Why a First Look Can Be the Best Part of Your Wedding Day (and Help you De-Stress!)

You’ve probably heard this over and over by now (because it’s true): it goes by so fast! Your wedding day will be a perfect expression of your love for each other…and a complete whirlwind at the same time. Early in the day is the ideal time to slow down, take a breath and enjoy a moment with your spouse-to-be. Here are four ways that a first look before the ceremony will make the best day even better.

Look, Laugh, Cry…Enjoy Each Other!

Maybe it’s the intricate lacework, maybe it’s the way it fits like it was designed just for you — there are those little details of your wedding day attire that you can’t wait to show your spouse-to-be. You simply cannot wait to see their face. With a first look, that “So, what do you think?” moment is something special for the two of you to share. It’s lovely and intimate, usually peppered by both laughter and tears. We want you to have that moment and have it to yourselves, before the day starts to fly by in a beautiful blur. You will be surrounded and celebrated by friends and family for the rest of the day — a first look might very well be your best opportunity to slow down a bit and enjoy a quiet moment together.

A first look is about adding another meaningful element, not subtracting; it doesn’t take away from the significance of the walk down the aisle. We’ve watched so many grooms be moved to tears watching their bride walk toward them, regardless of having seen each other beforehand. Both moments are so significant in completely different, wonderful ways.

Give a Gift

We love the tradition of wedding day gift-giving. A first look is the perfect time to exchange gifts. We always marvel at how couples put so much thought into those gifts — inside jokes, meaningful mementos, precious tokens of love. It’s always possible to have gifts delivered to different locations for the couple to open them separately…but we think the fun of opening them together is irresistible. When you select just the right gift for your spouse-to-be, the one that you know will make them smile that smile you love so much, you’re going to want to be right there with them to see that reaction.

Tame the Timeline

As photographers, we want the timeline for portraits to be as straightforward and stress-free as possible for you. Having a first look helps us keep things simple and gives us time to find the best options for things like the location of the portraits. Without a first look, portraits are split up in pre-ceremony and post-ceremony chunks. For some couples, this isn’t a problem at all. But some things to consider: For church weddings, are there rules or scheduling reasons that necessitate being out of the building at a certain time? How do family members feel about needing to assemble for formal portraits both before and after the ceremony, versus just before? Would you prefer to limit the amount of time between the ceremony and reception? A first look allows for a lot more flexibility after the ceremony. If all the formal portraits are finished beforehand, there won’t be a rush to squeeze in the rest of them after.

Shrink the Stress

Wedding day nerves — we’ve seen it, we get it. All the preparation and planning, knowing that you are the center of attention, the anticipation of everything to come — you will have a lot on your mind and thinking about all the moving parts of the day can sometimes cause a little bit of stress buildup. Through all the first look moments we’ve witnessed, we can tell you that over and over we’ve seen couples instantly relax when they see each other. Their eyes meet, they laugh, they embrace and those anxious looks just melt away; they are immediately focused on each other and more at ease because of that. Getting to see each other and hold each other is a tangible reminder that under all the layers of the day, the flurry of excitement, all the guests that are there to support you, the day is about the two of you and your love for each other.

Our Takeaway: Take the Time and Take that Look

We understand that some couples have their hearts set on waiting until the ceremony to see each other. We are more than happy to do everything we can to make that work. But we hope you’ll consider all the positive elements that come along with a first look: a simpler timeline, reducing your stress level and that special moment to exchange gifts, take a breath and enjoy each other!