As a photographer, I LOVE first looks. Honestly, sometimes, they’re even my favorite part of the whole day. Everyone’s traditional idea of a wedding is that the groom can’t see the bride until she walks down the aisle or else it’s bad luck. However, that traditional idea is changing. I’d say about 40% of wedding’s I’ve photographed have had a first look and when a bride and groom ask me my opinion on first looks, I always say DO IT. Here are 5 reasons why you too should have a first look on your wedding day.

1. It’s a special moment you’ll remember for ever.

Don’t get me wrong, when a groom sees his bride walk down the aisle for the first time, it’s definitely a special moment. But the difference with a first look is that it’s a personal, more intimate moment between just you and your love. You can talk, cry, kiss, hug, and tell each other you love one another as soon as you see each other. You’re filled with so many emotions all at once, that you can’t help to just smile at how good each other looks! 

2. You get to spend the entire most important day of your life with the love of your life. 

Your wedding day is supposed to be a day to celebrate both of your love for one another. But in a traditional wedding, you go a huge chunk of the day without even talking let alone seeing each other! First looks let you spend the whole day with the love of your life and you get to experience the whole day as a couple, not individuals. 

3. The stress and nerves go away sooner.

It can be so nerve wracking to anticipate the grand entrance into the wedding ceremony. There’s so much to think about,

 “What will the bride look like?” 

“Is the groom going to cry?”

“Will everything go according to plan?”

“Will these butterflies in my stomach go away?”

A first look helps eliminate the nerves earlier in the day. It also eliminates some of the pressure too because you won’t have an audience watching you the first time you see each other. It’s still just as exciting, and the emotions are still just as real.

4. You can get the photos out of the way early and can enjoy the rest of your day.

Trust me, by the last third of the day you’ll be way ready for photos to be over with. You’ll just want to enjoy your cocktail hour or reception. Early in the day, there’s not much going on aside from getting ready for the ceremony. Why not use that time to get all the bridal party and family photos out of the way? Then once the ceremony is over, you can be present during your cocktail hour and reception!

5. They’re frickin’ adorable!

If you’ve seen anyone's photos from their first look, you can’t even argue that they’re not super cute. The reactions are so genuine. The moment is so special. It’s the only moment during the day the couple wasn’t surrounded by other people and could truly be themselves with each other. There’s not much cuter than genuine reactions of love in a photograph.

So if you’re on the fence about whether a first look is right for you. Hopefully these reasons helped you understand why I’m such a big fan of first looks. And to all you brides and grooms to be reading this, I hope you have a wonderful, stress free wedding day! 

In order to help you better plan your wedding day photography, you can download my free Wedding Day Schedule and fill it out to make sure you get all the photos you need.