Seeing each other before the ceremony for pictures?

We are doing a first look so we have that private moment alone. It'll feel completely different walking down the aisle and I think the nerves will be much easier to handle.

Typically guests are enjoying the booze and food during your cocktail hour while you take photos.

FH and I decided to do a first look. Just so we could have some time to ourselves before the ceremony, and so that our guests would not have to wait.

We are planning on using balloons to block his view and then release them so he can see me.

I love the traditionalism of not seeing each other before the ceremony. But logistically it will work better for us. It will still be special no matter what you do! You'll still get that reaction.

We have decided that we will be doing a first look for 2 reasons: 1: lighting. we are getting married in February in Ontario Canada and the sun will be set by just after 4pm we want to get a few pictures of us and bridal party outside in the snow but will need light so will be taking the outdoor pictures before our 3pm ceremony.

2: Timing. I have a extra large family with my parents divorced and both remarried so in order to ensure that we have enough time for the family formal photos between ceremony and reception we decided to get the majority of our photos of just us and bridal party done before ceremony. This should allow us to take family formal photos and then even allow a small amount of time to mingle with our guests.

We are going to make it special by having just us and the photographer for the first look and then bridal party will join after. This will give us a few special moments alone to take it all in.

there is no right or wrong answer to doing a first look or not. it is totally a personal choice.

Exactly what Jennalyn said!

We won't be doing a first look. Our guests will be able to go to our cocktail hour while we take photos, and we may also take some after the reception ends since it's an afternoon reception.

It's not for us. I really am looking forward to FH seeing me for the first time as I walk down the aisle. Plus ceremony and reception are in same place.

Our friends are doing a first look and pics around the city, before the wedding. Their venue is very banquety and they want to have better scenery for their pictures. Which is great because then they won't keep their guests waiting by doing it beforehand. I hate long gaps between ceremony and reception anything more than a cocktail hour is awful.

To each their own. No right answer, do what works for you!

We will not be doing a first look. I was fine with the idea but FH was totally against it. We will be having a cocktail hour during photos for the guests

We're getting ready together. We do not want to miss one second of our wedding, including cocktail hour, to take pictures. No way.

My husband and I had a first look and we shared it with our parents (in background) I'm really glad we did it because it was truly a special moment and we had a moment to ourselves. My husbands face was priceless! I'm so glad the photographer captured it. But it honestly helped calm our nerves. I think to each couple their own!

We're doing a first look for the same reason as @Jennalyn! First look and bridal party pictures will take place before the ceremony, then after we'll do family photos at the ceremony site and then meet everyone at our cocktail hour.

We had a later ceremony so we did a first look and then took formal pictures with our bridal party and parents. Then we all had a shuttle over to the ceremony together. FH was still very emotional when he saw me walking down the aisle. I loved getting to spend time together before the ceremony with our whole bridal party, it would not have been as fun for me if we were all separated. And yes, my hair looks best in the first look pictures and other formal pictures we took before the ceremony. I love our first look pictures, they are some of my favorites.

We had a 1st look ...and i wish we didn't. I would go back and see each other for the 1st time walking down the aisle.

My FH and I are not doing a first look. He's very traditional in the sense of wanting to see me for the first time when I walk down the aisle. We will do pictures while our guests are enjoying cocktail hour.

Mimitrue, may I ask why you regret doing the first look?

We plan on doing a first look. I want to quell my nerves before walking down the aisle, and I want to enjoy as much of my cocktail hour as I can!

We did pictures after the ceremony.

Guests went ahead and started with dinner.

No first look but we are taking everyone's pics before the wedding. Any pics I'm in will be after the wedding we want to limit how long the guests have to wait after the wedding for us

I would be perfectly fine with waiting until the ceremony but there just wouldn't be enough time to do pictures afterwards with evening mass coming. So for that reason well be doing a first look.

We did a first look-- our photog pointed out that a: your outfit can get ruined before you even get to pictures, as soon as someone steps on your train or smears makeup on your dress, also that it can be hard to find the BP if someone wanders off after the wedding, that it's nice to have a quiet moment together on a busy, busy day, AND that you will be just as excited to see each other when you're walking down the aisle. Of course, I don't know how excited I would have been if we hadn't done the first look, but I know I was thrilled, and DH had a HUGE goofy grin on his face when he saw me, which was so much wider than anything in the posed pictures!

We are doing a first look because we have to do a civil ceremony before the church ceremony and I don't want the first time he sees me that day in an office (We are doing a DW in Europe and those are the local laws- and we don't want our official marriage date of the civil ceremony to be different than the church service)....I didn't originally want to do a first look, but don't see how else to do it with the timeline we have for that day.