When it comes to weddings, I encourage my clients to go for the First Look. What is the First Look? It’s when the couple sees each other for the first time in all their wedding finery, in a secluded and private moment. There are obvious pros and cons to the First Look.
Cons: You miss out on the surprise of seeing each other at the altar during the wedding march. To some couples, the tradition is very important and I can respect that.
Pros: You share this moment privately. You can hug and embrace and calm your nerves. You can take couples’ photos before the ceremony, when your makeup is still fresh and your flowers haven’t wilted from the Texas heat. You can then take care of all the wedding party formal photos before the ceremony, so that after the ceremony is over all you have to do is pose for the family formals and then jet off to your cocktail hour without missing too much of the fun. Also, depending on your ceremony time, the light may be just right and you’ll have beautiful, sun-kissed wedding photos. And since we’re not crunched for time to get you to the reception after taking oopty-seven photos, we can get a little more creative without worrying about your guests lamenting your delay.
I was a bride who opted for the First Look because we were married at 5:30 in the autumn and worried that we wouldn’t have enough natural light for our formal photos. I wondered if seeing my husband before the ceremony would make the ceremony feel less special, but I am glad that we chose to do it. I was so anxious on my wedding day that seeing my husband actually calmed me down, and the walk to the altar was still special but not nerve-wracking.
I encourage you to consider a First Look! If it’s not for you, that’s fine :) But it’s worth thinking about!
Here’s an example of a First Look…
