To “First Look” or not to “First Look”?

For those of you who don’t know, there’s a new(ish) wedding photography concept in town and it goes by the name of “First Look”. This is when the bride and groom meet and take a “First Look” at each other dressed in wedding attire just before the bride walks down the aisle.

The big debate is whether this is a good thing or not, because as almost all of you know, the groom seeing the bride in her dress before the wedding is said to be:
* bad luck;
* a break of tradition;
* robbing the family and friends of being in that moment when the bride and groom lock eyes as she walks down the aisle;
* .

I know many people who already lived together before they got married and the first look during the ceremony was one of the last pieces of tradition they had left when it came to the wedding. Which is fine ... if that is what you really want.


Photo credit:{chrispluslynn.blogspot.com}

But is it...?

There are many advocates of the “First Look” and here’s why:

From a photography point of view, capturing the first intimate moment between bride and groom makes for wonderful, personal pics because there is more time. The raw emotion between just the two of them is something that’ll probably never be replicated in their lives again and there isn’t a rush-rush-rush–ness to it. Think about it...you as a couple get to savour this once in a lifetime moment without 150 people oggling you.

It also de-stresses the flow of the day, as:
* the bride and groom are a little bit more relaxed when they are saying their I Dos;
* there's no worrying about the length of the photo taking after the ceremony and how the (often bored) guests are doing on the canapes;
* the bridal couple get to enjoy the canapés too, which in turn leaves the guests more at ease.

In Winter months,the (technical) advantage of the “First Look” is that the couple get awesome natural light which they may not have had othwerwise.

In Summer months, make-up and hair looks ‘fresher’ in the images taken before the ceremony. South African Summers are no joke, so this is a biggie for me who tends to combust in heat.


Photo credit:{bridalbuds.com}

So. To recap (in order to sell the idea to your significant other and interested parties): First Look = more time = less rush = less stress = more fun.

And if you're a cry baby like me, your make-up won’t look half as bad during the ceremony... which is always a bonus! So I am pro “First Look”!

How about you?