First Look

My thoughts on first look.

I was a traditional bride when planning my wedding.  I didn’t want to see Ryan before the ceremony, because it was branded in my head that it was bad luck to see the groom before the ceremony.  We are now in the 20^th century and brides are thinking out of the box and couples wants their wedding to be unique and different.

It has become a trend and more brides and grooms are opting to seeing each other before the ceremony.  By seeing each other before the ceremony made the couple feel SO much more calm and relaxed.  It gave them that moment to kind of forget about all of the stress of planning their wedding and just take in the moment that it is finally here.  It also allows them that small intimate moment together to reflect on how much they love each other.  I can contest that it is such a beautiful moment and it brings tears to my eyes every time I witness it.

The best part of a couple seeing each other before the ceremony is that it lends to a much smoother layout for family pictures, cocktail hour, and beautiful sunset pictures of the bride and groom after the ceremony. If a couple requests a First Look, I also encourage them to plan for family pictures and bridal party pictures beforehand. Com’on…how many people want to miss the cocktail hour? Not many. By capturing formal photos before the ceremony, it frees the family and bridal party to mingle, catch up with out-of-towners, and simply enjoy the mood of the day. Some couples opt to spend cocktail hour with their guests as their time is so limited during the reception, or some opt to enjoy some time alone.

I prefer a bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony, but–truthfully–it doesn’t matter to me either way. More than anything, I want my brides to be happy. I simply explain their options because I know they’ll make an educated decision. Often times brides think there are rules to weddings (Cannot see groom before hand, Must throw garter, Can not be seen as a couple until the Grand Entrance), but I believe there should only be one rule: Do What Makes You Happy.