Many couples struggle with the decision of whether or not to see each other before the wedding.  Many want to keep tradition by waiting to see each other for the first time as the bride walks down the aisle, and many think that there are certain rules for your wedding day that just can’t be broken (not seeing each other before the ceremony, tossing the bouquet, etc).  I personally think that the only rule of the day should be this:  do what makes you happy and ensures that you enjoy your wedding day and get the most out of it.

I’m speaking on this subject as a photographer and a bride.  Stehvn and I were married about 3 years ago and we chose to do a first look and see each other before the wedding and would have done it no other way!  Our wedding was a bit unique from many others…we had 500 guests at the wedding.  A bit larger and slightly crazier than most…but how wonderful it was to have so many friends and family there with us to celebrate!  With that many guests we were hard pressed to work the crowd at the reception and the chance to spend a moment alone was obsolete.  This is why the first look was so important to us on our big day!  Had we not had that time together before the ceremony we would have had no time to ourselves.  For us it was the perfect calm in the middle of the craziness of the day.  We weren’t worried about the decor or details of the day, weren’t worried about making the rounds and socializing with all of our guests…it was just a moment for the two of us.  Do I feel like I was cheated out of the experience of seeing each other for the first time walking down the aisle??  Not at all.  We were able to have the same experience when we had our first look, were then able to take it all in when we had our alone time at our first look, and in turn were much more relaxed (sort of) and in the moment when walking down the aisle.

The best part of doing a first look?  The freedom we have with laying out the timeline of the day.  When a couple chooses to do a first look I always try to schedule wedding party photos and family photos to take place before the ceremony so that everyone can head to the reception and start enjoying themselves.  It also allows freedom to take a limo ride (that was arranged by the professionals from arizonasedanandlimo.net site) around town with the wedding party.  Does this type of layout for the wedding day work for everyone?  There is no one size fits all when it comes to weddings!  First looks work out well for some and frees up a lot of time for us to get creative with photos…but that’s not to say that I don’t love weddings where the couple chooses to wait.  Either way we’re going to get some gorgeous photos that you’ll have to cherish for years and years!

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