Photo courtesy of: Cotton Weddings

We love seeing the photos of a Bride sneaking up behind her Groom in her gorgeous wedding ensemble, while he anxiously awaits seeing her for the first time on their wedding day! The look he has on his face when he turns around and sees her beaming at him with so much love in her eyes and in her heart. Ever wonder why couples decide to do a first look vs. not doing one? Or decide to follow the traditional route and wait to see each other for the first time at the alter? Today we are discussing the pros about each side to this decision and weighing in the thoughts of some of our own Brides!

Photo courtesy of: Awake Photography

For my husband and myself, the decision was an easy one. Absolutely yes! I knew I would be already anxious to see my handsome groom, and felt that seeing him before the ceremony would not only calm my nerves, but hopefully allow us to soak in the moments before we said “I do”. Unfortunately, our first look didn’t keep me from crying (yet again) as I walked down the aisle, but the moments we shared, and the photos we have from that intimate moment is something we will cherish forever.

It was so wonderful having that extra time to get great photos of just him and I with no distractions, or worrying about getting to the cocktail hour after the ceremony before it ended because we were taking formal portraits. It was perfect, and I would recommend it to any couple who is thinking about doing one. One of the best decisions we made!

Photo courtesy of: Kelly Hornberger Photography 

For those of you who are choosing, or have chosen to not do a first look, I commend you! There is something so special about the way a Groom looks so tenderly at his Bride for the first time, seeing her in a beautiful dress, walking towards him. The connection is deep and meaningful and oh so sweet. So, we are getting some advice from fellow photographers, and past/current brides as to the reasoning behind their decision. Take a look!

“We wanted to have an intimate one-on-one moment with each other before the craziness of the wedding begins, and to capture the emotions of the two of us in this moment. The only thing that originally held us back was the tradition, something about not seeing your Bride until she walks down the aisle is beautiful…but ultimately, we wanted to have a first look.”

“I loved doing a first look! It helped ease my nerves and we got some gorgeous shots before and after the wedding, using different lighting and locations. We got to enjoy more of our reception which we really liked.”

Photo courtesy of: Smith House Photography 

“I am a super emotional person, so I had to have a first look! I still cried down the aisle, but it wasn’t as bad as it would have been without doing it. I think its a special moment we shared, and I got to see his face up close when he first saw me…I loved it.”

“From a photographers point of view, a first look is a wedding day game-changer. Doing a first look gives us so much more time for those much desired couple’s photos. Plus, I feel like a first look is much more intimate.”

“We didn’t do one, so this is something we did that was more traditional. We got to see each other for the first time, and our guests got to witness this with us.”

Our final thought: whether you are a traditional couple and want to see each other for the first time at the alter, or want to share a first look, just take in every moment with each other! The wedding day goes by so fast, and most of the day is very surreal that you probably won’t remember it all, unless you have those photos and video to document the big moments of the day. There is no such thing as sticking with the norm anymore. Do what feels right for you and cherish every moment of holding your loved one in your arms. Its a feeling like no other in this world.

Thank you so much to our photo contributors!

~XO~

Weddings by Jessee