First Look

We did a first look and zero regrets! It didn’t make walking down the aisle any less special and we both bawled as I walked down.

View Quoted Comment Ok, that makes me feel so much better!!!

We skipped the first look and have zero regrets. No photos are worth sacrificing that moment seeing each other down the aisle, at least for us!

View Quoted Comment That was my original thought but we got this venue in huge part for these pictures haha and since I essentially have two dresses I think it will still be somewhat of a surprise. Did you get some great reaction pictures walking down the aisle?

View Quoted Comment It’s the consensus I’ve seen on this website as well. Everyone has different priorities and for us we wanted to be in our own cocktail hour and stay seated during dinner!

We did a first look and we are both so glad we did! It was such a special moment for us and the photos and video are so sweet. I wouldn’t change it for anything and don’t regret it at all. Walking down the aisle was still very special and we both still cried lol. We actually talk about how the first look was one of our favorite parts of our entire wedding.

View Quoted Comment Yeah I definitely don’t want to miss the reception for pictures! These are the shots I want to get before

View Quoted Comment I love that! And I’m glad to hear the walk down the aisle was still special!

We did a first look, got the photos we wanted, didn’t miss a moment with our guests, and he still cried when I walked down the aisle. It’s a personal decision each couple makes, but I don’t know anyone who regrets having done a first look, if that helps you feel better about it! My husband was pretty firmly against it, but caved when we discussed how the timing of the day needed to work. In hindsight we both agree that we loved having a moment together to take it all in, privately, before things went into high gear.

I am super excited for our first look! Our own moment to take it all in, and hopefully get the tears out of the way. Not too mention we get to enjoy our own coctail hour! Walking down the aisle toward your FH in front of all your friends and family will be special no matter what, I guarantee it!

View Quoted Comment That makes me feel so much better! Thank you!

View Quoted Comment Haha I definitely want to get the tears out of the way!

We are going to be doing a first look. I didn’t care either way, so when our photographer asked I let my fiancé decide. We aren’t really doing anything else traditionally, so to get some nice photos without an audience will be fun. I also want to do a “first look” with my son because I know he’d love it.

View Quoted Comment I am totally an ugly crier..so this is a must for me!

View Quoted Comment Omg a first look with your son is so precious!

View Quoted Comment Lmao I’m right there with you!

View Quoted Comment Absolutely priceless reaction shots! 😍 Also about the 2 dresses thing, for us at least I don’t think that would’ve made a difference. For over a year my husband was dying to know what my dress looked like but he said when he saw me walking down the aisle literally all he saw was my face, and he didn’t even notice the dress until halfway through the ceremony 😂 so I’m not sure that would’ve been super relevant, at least for us... like if he had already seen me then he’s already seen ME, you know? Maybe he’d be surprised by the new dress but that still wouldn’t feel the same.

I’d just think long and hard about whether the extra photos are worth it though. Like even if they come out SUPER beautifully, what are you going to do with them? Maybe you’d frame one or two. The rest would go in an album that you’d look at once in a while. Again, nothing wrong with that at all, but for us that just wasn’t worth doing a first look. After our ceremony we did 10 mins of family photos, 10-15 mins of bridal party photos, 15-20ish mins of couple photos, and then joined the last 20 mins of our cocktail hour. A few other times throughout the reception, our photographer pulled us out for more photos. We ended up with literally, 1100 edited photos, and 1900 extra non edited ones 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ I LOVE having them but, did we need more? Would it have mattered if there was a different background to some of them? Eh 🤷🏻‍♀️ Not to me at least.

know most of the ladies on here are very pro-first-look and this is NOT to say they’re wrong or that you absolutely shouldn’t or anything lol, like I know there are a lot of perks to doing one so I’m not trying to talk you out of it even, I’m just giving the opposite perspective of what I know most women on here say, so you can make the decision that’s best for YOU. Like I said, to me the extra photos wouldn’t have been worth it but to you or many other people they might very well be worth it, and that’s entirely your decision!

Were not doing them. For us personally, we really wanted it to be a surprise and we wanted it to be scared with all of our guests and family! we thought about doing it both ways though and i think it just depends on the photographer and your wants as well. Our photographer is our good friend and i know photos won’t take a super super long time but we also have a lot for our guests to do during that time just in case!!

*shared lol

We are not doing a first look. It’s important to us not to see each other beforehand. Is there a reason you can only do photos there with the first look? That seems bizarre to me. I would talk to your venue.