What is this “first look” ? How can you incorporate it into your wedding and why would you should consider doing a first look on your special day ?
Here is a few advice and tips
What is a First Look?
Instead of waiting until that moment when you walk down the aisle in your gorgeous dress for your partner to see you for the first time, the first look happens before the ceremony starts. First looks are mostly done between father and daughter, but more commonly between the bride and the groom. This creates a very special intimate moment between the future husband and wife where no one else is around except for your photographer (which you won’t even notice there). This is a private moment. This is a moment you won’t want your photographer to miss out on.
How to Create a First Look Moment
As I mentioned above, the first look should be an intimate moment between either the father or the groom and the bride. This moment should take place before the wedding ceremony in a place that is both private for the couple to meet, away from all guests, and a place that will look beautiful in photographs. Try to have an indoor and outdoor spot picked out for your first look, because you never know what the weather may be like on your wedding day.
I suggest having the first look an hour and a half (90 minutes) before the wedding ceremony needs to start. Not only do you need to allow time for you as the couple to enjoy this beautiful moment without being rushed, but also factor in the time it takes to take photos and to do hair and makeup touch ups before the ceremony.
Remember to coordinate your first look with your photographer, hair stylist and makeup artist so that you are all running according to schedule.
Why you Should Consider the First Look
There are a few reasons why I would suggest doing a first look for your wedding. The first reason being, weddings are stressful for both the bride and the groom. By meeting each other privately without the glaring eyes of your guests, it takes a lot of the nervous stress away from you as the bridal couple, allowing you to enjoy your wedding ceremony without that tension.
There is an old tradition of writing a letter to each other to read on the morning of your wedding. By doing a first look this also gives you the opportunity to exchange letters to read, and how beautiful would that be for your photographer to capture? Some couples skip the letters and exchange gifts, which is also a special moment to be able to share together just before your ceremony.
Choosing to do a first look also changes the time layout of your wedding. Instead of spending a lot of time taking photos of the couple after the wedding, there is a chance to get some gorgeous portraits done before the ceremony starts. This allows you to have more time to mingle with your guests before the reception starts. It should be also consider in winter weddings when the day is shorter, and we know that the light is the key.
The main reason I would suggest consider doing a first look would be the intimacy of the moment. Whether it is between a father and his daughter or the bride and the groom, this is an unforgettable moment that will never happen again. This private space takes all of the stress and tension out of the emotional intimacy between a couple and allows you as a couple to have your first real intimate moment as a “married” couple. It almost sets the tone for the rest of the day. You will most certainly have the most intimate, romantic photos to cherish forever.
The most important thing to remember is that this is your special day.
Even if you are running late, your first look should not be rushed and should be enjoyed as the beautiful moment it is. Everything on your wedding day should revolve around you as the bridal couple and what you like.
