Grand Rapids Wedding Photographer // The First Look!

The first look…..should you or shouldn’t you?  Some like to wait until the bride is walking down the aisle to see her groom for the first time and some like to participate in the first look.  There is no wrong way …just a preferred way!  When Joe and I were married almost 8 years ago we didn’t see each other until I was walking down the aisle!  Big mistake!  I only wish we would have taken a private moment to see each other, breathe a little and start our day together.  There was so much happening that we couldn’t even focus on each other, making it go by too quickly!  Not to mention….our guests had to wait for an hour (at least) while we took family photos.  Not the best thought out plan in my book!  What really makes me sad is that we only have a handful of photos of the two of us.  If we would have done this a little differently, we would have many more images to display.  

Back in the day, it was a strong tradition for brides and grooms to not see one another until walking down the aisle during the ceremony.  Although it sounds oh-so-romantic…it’s not at all that way!  When marriages were arranged many many years ago, bride’s parents’ didn’t allow her to see her groom before walking to the altar in fear that she would find the groom unattractive and change her mind!  Not exactly what I think of as romantic….

I have several reasons for loving first looks….here are a few!

– First looks give us ample time to take all the photos before a wedding….allowing the wedding party to arrive at the same time to the reception as the guests.  Believe me…guests LOVE this!

– First looks allow for the bride and groom to relax and be alone for a few minutes during their wedding day.  The day gets so busy and crazy, that sometimes the couple doesn’t even have a minute alone.  These few moments help calm nerves and just relax.

– First looks bring out truer emotions and expressions when the bride and groom aren’t in front of their closest 150 friends..lol.  Better expressions and better lighting make for better photos!

– First looks help the timeline run smoothly.  When we are doing all of the photos ahead of time, our team can accommodate for people that are running late and the wedding party getting behind.  Since we have much more extra time before the ceremony, the timeline can be changed easier than if we had to quickly fit everything in between the ceremony and reception.  Guests not waiting is always a good thing!

Here are a few examples of some great first look moments!

I’m so glad we were able to capture all of these first looks….!