It May Be More Emotional Than You Think!
We love being published! It’s a thrill to share a recent article we wrote for Triad Weddings Magazine, that explained the First Look trend and how it can make your wedding day timeline awesome. Dive in, folks – it’s worth the read!
While you may have envisioned that moment when you and your significant other’s eyes meet at the altar, you may want to consider an alternative — the First Look. An increasingly popular trend in weddings, having a moment together earlier in the day can make a lot of sense.
Most arguments against a first look are due to fear of missing a special moment during the processional. In our experience, the moment a bride comes up the aisle is just as emotional with a first look as it is without one. And while you walk up the aisle, there could literally be a hundred people between the two of you (many times with phones and devices raised), which is overwhelming and distracting. There’s no guarantee you will even see each other to have that “moment.”
Other people are simply fans of tradition – they like the romantic idea of waiting to see each other at the ceremony. In reality, the strict need to remain separated before the marriage ceremony does not have a romantic origin. It was birthed in the days of arranged marriages, when the union of a bride and groom was merely a business transaction. The bride’s father walked his daughter to the altar- he probably needed to – because the veil was completely opaque!
The bride and groom were not allowed to see each other because if they didn’t like what they saw, one of them could run away, spoiling the transaction. The idea of “bad luck” was in reference to the bride’s father having his financial agreement spoiled! This explanation is probably not giving you the warm-and-fuzzies, so perhaps a first look can help redeem the notion of having a sweet, special moment that is just for the two of you. Besides, seeing each other before your ceremony does, in fact, have several practical advantages.
- You’ll get more time together on your wedding day. You’ve probably heard that your wedding day goes by uber fast. It’s true. Why not spend it with your spouse-to-be and loved ones? After all, it is the most important day of your lives so far. Instead of seeing each other at 5pm and then being pulled around until 11pm, why not have a few additional hours of quality together?
- The nerves go away. We have been told by brides that the pre-ceremony nervousness turns into excitement after the first look. There is no fear of being accidentally seen by your other half, which is surprisingly stressful.
- You are guaranteed a special moment. A first look is just for the two of you, and you can actually have a conversation, hug, kiss, spin around and tell the other how wonderful they look. Now that is a moment to remember! It is also a good time to exchange gifts, so you can see each others’ reactions.
- Your photographer can take the bridal party and family photos before the ceremony. Once you have a first look, the flow of the day changes and has a nice ripple effect. Having the group photos completed before the ceremony means you can join the cocktail hour and greet your friends and family. Your guests will be amazed to see you! And don’t worry, they will still clap and cheer for you when you are introduced. If there is a grandparent or other family member that can’t attend family photos before the ceremony, it’s not a problem. One or two groupings after the ceremony is certainly a lot faster than having to photograph both families and bridal party. By attending the cocktail hour, you have salvaged your dinner. You can actually sit down and enjoy your meal, because there is no need to go table-to-table to greet guests — you already hugged everybody at the cocktail hour!
We know that couples want to have a meaningful wedding day that is unique to them. Not every couple decides to do a first look, but the ones who have offered unanimous endorsements for the idea and said it was one of the best decisions they made. A professional photographer can capture your day within any time frame you decide, but adding a first look can add more than just a stress-free day, it can add memories — and time together! After all, that is what it is all about.
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