First Look Wedding Photos: 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Them
First Look wedding photos can be an amazing part of your wedding day! If you aren’t sure about this tradition… or what it even is… keep reading! Today, I’ll be sharing why a First Look could be a romantic addition to your wedding day that not only adds to the experience but also reduces stress!
The Origin of the “Walking Down the Aisle” Tradition
It has been a long-standing tradition that couples do not see each other the night before and the morning of their wedding day. That they hold off seeing each other until they’re at the altar. While I’m all for upholding and honoring important customs and traditions; have you ever found yourself thinking “but, why this one”? So, before I dive into what a First Look is and why they’re becoming more and more popular at weddings, let’s first take a look at the origin of this tradition!
Back in the day, arranged marriages were actually very common. Marriage was considered more of a business deal between families rather than a union based on love. Because this was generally an arrangement made by the bride’s father to marry her into a wealthier family, he might worry that if the groom saw her in advance, he may not find her attractive and could call the wedding off. This would lead to a tremendous amount of shame on the bride and her family. Therefore, it became a superstition and “bad luck”.
In order to avoid risking their family’s reputation, the couple wouldn’t just spend the morning or night prior apart like we do today; it was actually very normal for the couple to never have seen each other. At all. Even the veil played a big part in this as well actually; it wasn’t just for beauty or modesty — it was a way to obscure the bride’s face until the last possible second. So the groom wouldn’t have a chance to back out! Not quite as romantic of an origin story as you might have thought, right?
What is a First Look?
A First Look is simply when a couple sees each other on their wedding day for the first time, in an intimate setting, BEFORE the ceremony. Okay, but now you may be asking, “why”? What are the benefits of doing First Look wedding photos?
Why Do First Look Wedding Photos?
There are several benefits to doing First Look wedding photos. Today, I’m going to break down some of the biggest reasons why you might consider one:
1. Enjoy an intimate moment
With a First Look, you actually get to have an intimate moment on your wedding day with your significant other. This does not generally happen otherwise. Most of us don’t realize that when you come down the aisle, your partner doesn’t even have the opportunity to tell you how amazing you look! They can’t spin you around, embrace you, tell you how beautiful you are or how excited they are to be marrying you! You have to wait until the ceremony is over for them to share their thoughts.
2. Extend your wedding day by hours
First Look Wedding Photos allow you to extend your wedding day by several hours. Normally, the wedding day would start when you come down the aisle. Then you spend the Cocktail Hour trying to cram in Family Formals, Wedding Party Photos, AND your Couple’s Portraits before rushing off to the Grand Entrance. Whereas, the First Look allows us to get most of your important group photos done before the ceremony.
3. Get 40% more portraits
First Look Wedding Photos mean 40% more portraits. This frees up a significant amount of time after the ceremony for us to focus on portraits of YOU and then get everyone to the party quicker!
Comparison of Wedding Day Approaches
| Feature | Traditional Timeline | First Look Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| First Meeting | At the altar during the ceremony | Intimate setting before the ceremony |
| Portrait Timing | During Cocktail Hour | Before the ceremony starts |
| Volume of Portraits | Standard coverage | 40% more portraits |
| Experience | Rushing to the Grand Entrance | Reduces stress and adds to the experience |