What on earth is a first look?
I’m sure you may have heard this phrase thrown around here and there about a first look, but what is this, what does it mean and how can you make it work for you?
A first look is what it sounds like - it’s the opportunity to have a sneaky peek of your hottie before you say “I do”. This doesn’t necessarily need to be a full reveal of how you look but it can be something the two of you agree to do to help ease some nerves, to have a private moment just to yourselves amidst the hustle and bustle of the wedding day and to get some more photos! This normally happens just after you’ve gotten fully ready, and is typically the last thing you do before you head on down the aisle.
A few variations of the ‘first look’ are:
- Turn around and look each other (the classic)
- Hold hands on either side of a door/wall too keep your amazing dress/suit a surprise. You could just chat, read each other a letter or pray.
- The bride can see the groom, however the bride is blindfolded. You can hug, kiss and chat — however the dress remains a surprise for the aisle!
So, why do couples choose to do this?
It helps to calm the wedding day nerves.
This may seem such a minor thing to have on the day, but don’t forget that us humans have a lot of emotions to deal with that get condensed and become quite large leading up to the big moment. Who better to help ease your anxieties than your person? I’m sure they would appreciate a moment with you as well, after all you’re a team right? Even if you don’t want to spoil seeing how they look, you can stand back to back and have a chat, either side of a wall or even holding hands through a doorway with your eyes shut.
You want to keep the intimate moment between you.
Your wedding day is about the two of you declaring your love and while it’s lovely having your guests there to witness this, it can be overwhelming. This day is about the both of you and while getting married is special in itself, keeping these little moments between you is something you can treasure. So, instead of having that first glance at the aisle with an audience, you can opt to keep it between yourselves and let emotions flow without hesitation.
Another opportunity to have photos taken!
If you allow an extra hour, you could possibly have the couple photos before the ceremony rather than after if that fits better into your schedule! If you didn’t want too much time away from your guests after the ceremony you could opt to have the special moment for each other beforehand as well. Or if this is something you want to add on-top, you could have the best of both worlds. Have your cake and eat it too, right?
Ultimately, while the first look is not a typical tradition, this is something that can only enhance your day and is totally customisable by you. Would you do a first look?
