We’re sure you have heard of the old tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other on the wedding day until the bride walks down the aisle. Some even go as far to say it is bad luck to see each other before that moment. Traditions are forever changing when it comes to weddings, and there isn’t really a rule book when it comes to these things. A tradition that has picked up in the past few years is the bride and groom having a “first look” before the ceremony. There are many reasons why we support having a first look before the ceremony, but here are just a few!
- You start your wedding with a private moment between you and your partner. The whole day is filled with love and support from so many friends and family, but if you think about it…couples don’t typically get too much one on one time with each other during your actual wedding. Plus, that moment of first seeing the love of your live on your wedding day can be just between the two of you (and your photographer, but you won’t even notice they are there!) You can really soak in those last few moments together before you become husband and wife (or husband & husband or wife & wife 😉 ) Plus, seeing each other for the first time on your wedding day should be a memory you cherish forever, but some brides get so nervous walking into their ceremony because they aren’t used to walking in such an intricate dress. Time after time again we hear brides say they don’t even remember the look of their husband’s face when the entered the ceremony because they were so nervous they would fall!
2. You get your jitters out before your big moment! Seeing each other before ceremony can definitely help calm your nerves. Give each other a hug and kiss. Laugh together. Cherish those last few moments together before you are united as husband and wife
3. Photos! Not only are the actual “first look” photos absolutely adorable, but if you see each other before the ceremony it gives you the opportunity to get a lot of your photos out of the way! Go ahead and get all of your couple photos and bridal party photos out of the way. That way, you only will have your family photos to do after ceremony. Hey, maybe you will even get a chance to make it to your cocktail hour! If you save ALL of the pictures to after the ceremony sometimes you can have issues with not having enough sunlight, especially if you are a winter bride and we don’t have much daylight.
We even reached out to Will Walker from William Walker Photography to hear a photographer’s point of view on first looks. This is what he had to say:
“‘First Looks’ are a great way to de-stress what have the potential to be stressful timelines. Maybe you’ve got an early Spring or late Fall wedding and the sun is going down earlier in the day, leaving little to no light after the ceremony for family photos AND photos with the wedding party. They are also a great way to break up photo sessions so you get to enjoy more of the wedding day that you’ve worked so hard planning. Imagine being able to enjoy time with your guests and only have your photographer steal you away for a few moments at sunset to get some of those incredible centerpiece images.”
Featured image: Tom Daly Photography