What is a first look and how does it work?
A first look is an intimate moment for the bride and groom to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. Many times, a bride doesn’t enjoy the pressure of having guests looking at her, she feel she might be super nervous about walking down the aisle, or maybe the couple just wants some time to themselves before the rush of the busy day. The first look gives the couple a private moment to share with each other.
See some examples of photos from 1st looks below and a little more about how it works.
How does it work?
The first look starts with the groom arriving before the bride. Photos are taken of the groom as he waits. The photographer sets up the groom and then goes to meet the bride. The bride makes a slow entrance to meet the groom.
The groom can be seated on a bench for the first look, or standing with his back turned, or be facing the bride with a blindfold. There are different ways to do the first look. Favorite photos are close ups of the groom as the bride is walking towards him, that surprise moment, a hug and kiss, or that special look. It’s that “wow, it’s you!” moment.
What should we do during the first look?
For the first look, embrace each other, hug, kiss, cry…all of that is ok! Just act like the photographer is not there taking pictures and be in the moment.
After that first look, photos are taken with of just the couple. The first look is more of the fresh look of the couple – make up done, hair perfect, no tears (yet!).
How long should a first look last?
A first look should be between 45 minutes to 1 hour. An hour is nice since the photographer can take some getting ready photos of the bride.
(Below is one of my favorite photos of the bride before the 1st look – she is so happy!!)
If you are still thinking about a first look, here are some more benefits:
- No eyes on you. Another plus of the first look is not having guests watching you during photo time. It’s not my favorite when family members are making comments like, “Joe that was a weak kiss” or “Save that for the honeymoon.” The photos between the couple are special moments and guests really should not be making obnoxious comments or making them feel awkward.
- No rushing after the ceremony to get photos with the two of you. Since the couple pictures are the last photos taken, you some times run out of time. For my wedding, we didn’t have enough time to go to the beach since all the other photos took too long. We had the reception to rush off to and didn’t get a lot of us photos. The first look allows more photos of the two of you.
- Different locations. There are so many beautiful places to take photos. As a photographer, I see so many places for extra photos. Adding another location for photos can give you more variety of pictures.
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