Into the Lens: What in the World is a First Look?

The title of this blog post pretty much tells you right away what it's going to be about. So whether you are wondering what a "First Look" is, or if you are a bride and groom thinking about having one, this blog post is for you. :)

(Keep in mind that a First Look is not a brand new concept that we made up. Photographers have been calling this event this name for years. I'm not sure who came up with the idea or even the name, but I am giving them full credit...whoever they are.) 

We have a section on our Wedding Contract that asks the bride and groom to circle "yes" or "no" if they are going to have a First Look at their wedding. Most of the time we do not get any questions about what this is. I'm not sure if the bride already knows what it is (which is most likely because it is a popular idea) or if they just Googled it on their own before they mailed us their contract. The reason I wanted to talk about this today was mainly because there are a lot of people who are on the fence about it. I wanted our customers (and future customers) to know how we feel and how it typically works with us.  

Q: What is a First Look? 

A: The First Look is an event that a bride and groom can schedule into their Wedding Day photography. It typically is one of the first things that we photograph on a couples wedding day. When the groom gets to see his bride for the first time in her wedding dress, on their wedding day, that is what we call THE FIRST LOOK *cue dramatic music*. :P When the bride and groom choose to have this event on their wedding day, they find a special location (usually near but not at the ceremony site) that is appropriate for pictures. More often than not the groom is waiting at that location and we give the signal for the bride to come walking up to him (there are many different creative ways how the First Look can go). The groom is usually very, very excited to see his bride and we let them have several minutes alone to soak in the magnitude and importance of their special day, while we silently snap pictures from a distance. That, my friends is a First Look. 

Q: What are the positives and negatives about having a First Look? 

A: I'm going to try my hardest not to show an bias during this answer, and I think after you read both sides you will understand why it is hard for me. 

Pros:  

1) The number one best part about having a First Look is that it relieves most of the nerves that most bride and groom's experience not their wedding day. I know from first hand experience how much pressure there is to plan the perfect wedding and how much time and thought you put into it. Especially into finding the wedding dress of your dreams. I know how nervous I was about Lance seeing me for the first time, and if I would have had to think about that as well as everyone else seeing me for the first time as I walk down the aisle, I would have definitely passed out. 

2)You get special "alone" time with your almost spouse right before the craziness (or during the already craziness) of the day. 

3) After you see each other you can take full bridal party pictures and even have your family come early to take care of family group pictures all before the ceremony starts. This takes care of the griping wedding reception guests that are saying "Where are they at? I'm hungry! I want some cake! I have to leave soon, so they better get here!" 

4) You get to have amazing portraits of you and your husband only on YOUR wedding day.
5) There are too many more positives, and I don't have room for them all on one blog post :) 

Because Kim and Tony had their first look about two hours before their ceremony we were able to get some cute bridal party shots before the ceremony even began. 

Cons: 

1) You do not get to experience the full effect of the "seeing each other for the first time as she walks down the aisle" tradition. Which typically that moment when the bride walks down the aisle is going to be special, so the groom's reaction is going to be the same regardless if he has seen you already. 

Ok, ok...so maybe I didn't succeed in being un-biased. Oh well. I have been through my own first look on my wedding day, and have seen many other satisfied bride and grooms after their First Look, so I think my biased-ness is appropriate. As a disclaimer: We do not have ANY hard feelings about people who want their wedding day to be more traditional and choose to not have a first look. We will come up with other creative ways to make your wedding day just as perfect. 

If I have persuaded you to have a First Look on your wedding day, I'm going to go ahead and throw some tips out there, free of charge. ;) 

When you are planning your First Look think about these two things: 

1) Your location: It should be fairly close to the ceremony site, it needs to be in a shaded area if it is outside and it should be private. We typically allow no other people to be at the First Look location, unless the bride and groom want other people there. 

2) How do you want your future spouse to see you for the first time? I would suggest to look on Pinterest or different wedding blogs for some fun and creative ideas. You can also take a look at some of our weddings on our photography page for some more super-cute ideas! 

Tip for the groom: 

Your fiancé has thought about, spent several thousands of dollars and has even possibly tried several diets to make herself look perfect for you on your wedding day. All you have to do is to act like she is the most beautiful person you have ever seen in your whole entire life. Hug her, kiss her, make her feel like you cannot wait to be married to such a beautiful woman, and that you cannot believe you are lucky/blessed enough to be chosen. :) 

This is one of my all time favorite pictures because Anthony was SO excited to see his bride. This was not posed at all! haha! 

Alright, so I hope you now know what a First look is, some pros and cons and how to make it be 100% perfect on the MOST important day of your lives. Honestly, when it's all said and done, the most important thing is that you are starting your "happily ever after" on your wedding day. No matter what happens, it will be perfect. 

Happy, Happy Tuesday Everyone!

P.S. If you are reading this and are one of our past clients (or even if you're not a past client) tell about your thoughts of your First Look in the comments section down below!