The tradition of waiting to see your Groom or Bride until the ceremony stems back thousands of years to arranged marriages. Do you know why a Bride wears a blusher? That has to do with the fact that a Groom could not back out until the deal was done incase his new Bride had a big wart on her nose and crossed eyed with a unibrow. Honestly. These are the “romantic” traditions that stem from waiting for the anticipated moment of the walk down the isle.
Instead today, Brides and Grooms are making new waves and starting new traditions with first looks. Grooms are able to wrap their arms around their soon-to-be wife and give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
I can go on and on about how amazing first looks are and why grooms and brides love first looks, but allow my #LJBrides to tell you!
Why Couples Love First Looks
I was a skeptic. Both Loren and Jana had brought up the idea of having a first look and I did not favor it. I am not in any way a traditionalist, but when it came to this I was. I was afraid that seeing my bride before the ceremony would take away from the emotion felt when Cannon in D began to sound. I do not like to admit all of my wrongs, but this was a definite time that I am glad that I was.
Having a first look allowed Jana and I a special moment that will never be forgotten. And the best thing was that it was entirely OUR moment; just us and the love that confirmed the vows that were about to be spoken words. I can think of nothing more intimate than that moment. Besides proclaiming our love before God, this was my favorite moment of my wedding day.
If any person is scared of doing something like this, I highly recommend it. It will not rob excitement that you will feel when you see your bride coming down the isle, because believe me that was the second time tears rolled, and it’s a time that can be shared just between the two of you. ~ Brant
At first I was skeptical about the first look. I like most people wanted to keep things traditional for our wedding, but I knew Jess wanted to have plenty of time to take solid pictures so we decided to go with the “first look.” I thought it would change everything. I thought it wouldn’t be the same with her walking down the aisle, and I didn’t think I would get as excited seeing her walk down the aisle but I was 100% wrong. I felt the same as I had envisioned without seeing her all day. In fact, it may have been better. The first look is more private and exclusive and you can really be in that moment together because there aren’t any eyes on you at that time.
Following the first look, we were able to get as many great photos as we wanted with plenty of time to do so. I don’t want to say that it put me at ease because I’m not a nervous nelly to begin with but I knew it eased my wife’s nerves and it was definitely what she wanted so I was totally on board.
Ultimately, it is your day, and if you want it to go smoother, I suggest doing a first look. Even better, listen to Loren, she does an awesome job and I recommend her to anyone and everyone. – Jordan
I think my favorite part of the first look was the anticipation while walking out to meet Lawrence. I had so many butterflies it was unreal. I’m glad that we had a first look that was more intimate and personal than surrounded by people walking down the aisle for the first time. After the initial first look, we went straight into pictures and we spent the majority of our wedding day together opposed to half a day. – Megan G.
I’m a Bride who did a first look with her Husband, and it’s something that I would NEVER change. I have never had a Bride or Groom tell me they regret their first look, only that they regret NOT doing one! There’s so many reasons why brides and grooms loves first looks, and it saddens me when the couple doesn’t even consider them. Or they allow a family member or friend talk them out of it. Remember friend, the wedding day is about YOU, not about them. If you want to blaze your own trail and do things your way, give a first look a try. I promise, you won’t regret it!
