“Should I do a first look?” This is the question I was asking myself several months ago as I began planning our wedding day timeline and choosing the things I wanted to include. Although traditionally, the bride and groom would wait to see each on their wedding day until the bride walked down the aisle, in recent years, more couples have been choosing to do a first look.
A first look refers to the couple getting completely dressed and ready for the ceremony. Then, with the help of the wedding photographer, the groom will turn his back while the bride walks up behind him and taps him on the shoulder. This allows for some really sweet moments together as you see each for the first time in private.
Having recently been a bride myself, I understand how special this time is, and while you of course want to look back at these moments, you also want your photographer to give you a little privacy. This is when I love pulling out my zoom lens from a short distance away, allowing me to photograph your first look so you can look back and remember exactly how you felt, while still giving you a little time to yourself.
After you have a few minutes to yourself, we then flow directly into your bride and groom portraits, with the remaining bridal party and family photos following. Doing a first look allows us to take all your formal portraits before your ceremony so you can then transition directly into your cocktail hour and reception.
One of the things that was very important to my fiancé, Aaron and I as we planned our wedding, was that we would actually get to spend time together. With the getting ready, ceremony, reception, and talking with our guests, we knew the day could fly by so quickly. Aaron and I chose to do a first look at our wedding and honestly, it’s one the best decisions we made. Being able to spend a few moments together alone before the rest of the day flew by, was so special and we’ll treasure it forever. I was a little nervous,seeing Aaron helped me to take a deep breath and allowed the reason for this whole day to sink in again.
Photography: Darcy Holsopple
