Is a First Look on Your Wedding Day Right For You?

October 25, 2018

Is a First Look on Your Wedding Day Right For You? | Banff Wedding Photographer

Is a first look on your wedding day right for you?

I know this is a question a lot of couples struggle with when planning their wedding day, Do you see each other before the ceremony or do you keep it traditional and plan to see each other as you walk down the aisle. We planned a traditional timeline where we would see each other as the drapes were pulled open and I walked down the stones steps to the start of our wedding aisle. Now that we have lived the traditional timeline and have shot many many first looks I would 100% go back in time and do a first look instead. Why would I change my mind so drastically? I have have 4 reasons this might be the choice for you.

You won’t waste time hiding from each other all day. Shoving the person you about to spent the rest of your life with in a coat closet, shoeing people out of the common areas so the surprise isn’t ruined. These are the precious hours of your wedding day that you could be spending together instead you are hiding from each other to keep the anticipation of the sale walk. Truth be told on our wedding day my husbands contacts didn’t settle on his eyes correctly and he could see me walk down the aisle until I was literally steps in front of him. If we would have done a first look maybe he would have been able to actually see me since I would have been right in front of him.
This might be the only “alone” time you have all day. As a wedding photographer I try to work into every timeline so down time. Some time you two can just be yourselves, you can chat, embraces and just “be” together. Your wedding day is going to be hectic but starting with a quiet moment just the two of you will do both of you good.
It eases the pressure. Having all eyes on you as you walk towards “Your Person” is intense. You might be trying not to trip up the aisle, running the 100s of things you have to do before the reception through your mind, or just trying to remind yourself to take in every single moment you might not be 100% present in that moment. By having a first look all that pressure you are carrying you can put on the back burner for those fews small moments. I get asked al the time if it ruins the feeling of walking down the aisle and the answer I always tell them in now, if anything it makes it better. He will just be looking at you, not your banging dress, the bouquet you have been talking about for months, or trying to hold back the real raw emotion that he is feeling. All he will be thinking about is you and how excited he is to be marrying you!Seeing one another before the ceremony takes the pressure off, gives you time to react, spin, laugh, cry, and hug without a few hundred people watching it happen.
You will usually get more time for photos on your wedding day. By doing a first look there is more time for your portraits session of you guys and also makes your wedding guests jump right from the ceremony to the reception. It allows for more chance for emotion in your photos on your wedding day and also allows you to maximize the time spent with your photographer. Photography is an investment, why not get the biggest bang for your buck? Don’t you think your fiancé is more likely to shed those tears when it is just the two of you instead of in front of 200 guests? By having a first look it allows you to relax, let things happen, and get even more photos to help you remember every moment.

The tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony is a super old tradition put in place for arrange marriages. It would offer the chance for each member of the arrangement the opportunity to back out and change their minds if they got cold feet. Since arrange marriages are just about a thing of the past in North America there is no reason to choose the traditional wedding ceremony. I would love to hear your thoughts? Did you do a first look? Did you love it or hate it? Do you wish you did one instead of the other. Comment below and let me know your thoughts.