Wedding Wednesday: Why Do A First Look?

Are you really going to see him before the ceremony? Isn’t it bad luck? Everyone kept asking me those questions as I contemplated whether or not to do the first look. This “first look” phenomenon has only come to light in recent years because it completely breaks tradition. Some people cringe at the thought of the bride and groom seeing each other right before their ceremony, but as a bride who did it herself, and as a photographer, it’s the most amazing experience ever! So whether you’ve heard about it, or have no idea what it is, we’re sharing the reasons why we think you should inform your wedding photographers Cape Cod to do a first look!

First thing’s first, the most common myth about a first look is that it will take away the emotion and excitement of that moment the bride walks down the aisle. I’m here to tell you that it is not true! Vic and I thought long and hard about whether or not to do the first look. We had our very traditional family members telling us all kinds of nonsense about bad luck. But inside we knew that God brought us together and there was no superstition that would break us apart. So we went ahead and did our first look and it was the best decision we’ve ever made! When I walked down the aisle Vic said he felt even more emotional than when he saw me before. Nothing changed! And of all the couples we’ve ever had the privilege of photographing their wedding, none of them have ever said that doing a first look changed anything.

So now that we have the big myth out of the way have, let’s get down to the benefits of doing a first look :)

First, when couples do first looks the emotions are real and the smiles and giggles are completely natural. We are able to capture that raw emotion of them seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day, without all of their guests staring at them as well. It’s literally one of my favorite parts of a wedding day!

Another reason we love it is that couples who do a first look end up with more bride and groom portraits! Besides the fact that bride and groom portraits are our favorite, they are also some of the most important images you get on your wedding day! When you have a first look, there is more time after for portraits, without the rush. Neither the photographer nor the couple needs to worry about whether or not there will be time after the ceremony for portraits or if the sun will set before the ceremony is over. We’ve, wedding photographers Portland Maine, noticed that there is also less chaos and stress when the first look and portraits happen before the ceremony. We’ve literally seen shoulders drop and couples start breathing again after they’ve seen each other!

First looks are becoming more and more common these days and I have to say that I’m not mad about it at all :) We did it when we got married and most of our couples have also chosen to do a first look on their wedding day! It’s one of the best experiences and we love witnessing the magic that happens during a first look :)