The First Look
Wedding Photographers First Look or Reveal
What is a First Look?
The First Look or Reveal is when the groom-to-be and bride-to-be meet in private before the wedding ceremony to spend a few minutes alone. This allows us to capture special and loving moments in a quiet space with just the two of you. If you are very traditional and really don’t want to see each other before you are married, a First Look is totally not for you. If you are willing to bend tradition some, then a First Look might be a great choice for your wedding day. If a First Look isn’t for you then The 10-Minute Rule is a must!
A Few Reasons To Consider A First Look
First Reason – The Groom: There is no moment more special on a wedding day than when the groom sees his beautiful bride for the first time. Traditionally, this is when she is walking down the aisle and he is up front at the alter. The bride gets walked down the aisle, meets her groom and both move on with the wedding ceremony. Many grooms are choked up, have a bunch of stuff they would like to say, and they are thinking a million things…but before they can process any of it, they are already saying their vows. With a First Look the groom can step back and take in the beauty of his bride. He can get a good, long look, stare, turn her around, smile at her, hug her, cry, kiss her…and then do it again for as long as he wants, because time has been set aside for this moment with his bride. Don’t forget the obvious benefit, there isn’t the pressure of 200 people staring at him. He gets to see her first in her wedding gown (besides bridesmaids). It is just bride and groom, alone together moments before they are united in marriage.
Second Reason – The Bride: Face it girls, right when our hair and makeup is first done, we love the way we look. But a few hours later sometimes your gorgeous curls loosen up, your lipstick wears off, or….if you are a crier…your mascara may be running down your face. “Picture Perfect” isn’t always a reality a couple hours after your hair and makeup was done. Inevitably, you will require a few touchups. With a First Look not only is your handsome groom seeing you looking amazing, but you will also look that way in your photos.
Fret not! We’ll convince the make-up artist to stick around or choose one of your bridesmaids to do some touch-ups before the ceremony
Third Reason – The Timeline: Traditionally, the wedding day unfolds a bit like this: A morning full of bridesmaids hurrying around getting ready, lots of hair and makeup, getting dressed, being transported to the ceremony location, walking down the aisle, say your vows, moving on to a receiving line, family photos, bridal party photos, bride and groom portraits, getting introduced into the reception, first dance, parent dances, eating (if you are lucky!), greeting guests (Aunt Beth will want two-thousand photos of herself with you, by the way), dancing for a bit and the reception is over. And just like that, your wedding day came and went. With a First Look you give yourself more time to enjoy your wedding day and soak it all in. By seeing each other 2 hours beforehand you can get all your portraits out of the way (or at least the bride and groom ones), have a 30 minute break before the ceremony, take some formals after the ceremony and then go to enjoy your reception. Most brides and grooms don’t make it to their cocktail hour because they are off taking pictures. By the time they get into the reception, the guests have already made a mess of the place. With a First Look you can mingle with your guests during the cocktail hour and can actually sit down and enjoy the meal that you, undoubtedly, paid a lot of money for. Also, you get to enjoy every second of the entertainment part of your reception. Your wedding day is way more chill and you get to sit back and enjoy the most important day of your life. A First Look, most likely, will be the only time you get to spend alone with each other during your wedding day.
We recommend, as your photographers, that you and your groom be ready at least two hours before the wedding ceremony. We will head out into the beautiful surroundings of your venue to create some intimate photos of the two of you. Having a couple hours of free time before the ceremony creates a more relaxed and easy-going atmosphere making for happier family, friends, bride and groom. After your time alone together, we can photograph your whole bridal party and immediate family.
Totally a Bonus: Now you have extra time during the cocktail hour to chat with your awesome guests while we get more of those great unplanned moments and grab more detail shots. If a First Look isn’t your speed then The 10-minute rule is a must!
First Look
Portraiture