First Look

100% glad we did… who wouldn't want this reaction from their FS?

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These are such sweet photos

Yes, we're going to do it! We're having our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all at a hotel so definitely want to make use of the time. We also plan to attend cocktail hour and mingle with our guests, so our portraits, family photos will be done before guests start arriving to the ceremony at 5pm. I saw photos of the first look my photographer took at other weddings, and they're amazing capturing the reactions from the bride and groom.

I love photos so would probably opt to do a first look if my venue had a beautiful space that we wouldn't otherwise have access to. Doing a first look can also mean you get to spend more time with your guests at cocktail hour, since you've already done some of the couple's photos, and it can alleviate some of the pressure of trying not to see or be seen before you walk down the aisle. First looks are quite common and I think it's more about what you and your partner want.

We're on the fence but leaning towards my FH seeing me for the first time when I come down the aisle. However I'm not sure how I would not be seen by my FH prior to walking down the aisle because our ceremony is outdoors on a hillside and there isn't really a way to approach it without being visible, so we may have to reconsider.

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That's really good to know. I feel like my FH will be more emotional if he sees me for the first time as I come down the aisle which is one of the motivations for saving our looks for the ceremony, but I'll ask my photographer what they think!

I never really thought about it until now.... something to ponder.... I was struggling to figure out how to get from point A to point B, point A being my dressing room to Point b being the beginning of the isle. Its a loop. I didnt like it... but there is a door behind the building where he and I could meet and do a first look. hmmmmm

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Love love love this...ok we are doing this.... xoxo

I'm not doing a first look with me and my husband, it's important to both of us that it is a suprise. However I plan to do one with my father and grandpa

So our wedding is a bit less traditional in that we’re having an intimate one in Canada first and then the big bash a couple of months later in Costa Rica. But for the Canada one we’re doing a first look because I really want to keep that first moment of realisation of “we’re doing this” intimate and between the two of us. I still think it’ll be incredibly special to walk down the aisle with loved ones, but I want to savour it with my man first. That’s kinda How our engagement worked, too, we had about an hour and a half before having reception to be able to tell people (he proposed on a glacier) and I actually loved having some time to digest it and savour it just the two of us before sharing it out with the world (which was also amazing, too).

Hi Chelsea! So first of all, your dress sounds amazing and I absolutely love that idea!!! Originally that's what I had in mind for myself, but that's not what I ended up getting. My advice, do what feels right and best for you two as a couple. I would always recommend a first look, I did one with my husband as well. I used to be very traditional and think it was bad luck or something. But I had been to many weddings where they did it and loved the idea. My thoughts are this: the photos are priceless! And more importantly, the day is so busy and there's so much going on, everyone wants your time and attention and you don't get the opportunity to have one on one time, actually alone, pretty much any other time throughout the day. The first look gives you that chance to be with each other, without everyone else, and experience the moment. It's incredible and amazing and so wonderful to have those photos!

We did a first look and loved every second of it. We had this private, beautiful moment to cry kiss, tell each other how much we love each other. We took more pictures after, but those pictures of us looking at each other in awe could only be captured in that private moment. I highly recommend a first look.

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Im also having a similar issue in deciding. Our venue is like 250 acre resort. and i don't want to miss the cocktail hour or make the bridal party/close family miss it to travel through the resort for pictures. We chose to do a first look - I also booked two photographers for this reason. That way each of them can catch our faces when he looks. on a side note the walk from the building to the ceremony is really far ... so i feel that kind of ruins the awe moment for me. but some of my family thinks that first look ruins the whole point of walking down the aisle.

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Omg. i'm tearing up!! these are so so beautiful

i told my FH jokingly that if he doesn't cry i'll turn around and we can try it again

I think we are going to do one, I hadn't ever thought of it before reading about it on these forums but I think it's a great idea and we will get to have a moment before it all starts!

I didn't want a first look before talking with our photographer, and now that I'm married, I'm SO GLAD I did. We got some really great sunlight photos before our evening wedding.

I was also very relaxed walking down the aisle, and we still had a great moment despite seeing each other before the ceremony. You can never have enough photos, so take advantage of the first look!

So we both don't want to do a first look but are planning on taking a different approach. My venue has this room that has some L angled walls that allows to each be on a side (not see each other) we can hold hands and read a letter to each other and still get some good pictures prior to our walk down the aisle. This i felt was a good compromise to the first look, its still intimate and we can at least hold hands.

We're doing a first look because we're eloping and will be travelling together to to get to our elopement location so it's a must. I think a first look seems like a special moment in private to experience with eachother without the hype of everyone else being there. Very intimate moment. But either way, I'm sure it'll be great!

We did it! Absolutely recommend it!

We are doing first looks with our family and group pictures with everyone but each other pre-ceremony. This way we still get a lot of pictures out of the way and still have that special moment.

I will start off with saying I have always wanted a first look, and I am glad I got to see my fiance before the ceremony to help calm my nerves.

The best man asked a long time ago if he could play a prank and be standing in a wedding dress instead of me for the reveal. I said sure, not wanting to be a wet blanket. It wasn't until a few weeks before the wedding when I began questioning whether his "reveal" would take away from the emotion of my reveal. But it was too late, and I still wanted to be cool.

Flash forward to the day and I helped the best man in to his dress while the photographer snapped lots of photos. We had the whole thing set up, the groom had no idea, and EVERYONE'S reaction was priceless. The photos they snapped of that reveal were probably great because everyone was all smiles.

When it was my turn, they staged the reveal so that they could snap photos of me walking, touching his shoulder, him turning around, and his reaction. I may have been overreacting but his face showed no real excitement or happiness or relief or anything. I did not ever expect him to cry. But I did tell him his reaction better not make me question whether I picked the right dress or looked pretty. He has a tendency to react to my outfits in a way that makes me self-conscious. But his reaction the reveal did not make me feel that way, or any way other than disappointed that he didn't react as animatedly as he did to the best man.

Do I regret doing our reveal, no. Walking down the aisle was still special (especially when I turned the corner and my 2 year old son yelled "MOMMY" so excitedly from my husband's arms).
Do I regret letting the best man do his prank... not really. It got a good reaction and made people laugh.