Your first look is an amazing part of your wedding day! If you aren’t sure about this tradition, I’d like to explain why it would be a romantic addition to your wedding day celebration that not only adds to the experience but also reduces stress. Please know that I would never want any of my couples to feel pressured to go with this option. However, I do want to make sure that I share all of the benefits of a first look, because there is a reason 90% of our couples do this and LOVE it!
THE FIRST LOOK
Grooms normally become incredibly nervous on wedding days.... even if they seem cool and collected. For most grooms, the nerves kick in before they see their bride because when they see her, everything becomes VERY real! You might just feel this way too. So when the nerves start creeping up, instead of staying in a secluded space until it’s time to enter the ceremony, what if you two went to a private place... no people, no on-lookers, no distractions.... and you let him see his beautiful bride, the love of his life, quietly call his name.
He’ll turn around to see you for the first time, finally getting his first look at his stunning bride and not only would he get to see you... he could embrace you... cry with you.... kiss you... and ENJOY that moment with you for as LONG as you wanted. As you show him your dress, twirl a few times and then ask him what he thinks... his nerves start to diminish. Seeing his eyes light up for you, you know that this day will be exactly what you hoped: a day where the man you love chooses you and is filled with joy that you chose him too.
Because you aren’t in a time crunch... you casually move into their romantic portraits. No one is around, the coordinator isn’t announcing “15 minutes left”, and there is no pressure. It’s just the two of you and their photographer..... capturing the excitement and the joy of their wedding day. This is the time to be TOGETHER...and to be ALONE. When does that happen on a wedding day? Without a First Look.... it doesn’t.
the
FIRST LOOK
Explained
when the nerves are gone... true emotions are free to be expressed.
why it's worth it
40% MORE PORTRAITS
You’re investing a lot into your wedding photography. With a first look, you’ll receive 40% MORE portraits of the two of you... and those are the images you will decorate your first home with! (Believe me, our house is PACKED full of our portraits!) With a first look, you make the most out of this large investment and get the most for your money.
ENJOY THE SURPRISE 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 gorgeousness... he can’t even tell you how amazing you look. 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 after 30 minutes of the ceremony, the reaction isn’t the same as the initial first glance.
EXTEND YOUR DAY BY 3 HOURS
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 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. The WHOLE first half of my client’s wedding albums are filled with images just from this time together before the ceremony.
YOUR ONLY ALONE TIME
First Looks allow you to be TOGETHER and alone on your wedding day. 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 I always capture some super sweet images during those moments!
DIMINISHES NERVES
You get rid of your nerves! 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. I 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!
First look expectations...
Bride’s, 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, I could potentially be saving you a lot of disappointment on your day. One thing I 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!
for the bride
The Daddy / Daughter
First look
This is for all of the brides who have a sweet spot in their heart for their dad. I have to admit that Daddy/Daughter first looks make me a little teary. For a lot of dads, this is when everything feels real and it hits him... “My baby girl is getting MARRIED!” These are precious moments to photograph and I highly encourage any daddy’s girl to make time in their timeline for this moment. It doesn’t take long at all! The hardest part is making sure dad shows up on time! If dad doesn’t show up on time, the whole timeline can get thrown off, or we’ll have to skip the Daddy/Daughter first look. Another sweet idea we’ve seen is having the father of the bride escort the bride to her first look!
