First Look or No First Look for Your Wedding?
Not all that long ago we posted an article talking about how to build a wedding timeline focused around having the best experience possible as a couple. One section of that article was whether or not your wedding should include a first look, as it drastically affects your wedding day timeline and the overall flow of the day. While the article does cover the basics of first look versus no first look for a wedding day, we felt that there was more to consider in the decision, a LOT more. That’s why today we’re here to talk about all the ins and outs of this decision to help you get to the bottom on whether or not a first look is right for your wedding day.
Should Your Wedding Day Have a First Look?
When deciding whether or not to have a first look on your wedding day you’ll first want to consider the pros and cons of each. After all, there are some positive and negative aspects to both options, which is why both are incredibly common in the wedding industry today. With that in mind, and as we work through the pros and cons of each keep your goals and the vision you have for your wedding day in mind. Only you as a couple know what is right for your wedding day, so the decision of whether to have a first look or not will come down to you and you alone.
The Pros of a First Look
There are a lot of things to love about having a first look on the day of your wedding. For starters you get to see your partner earlier in the day, meaning you both get to spend significantly more time together throughout the day! The benefits of this extend further than just the excitement of seeing your favorite person though, as once you two have seen one another your wedding day timeline opens up drastically. Having seen one another means that you can knock out all of the wedding party and a majority of your couples portraits prior to your ceremony. Sometimes you can even get some family portraits out of the way early too. This gives you an enormous amount of flexibility when it comes to the rest of your day.
Another aspect we adore when it comes to first looks is the emotional and private moment they create for the couple to enjoy. Wedding days are centered around you and the love you share, but most of the day is spent around your friends and family. This is of course where most of the fun and excitement of the wedding day comes from, but it’s always a great idea to fit in some private and intimate moments for the two of you to enjoy on your own. A first look is one such moment, and this can be taken even further if you want to include something like a private vow reading during your first look.
The Cons of a First Look
There aren’t too many negative aspects to having a first look on your wedding day, though the ones that exist can be pretty impactful depending on the couple and what they want for their wedding day. The first con to having a first look is that the magic of the moment when you see one another for the first time no longer takes place during the ceremony. Now this doesn’t mean that couples who do a first look don’t get emotional when they see one another during their ceremony, as that still happens.
It is true though that you only get one chance to see your partner for the first time in their wedding attire, and some couples may want that moment to be during their ceremony. The other negative aspect of having a first look is that with it being on the non-traditional side of things in terms of weddings, some family members may not be as fond of it. This is of course varies case by case, or rather family by family, but it’s something to be aware of when planning out your wedding day nonetheless.
The Pros of No First Look
The largest benefit of having a first look is that you do get to have that big reveal moment at your wedding ceremony. You get a similar feeling with a first look, but that is a moment between just the two of you and your wedding photographer. When it comes to weddings with no first look, this incredible memory is shared with everyone in attendance. All your friends and family are able to experience this one of a kind moment with you, which can make it even more special and impactful for some.
The Cons of No First Look
The main draw of not having a first look can actually be a downside for some couples. Being forced to have the moment you see one another for the first time on display in front of ALL your friends and family can be an overwhelming experience. Many introverted people could find the added stress of this to outweigh the excitement of the moment itself. By the very nature of a wedding, you’re going to be feeling some general stress throughout the day, but avoiding any additional and unwanted stress is something you should strive for during your wedding day. If seeing one another for the first time in front of your wedding guests is stressing you out you may want to consider having a first look instead.
A Few Examples
Now that we know the pros and cons of weddings with and without a first look it’s time to look at some real life examples of both scenarios. Previously on the blog we’ve talked about a few wedding days that include a first look such as Anna and Sean’s wedding at Hidden Creek Estates, Hannah and Jack’s wedding at Prairie Street Brewing, and Lexie and Harrison’s wedding at the Forest Hills Country Club. For weddings without a first look be sure to check out Alysa and Josh’s wedding at Hidden Creek Estates or Vi and Alex’s wedding at Galleria Marchetti.
Each one of these wedding days was absolutely spectacular in their own right. As you look through the galleries, pay close attention to the flow of the day and the emotions on display from the couple and their loved ones throughout the day. Note anything that immediately jumps out at you or makes you feel a certain way on whether you’d rather have a first look or not for your wedding.
Alternatives to Having a First Look
While this may seem like a pretty cut and dry situation with only 2 choices, that couldn’t be further from the truth! You see, as weddings have evolved over the years couples have gotten more and more creative in the layout and events of their day. This creativity has spawned a few alternatives to having a first look that can be ideal to couples that find it difficult to choose between the two.
A First Touch
The first is a happy middle ground, called a first touch. A first touch is nearly identical to a first look, except that you don’t actually see one another! The couple hold hands around a corner from one another, and then are able to share an intimate moment together without taking away from the surprise and excitement of the big moment itself. This allows the couple to spend some alone time together, share private vows if they want, and it also makes for some fun and emotional photo opportunities. Best of all you still get to enjoy the big reveal during your ceremony if that aspect appeals heavily to you as a couple.
A Unique Wedding Day Layout
Another fun workaround to the conundrum of whether or not to have a first look is to get creative with the layout of your wedding day. One example of this is a couple who’d like to have their wedding ceremony be the first time they see one another, but also would rather not have that moment be in front of everyone they know. In this case the couple could choose to have a small, intimate wedding ceremony in the morning with just their closest friends and family present. Later on in the day they would have their reception where the entire guest list would be present to celebrate with them throughout the evening. This is just one of many ways you can alter the layout of your wedding day to better fit the vision you have for your celebration.
Choosing What’s Right for You
So, should you have a first look or not at your wedding? Should you go for one of these alternative options? Ultimately the choice is completely yours to make, which makes sense. This is YOUR wedding day after all! As you work through this decision, keep in mind everything we’ve discussed so far and what appeals most to you as a couple. As long as you’re building the wedding day that you want you’ll be happy and sure to have the best day ever.
For more wedding planning tips make sure to check out some of our other blogs, and if you’re looking to book Forest City Photographs to document your wedding day make sure to send us an inquiry via our contact page.
