Should you have a first look?

You’re engaged, congrats!

You’ve got some planning ahead of you and maybe you’ve already figured out the venue and the date and are starting to work on more of the nitty gritty details of your big day. One of the major things you need to get together is the timeline of the wedding day and with that comes: the first look.

So what is the first look?

Traditionally the groom doesn’t see the bride until the moment that she’s walking down the aisle and it’s a moment shared with the entire audience at your ceremony.

The first look turns that entire tradition on it’s head. It’s a private moment shared between the bride and groom well before the ceremony where they get to share words and show off how great they look, with no audience and usually minimal involvement from the photographer.

The question comes down to, should you do a first look or keep it traditional? I’m here to give you some info about why I think you should have a first look.

1. The traditional look down the aisle has an ugly history. There’s nothing romantic about it. The real reasoning why grooms weren’t allowed to see their blushing bride on the wedding day was because of arranged marriages and fear that without the societal pressure of the ceremony and being surrounded by the audience itself that the groom would bolt at first view.
2. The first look is a private moment shared between you and the one you love. The real beauty of a first look is that you don’t get an audience whatsoever (besides your photographer who more or less should be able to expertly shoot you while giving you some space) and get to share the moment with your love. This means all the emotions come out making for some really lovely images. Plus, you’ve gone the majority of your big day without your best friend and dealing with the pressures of getting ready for your wedding day on your own. The first look could very well be the first time of the day you get to just catch up with each other and share some words.
3. You get to enjoy your cocktail hour with friends! Without the first look you’re usually confined to doing the couples portraits, bridal party, AND family group photos all during the cocktail hour. Which means that’s less time you get to spend mingling with all your friends and family that came to celebrate your big day. If you schedule time after the first look you can get most of the photos out of the way before the ceremony and get to enjoy cocktail hour. It’s a win-win situation!

So there you go! There are 3 reasons why I think you should do a first look.

That being said, I’m here to remind you that whatever you want is what you should do. If you’ve had your heart set on keeping it traditional and your boo seeing you for the first time as you walk down the aisle then that’s 100% what you should do. Because really at the end of the day it’s all about you.

Have you picked a wedding photographer yet? If not I’d love to chat with you about your wedding day! Feel free to reach out to me via my contact form or send me an email at shootme@mgpulido.co I look forward to meeting you!