It’s absolutely crazy to Michael and me that we’re approaching our first wedding anniversary at the end of this month. In the spirit of our upcoming anniversary and to celebrate that wedding season is in full swing now, I thought I’d share some of the reasons why we chose to have a first look on our wedding day, and why you should consider having one on your wedding day!
First looks have been making their way to be all the rave over the past few years, and I just love that. Some people love first looks because they help break tradition, but I love them because overall, they’re just a really special way to add to your wedding day and to create additional memories that you’ll always have. We are so glad to have chosen to have a first look for our wedding day.
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8 REASONS WHY WE CHOSE TO HAVE A FIRST LOOK:
1. To Kick The Nerves // Michael and I had about 180 guests at our wedding and just thinking about that number would make me overwhelmed. One of the hugest reasons why we chose a first look was because our anxieties would fade away and our nerves would be no longer. For me, Michael is the only person who is able to calm me down, so I knew that whether I was nervous on our day or not that he would make me feel comfortable.
2. To Enjoy An Intimate Moment // First looks are completely dreamy and create such a sense of closeness. I knew that spending a few moments with my husband-to-be would be intimate and special before the crazy rest of the day began. When the reception begins, you won’t really get a chance to be just the two of you, as everyone will want to talk and spend time with you both.
3. It’s When We Looked Our Best // Let’s be real, once the wedding celebration is in full swing, you can begin to sweat from dancing and your makeup can fade a bit. And no, you won’t be touching your makeup up as often as you’d think, because the day completely flies by. Trust me, I know. A first look is typically taken shortly after getting ready and dressed in your wedding attire, which is prime for getting photos taken since you’re all fresh for the day.
4. To Have A Second Photo Location // Michael and I were able to do our first look at the spot where we got engaged, which was extremely important to us. This spot happened to be about 35 minutes away from the venue, though. Luckily, we got married on a Friday and had the entire day to plan for. Since our wedding venue was full of greenery, it was really great that we got to have photos taken by the water, as well. It really helped make our photos have an overall special and unique feel and look to them.
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5. To Take Bridal Party Photos Before The Ceremony // Tying into having a second photo location and extra photos of just us, having a first look also opened up the opportunity to take bridal party photos before the ceremony. It meant so much to us to have our bridal party catching a glimpse of our first look from afar as they were cheering us on. It was so sweet! Getting our bridal party photos done before the rest of the day helped us be able to focus on just family photos after the ceremony, as well as more of us as husband and wife.
6. To Have Quick Turnaround From Ceremony To Reception // As I have already mentioned, having the bridal party photos and a good portion of our husband and wife portraits already done after the first look really helped to free up time after the ceremony. Since our ceremony was at 6:00 pm on a Friday evening, it was important for us to get our guests dinner as soon as possible. Thankfully, our ceremony and reception were at the same location! We only had an hour-long cocktail hour before dinner, which meant only an hour for family photos and more photos of us. It was a little tight, but having photos taken after the first look really helped make the quick turnaround worth it.
7. To Prolong Our Special Day Together // We wanted our wedding day to be spent together, not just a few hours after the ceremony. If we didn’t have a first look, more than half of our special day would’ve been spent without each other, and that was just sad for us to think about. Having our first look in the early afternoon helped us to not only spend more time together on our day, but it helped us to not have to wait in our nerves all day. Seeing the person you love before any kind of crazy day will always be the best.
8. Overall Convenience Of Time // While there were a ton of special reasons why we chose to do a first look, a lot of them were driven because they were just logically convenient. From saving time between the ceremony and reception to taking photos at our first look spot and after the ceremony, it just made sense for us. While yes, our wedding day was all about us and our love, it was important for us to consider the guests and their time. I think we did a great job deciding on what was convenient time-wise for everyone.
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Brides-to-be, what are you considering and why? Are you wanting to do a first look or are you wanting to stick to tradition and wait for you and your groom to see you when you walk down the aisle? Wives, what did you choose and why? I love hearing what and why everyone chose what they did.
