Pros and cons of a first look before your ceremony
Tradition. We love it!! There are so many wonderful traditions involved in weddings. The white dress, your vows, your father walking you down the aisle, toasts…..soooo many things that are truly important. And, one of them is for the groom to NOT see his beautiful bride until she is walking toward him at the ceremony. It’s a sweet, emotional moment that you may have imagined many times over. So, why wreck that with a first look?…….
At Farrell Photography, we will shoot your wedding YOUR way. If you want a “first look” we’ll shoot it. If you DON’T. We’ll shoot it. It’s YOUR call. Of course.
We have done many weddings without a first look and many weddings WITH a first look. Here are our observations.
Overall the couples who choose to do the first look are less stressed. Your wedding day will involve so many elements and many of them can be stressful. Most brides are so happy and calm after getting a hug from HIM! The one person she most want to see and be seen by, she won’t? Why not?
As a bride you have made a million decisions about whatyou will look like on her wedding day. Well, maybe not a million, but sometimes it feels like it! When you opt to have a “first look” earlier in the day, before the ceremony, you can create it any way you like. Think about it this way, he will see you at your very best. Your makeup and hair is fresh, you haven’t walked around in your gown yet. Everything is just the way you want it. And, he will see that! This can be done in a private intimate setting, just the two of you, or surrounded by those you care about. Reveals can be fun and creative. The couples who opt for the first look will most often say that this moment, was the BEST one of the entire day. Something that is just for the two of you!
Will he still be overwhelmed when you are coming down the aisle? After all, he’s already seen you in your dress, right? YES! He will still be overwhelmed and happy when he sees you coming down the aisle to marry him. Maybe, just maybe, this moment isn’t just about the dress and how you look. It’s about the commitment you are both about to make and the moment is really about that. So, it’s still a first look. A look at his soon to be wife. It’s a special moment, no matter what.
First look couples have more photos. It’s just math. More time equals more photos. If you set aside time before the ceremony for a first look, followed by photos, you will have lots of photos. Makes sense, right. If you want to take photos of your bridal party, make sure that they are all dressed and ready.
After the ceremony, the pressure is off to get all of those photos and we can take that time to create special photos of just you two!
Many of our favorite photos are the first look. The emotion in the faces is so sweet and real and uninhibited. So, natural. Ah. Worth it.
If you are worried about the tradition…..remember all the traditions that we don’t do anymore?
Trivia: How did the tradition keeping the bride and groom separated get started? The most common explanation is that it comes from time of arranged marriages, where the bride would wear a veil and the groom would not see her until the vows in order to discourage him from changing his mind. 🙂
Still don’t want to see each other before the ceremony? No problem, we are here to create your wedding photography YOUR way. We will honor your wishes, and take amazing photographs.