end, you’d rush through portraits so that you are not late for introductions (all the while missing your cocktail hour completely) and then it’s reception time. With a First Look, your wedding day is extended by hours! Instead of being rushed for your bridal party portraits. . .you get to enjoy them and have fun hanging out with your best friends on your wedding day. The WHOLE first half of my client’s wedding albums are filled with just images from this time together before the ceremony.

4. A First Look allows you to be TOGETHER and alone on your wedding day. When my husband and I saw each other for the first time we cried, we laughed, we cried some more and then that put us in the perfect mood for our romantic portraits. Normally portraits are a little rushed after family photos and it can be hard to get back into that “lovey dovey” mode, especially with family around! Let’s be honest – after family photos, it’s time for a cocktail!

5. You get rid of the nerves. At first, most of the couples who have done a First Look, weren’t too sure about it. However, because they have never experienced their wedding day, they didn’t know how nerve wracking it can be. I have had numerous brides and grooms that have admitted doing a First Look wasn’t high on their priority list, but after doing one they wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Here is what two SHP brides have to say about doing a First Look!

Kaitlyn:

“When we were planning our wedding, married couples kept reminding us that they don’t remember the details of their wedding and how quickly the day goes by. Because we heard this so many times, our main focus was to make everything as stress free and organized as possible so we could focus on enjoying every minute of our wedding day.

“While the day did go by quickly, I can recall many details and I am really happy we did the First Look with Sarah prior to walking down the aisle. It was really nice to have that time, just the two of us. Not only did it calm our nerves, but the time gave us an opportunity to talk just before the ceremony and refocus on our unity together.  You spend the entire day apart while you are getting ready and can’t wait to see each other which makes the moment even more special!

“If you are worried about the First Look taking away from the significance of walking down the aisle, don’t! Doing a First Look just creates another special moment of your wedding day!”

Erica:

“Ever since watching a friend walk down the aisle and realizing, ‘Oh my gosh, everyone’s looking at her!’ I had dreaded that moment at my own wedding. Maybe that’s not very bridal, but I think that anxiety of being the center of attention resonates with a lot of people.

“When Sarah described the ‘First Look’ option, I felt overwhelmingly relieved. Because we did the First Look, Tripp and I got to have a few minutes to admire each other, decompress and be alone and get out our nerves together. Then, Tripp was just up there cheering me on for my scary walk in front of 200 people.

“Other positives that resulted from the First Look are that we were able to get all our photos done before the ceremony in fabulous lighting, we weren’t rushed, we didn’t miss out on cocktail hour and we were able to greet everyone without missing any dancing later. Sarah got so many awesome photos of our reception that she wouldn’t have gotten if we had been taking photos during that time. I consider the First Look a great decision and a main contributor to our wedding day success!”

Hopefully by now you’ve been able to see how doing a First Look has SO many benefits…both for the final photos in your gallery, and for the two of you on your special day! I hope this post has helped to make the decision a bit easier for you, and trust me…when you do a First Look, you won’t regret it! 🙂

Happy wedding planning!