The First Look. For those considering...

First of all, this is not a photographer’s attempt to convince you to have a first look. My wife and I actually chose to forego the first look, so the first time I saw her on our wedding day was when the large wooden doors of the sanctuary were pulled open. My primary purpose in sharing this is to let couples know the advantages of the First Look, or Reveal. When I bring them up in a consultation, I often hear, “Oh wow, I haven’t thought about it like that.”

Brooklyn & Jeremy. JX Event Venue, Stillwater.

A first look gives flexibility in your day

From the photographer’s standpoint, it gives me the flexibility to give more time to the couple. It allows me time to get photos of the bride and groom before the ceremony, and after, usually in different locations, with different lighting conditions.

From the couples’ standpoint, they can get family pictures done before the wedding (usually the immediate family is there anyways). This allows the couple time to just relax and have fun once the ceremony is over. It also alleviates the stress for parents who feel obligated to connect and mingle with guests once the ceremony is over.

Abby & Mitchell. Solar Arts, Minneapolis.

It give you time alone

Those who forego the first look need to consider that they will probably not have a moment alone together until the very end of the night. Having a first look allows the couple a few minutes alone together to soak in the gravity of the day. It’s during this time that some of the couples’ favorite candid photos are taken.

Jamie & Spencer. Eagle Lake, Maple Grove.

It captures the magic

Many brides want to skip the first look because they want that “WOW” moment of the groom seeing her for the first time. When I first started shooting weddings, I was surprised that the emotions created from a first look mirrored the emotions that I felt when I first saw my “soon-to-be” coming down the aisle. I’ve even found that emotions can be truer, as the groom, and sometimes bride, don’t feel the pressure of letting their emotions show in front of a church full of people.

Lacey & Luke. Calhoun Beach Club, Minneapolis.

It takes away some of the stress and anxiety

For brides or grooms who know they will feel the stress of the day, a first look can help to alleviated some of that anxiety. In a recent wedding consult, the bride expressed her desire to skip the First Look. In learning more about her and her fiancé, I sensed that the roller-coaster of emotions on the wedding day could be a lot for her, so I offered the option of seeing her fiancé early in the day. This would help her manage the nerves, and set both of them up to thoroughly enjoy their ceremony, fully relaxed. After pointing this out, the choice was an easy one for her.