The Pros and Cons of the First Look

The first look, as popular as it is, is still very much a hotly contested wedding trend. Just mention to your mother or grandmother that you may see your fiance prior to the ceremony, and they will probably think you are joking. If you’re in the throes of wedding planning, chances are you’ve debated the pros and cons of doing a first look yourself.  To help you weigh your options, we’ve carefully crafted a pros and cons list… feel free to share it with Grandma!

Pro’s:
1. Eliminate pre-wedding jitters: The morning of your wedding, anticipation will certainly be building.  It’s possible that seeing each other sooner rather than later will calm your nerves, and send you jitter-free down the aisle.

2. Enjoy your cocktail hour: We’ve all been to a wedding where the wedding party departs after the ceremony and doesn’t return until all the guests are seated for dinner.  In order to make the most of your time with your guests, get most of the pictures out of the way pre-ceremony, leaving you free to mix and mingle with your guest’s post.

3. Capture the best light: If you’re getting married in the middle of the winter, or your ceremony doesn’t start until 6pm, chances are it will be dark after your ceremony.  If you want outdoor photos with your husband/wife to be, you’re going to have do them before you say your “I do’s”.

Cons:
1. You’ll miss out on tradition: Tradition says you don’t see each other until you’re on either end of the aisle. If tradition is important to you, skip the first look.

2. Your guests and family may be upset: Poll 10 people and 9 of them will tell you their favorite part of a ceremony is seeing the groom’s face when he sees his bride for the first time. Make mom, grandma and a lot of your other guests happy by letting them in on this special moment.

3. The moment is staged, rather than spontaneous: When you do a first look, you know your photographer is there, capturing every detail, just for this purpose. This can feel more staged than genuinely spontaneous. If you’re not that into staged photos, a first look might not be for you.