There’s been a HUGE request for this particular Wedding Wednesday post, and I have no doubts that it’s because of it’s growing popularity on wedding days.  The First Look is becoming a hot topic with all of my Emma Loo Brides because it’s offering Brides and their Grooms a less-stressful experience when it comes to their wedding day photography coverage.  First Looks are AMAZING and although I don’t pressure my Brides to participate in First Looks, I do stress just how amazing they are! And when my couples decide to do a First Look on their wedding day, I guarantee it makes for one of their most favorite part of their entire day.

First Looks get a bad reputation because they aren’t “traditional” and many Brides (especially their Mama’s!) will write off a First Look because it doesn’t fit the classic wedding traditions.  But really and truly ladies, if we were STILL participating in those “classic wedding traditions” we’d still be having a punch and cake cutting ceremony with mixed nuts if we were lucky.  Let’s face it y’all…weddings sure have changed a WHOLE LOT since our Grammies and our Mamas were getting married.  Weddings aren’t just short afternoon ceremonies, they’ve turned into ENTIRE DAYS. When they used to celebrate with one Bridal shower, now we’re not only planning a Bridal Shower but also a Couple’s “Stock the Bar” shower and going away on Bachelorette Weekends and so much more!  It’s not that the wedding ceremony has changed…I mean, we’re STILL getting married, aren’t we?! It’s just we’re now going through an entire “Wedding Experience” instead of a short ceremony with an even shorter wedding reception in a church fellowship hall afterwards.

To sum everything up I just said, basically, the modern Bride nowadays is spending a whole lot of her time and her money and let’s be honest y’all…A LOT of her ENEGRY and even STRESS on planning for her wedding day.  Normal weddings nowadays cost a lot of money! Everything from the cake to the catering and the draping to the DJ, anything wedding related comes along with a super hefty price tag.  Brides want to get the most out of what they’re paying for, and I don’t blame them! So if you could get almost 30-40% more portraits from your wedding day photography, then why wouldn’t you?! Brides and Grooms who participate in a First Look on their wedding day are most likely to receive 30-40% more portraits on their wedding day than the Brides and Grooms who don’t.

Emma Loo Brides will tell me over and over again “I want to see his reaction when he sees me for the first time” and things like “I can’t wait for that picture of his reaction!”  Reactions are always a very important part of how I approach a wedding day.  I love capturing emotional reactions from EVERYONE involved in the wedding day. But Brides are always concerned with their GROOM’S reaction, and I don’t blame them.  When I was planning for our own wedding day, one of the most important things I cared about was Phillip’s reaction when he saw me walking down the aisle.  When we were faced with the time crunch of our wedding day timeline, we decided that a First Look was really the only way to get the most out of our wedding day photography coverage and get us to our reception in time.  At first, I’m not going to lie, I was a little weirded out by the First Look and part of me didn’t want to do it…but now that our wedding day has come & gone (we’ve been married for almost a year now! Whoa!) I’m SO glad that we did a First Look, and not only because we got lot of such GREAT portraits but also because IT EASED our NERVOUSNESS.

Yup. You’ve read that right y’all.  We were NERVOUS! Not a bad type of nervousness like we were making a mistake type thing…no way! But more like “all the 200+ eyes are on us…and we had lots of pressure to make sure we look good all the time…and I was over here super worried about tripping on my dress while walking down the aisle! Yes y’all..there was SO much pressure on us leading up to our wedding ceremony, so I’m glad that Phillip and I were able to see each other before our ceremony and actually BREATHE.  We were able to love on each other, hold each other tight, laugh with each other, and cry together! We were able to calm each other down just a bit, hold hands and tell each other that this was just so much fun! We were giggling, shaking, loving that moment, and then we were able to take “the edge” off of the day right before the ceremony.  We shared our First Look underneath some GORGEOUS trees and we were all alone with our photographers.  It was SUCH a fabulous moment and one that I will never forget.  Don’t get me wrong, walking up the aisle towards Phillip was just as amazing and it didn’t make a difference that we had already seen each other.  His reaction was STILL there and the MAGIC of walking down the aisle to Phillip was such a blur. It seriously felt like I was floating on cloud nine while walking towards him.

We all get that weddings are stressful, especially for the Bride and Groom.  The entire wedding day is focused on the Bride and Groom and what time they need to be ready, where they need to be, and its all all while looking their best and “running the show” and having all the answers to everyone’s questions.  As the day goes on, the tension grows.  For all you Brides-to-be currently planning your wedding day, let’s take a moment to think about your wedding day.  The BIG DAY is finally here and you’re super excited to spend the morning of your wedding day getting ready with all your closest girlfriends and family.  You’re sipping mimosas and playing music from your “Bachelorette Party” playlist on Pandora.  This is the day you’ve been waiting for…and you’re finally getting ready for it!

Now, take a minute and think about your Groom.  He’s been out with his buddies playing golf or at a local brewery the morning of your wedding and now that it’s time for him to be a the wedding venue to get ready for the ceremony, he’s getting more nervous as the time ticks on.  He’s inside a little room with all this groomsmen, he has no idea what side of his jacket to wear his boutonnière on, and he can’t ever get those little cufflinks in without one of his groomsmen to help.  The venue coordinator keeps poking her head in and out of the door and each time she does, he gets even more anxious because he thinks that this might be his cue to go to the ceremony.  When he finally gets his cue from the stressed out coordinator, he’s rushed into the ceremony location where he finds all eyes on him as he makes his way up the aisle to stand to just wait…with all those pairs of eyes on him.  He’s nervous and all of the guests are expecting some sort of a reaction out of him, and all that pressure makes him even more nervous.  His reaction seeing you walking down the aisle IS such a special moment but it’s the farthest thing away a intimate and romantic moment that it could’ve been.  Like I mentioned earlier, even though Phillip and I had done a First Look before our ceremony, that special reaction and that sweet moment was STILL there while I was walking down the aisle towards Phillip! And the nicest part, Phillip wasn’t nervous because we had spent our time together before the ceremony and got out all of the pre-wedding jitters beforehand.  (Although some would say that Phillip LOOKED nervous, he swears he wasn’t..he was just sweaty! Hehe! I know Phillip too well! He wasn’t nervous!) We spent our afternoon before our wedding ceremony loving on each other, laughing with our families and friends, and even took some shots of bourbon! (Hehe! Yes, that’s right! But more on that later! 😉 )

Ok! So let’s get back to YOUR wedding day planning, my dears! (Because you can read ALL about our wedding day and married life on my “Married Monday” posts!) Believe it or not, almost EVERY Groom (& even the Brides!) get nervous on their wedding day! So when the time comes for you two to FINALLY see each other, why not make it a very intimate and romantic moment without the stress of all eyes on you. When you see each other on YOUR wedding day, why not make it in a place where there is no distractions…no wedding guests “oohing and ahhing”…and you two share in one of the sweetest moments of your wedding day — your First Look!

The First Look will take place in a location that is not only beautiful, but also in a space that isn’t around any one else, so you two can enjoy your time together, seeing each other for the very first time on YOUR wedding day just the two of you.  You’d tap him on his shoulder and have him turn around and he’d see you for the very first time and you’d make his knees weak! He could wrap his arms around you and hold you close while you two cried together, laughed together, or you’d twirl around for him to show off your dress.  While you’re both sharing a sweet and memorable moment on your wedding day, you’re also easing each others nerves and making each other both comfortable.

After the First Look and capturing the emotions and reactions that you two just shared, you’ll then move into your “Romantic Portrait” time because you two will be ALONE and you’ll be TOGETHER…an event that rarely takes place on a Wedding Day! (Want a hint at ANOTHER event that doesn’t take place on your Big Day….DINNER! Don’t plan to eat your dinner on wedding day! It just doesn’t happen….well, for most of us anyway! 😉 ) After the Romantic Portrait time, your Bridal Party will then join y’all and the “Bridal Party Portrait” time will then take place and it’ll just be plain FUN because there isn’t a huge rush. There’s no cocktail hour that we’re limited to shoot ALL of the Family Formals, ALL the Bridal Party Portraits AND SOME of YOUR portraits of the two of you on YOUR wedding day.  There’s no impatient guests waiting around for dinner to start, or a DJ coming to find the Bridal Party wanting to introduce the Bridal Party…it’s WONDERFUL!

After the First Look, the Romantic Portraits, and the Bridal Party Portraits, THEN the ceremony preparation takes place.  It’s turned from nervousness to excitement! At this point, NOTHING can go wrong! You BOTH are on CLOUD NINE and your wedding party is just so happy that YOU BOTH are happy! The ceremony begins, the Bridal Party makes their way down the aisle, and then it’s time for you to walk down the aisle towards your Groom.

AGAIN! I don’t pressure or make my Emma Loo Brides do a First Look! If my Brides want to keep their wedding day SUPER traditional, then of course, I’d be fine without a FIRST LOOK…but I’ve captured wedding days BOTH ways and I’ve realized what works THE BEST and that is definitely participating in a First Look! I’m just trying to give my Clients the absolute best that I have to offer, but I’m completely fine with not doing a First Look if the Bride or Groom don’t want to do it! I totally understand!

(Alyn prepares to see Erik on the lakeside docks at Trump National.  After their First Look, Erik pulled out a gorgeous right hand ring for Alyn! It was such a sweet moment! You can see their full wedding post here.) 

Here’s why doing a First Look is so AWESOME!:

+You’re paying A LOT for your ENTIRE wedding day! The food from your wedding will be eaten, the flowers won’t last, and the you dress will most likely end up with stains on the bottom of it because you were too busy dancing the night away and having FUN at your reception! SO really, the only thing that’s going to last LONG AFTER your wedding day will be your MARRIAGE AND YOUR PICTURES! So why not INVEST in those images! Couples who choose to do a First Look will receive on average about 30% MORE portraits from their Romantic Portraits and their Bridal Party Portraits.  A First Look insures that you make the MOST out of your photography investment and give you “the most bang for your buck”!

(Here’s Chelsea going to her First Look with her Groom, Shane! You can see their Morning Glory Farm Wedding here!)

+At a First Look you guys can actually spend ALONE time TOGETHER! Sure, when you’re walking down the aisle towards your Groom during the ceremony, you’re really ALL about HIS reaction.  You will definitely STUN him, but once you’ve made your way down the aisle and up to where he stands, he can’t hold you or tell you how beautiful you look right then and there because you’ll both be in front of 100+ of your wedding guests, and believe me-he’ll be a little nervous! A First Look will give you two lovebirds a chance to BE TOGETHER on YOUR wedding day and soak in every moment together before the RUSH of the wedding takes place! After your ceremony, you’ll be bombarded with hugs and love from your families and friends, but during your First Look, time will seem like its stopped and the whole world has stopped spinning around you.  It’s just YOU and HIM together for a little snippet of time.  After the First Look, you two are comfortable and at ease and looking forward to the FUN that is your wedding day!

(We shot Marissa+Nate’s First Look in Uptown Charlotte at Trade+Tryon.  For a moment, it felt like the entire city had stopped and it was just them.  Even though Nate had already seen Marissa about 90 minutes before their ceremony even took place, his reaction to her walking down the aisle was STILL priceless! You can view their Mint Museum Uptown wedding day here!) 

+First Looks actually make your wedding day LONGER! Are you having a 4:00 ceremony, but have to be completely out of your reception venue by 10pm? That’s exactly what happened to us! We decided to have a 4:00pm ceremony, so after a 30-45 minute long ceremony, a cocktail hour, dinner (which lasts about an hour), then cake cutting, THEN dancing, before we knew it, it was 9:30!! AND THEN we had to start clearing out our things and getting out of the venue (not Phillip and I though! We were off to our honeymoon! Sorry Mom for having to clean up! Love you for it!)  Most of the time, a wedding would begin the moment the Bride walks down the aisle.  Once the ceremony is over, and then you’ve rushed through portraits, you’ve rushed to make it to your reception introductions in time and you haven’t had a moment to even reapply your lip gloss or bustle your dress! However, when you decide to do a First Look, your wedding day will start EARLIER and you’ll actually get to HAVE FUN WAY BEFORE you walk down the aisle.  You’ll get to love on your Groom, hang out with your closest group of friends, and instead of feeling stressed and RUSHED, you’ll actually be enjoying yourself and helping me capture some GREAT images of you HAVING FUN on your wedding day.  Believe me, I’ve been around the Brides who don’t ENJOY their wedding day because they’re SUPER STRESSED to make sure everything and everyone is where they’re supposed to be and when, especially when it comes time for the portrait sessions.  It’s sad to me that even a few of my Brides want to RUSH through the Family Formal portraits and get them over with as quickly as possible because they want to get to Bridal Party Portraits AND Romantic Portraits ALL WITHIN a 30-40 minute timeframe between the ceremony and reception.  A Bride shouldn’t be stressed and getting irritated at corralling her Great-Grandpa or her Auntie Mae for Family Formals…she should be celebrating her new marriage and welcoming all sorts of congratulatory hugs from friends and family.  And think about it y’all! When you actually take the time to get the important Bridal Party Portraits and the Romantic Portraits out of the way BEFORE the CEREMONY, you can then spend a good 20-30 minutes on Family Formal portraits following the ceremony and soak up that time as well! It’s a rare moment when BOTH of your families are together in one place at one time…why not cherish it?! Why not spend the time after the ceremony to get LOTS and LOTS of pictures of your flirty Grandpa giving you kisses on your cheeks or his sassy Grandma hugging around his neck! Don’t take those Family Formals for granted, and don’t make it seem like an assembly line either! Enjoy those short moments with your family and not worry about starting the Romantic Portraits or Bridal Party Portraits quickly after because with a First Look…YOU’VE ALREADY DONE THEM. 

+Depending on the time of year you’re getting married or how late in the day your ceremony begins, doing a First Look will make sure you are able to get those beautiful naturally lit outside images.  Since I am a natural light photographer and my photographic style reflects that, I avoid using unnatural looking flash whenever I can! You will RARELY see a flash on top of my camera except in a dimly lit reception.  The SUN is my light source and it’s natural light that I use to make all my images have that soft and glow-like look to them.  So if you’re getting married in the fall and winter (and even early Spring!) months when the sun sets a lot earlier than it does in the summertime, you can almost guarantee I’ll recommend you doing a First Look in order for you and your wedding party to have those pretty, naturally lit shots! The same rule applies to my Brides and Grooms who have a later in the day ceremony, say a ceremony starting at 7:00 and sunset is at 7:40pm.  If you’re having a later ceremony, I’d advise to just be prepared to do a First Look ANYWAYS to not keep your guests waiting a full hour AFTER your ceremony for dinner to begin!

(This happened with one of my couples, Jackie+Darral! They were planning a beach sunset wedding, which was SO ROMANTIC! But when we found out that their ceremony would BEGIN at 7:00 and the sun would be setting by 7:35, we knew that those sunset shots would be SUPER RUSHED! After much consideration, Jackie and Darrell decided to have a First Look right at the ocean, and I’m SO glad that they did! They ended up getting SO many more naturally lit and BEAUTIFUL Romantic Portraits as well as Bridal Party Portraits! Plus, when we ONLY had to focus on photographing the families afterwards, we DIDN’T RUSH through them and ENJOYED the session! We still had a little bit of good natural light left over and STILL got those sunset images that Jackie was dying to have!! You can take a look at their gorgeous beach wedding here!)  Bridal Party right after the First Look!Bridal Party at Sunset!

+Long story short, a First Look will get rid of any pre-wedding nerves and jitters.  It calms you both down and makes you both comfortable and relaxed to enjoy your wedding day together.  At first, sure…there are some Brides and Grooms who are unsure of a First Look, but without going through a wedding day before…you aren’t probably aware of just how nerve wracking a wedding day can tend to be.  It’s not that you’re nervous about the covenant you are entering into, or the person you are going to marry…it’s just you’ve got ALL the ATTENTION on YOU and there’s a lot of pressure there.  Why not “take the edge off” with the ONE PERSON who can make you feel the MOST COMFORTABLE…your Groom (or the Bride in his case!) Phillip and I were both a little “iffy” at first when it came to deciding to do a First Look or not, but only for the sake of our wedding day timeline, we decided to do it! Looking back on our wedding day…the ENTIRE day is such a BLUR.  I don’t remember a lot of it! I was pulled here, and rushed here…but when time stood still for me was when I took that one deep exhale out, reached up to tap Phillip on his shoulder, and when he turned around I nervously asked him “well…do you like it?” and we stood there and held hands and just laughed and cried together…and cried some more! It was the SWEETEST and my most precious memory of our wedding day! I’d been waiting and wondering about what Phillip’s reaction would be when he’d see me for the very first time, and I’m so glad it was like that.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything! 

I SO have hoped that this post has helped ALL my Emma Loo Brides and Grooms as well as those who are indecisive about a First Look in general! I’m telling you…you won’t regret it! Plus, there’s LOTS of ways that you can personalize the First Look and make it “your own” or even make it something that you look forward to even more! A cute photo op would be the two of you blindfolded side by side, or when I count to three you two turn around and jump for joy when you see each other! It doesn’t ALWAYS have to be a tap on the Groom’s shoulder!  No matter how you do it, it’s going to be one of your most cherished moments of your wedding day! The wedding day rushes by SO QUICKLY and instead of feeling rushed throughout the day, take a moment to RELAX and EASE your STRESS and SOAK IN the sweet moment of being with your groom! One of the only chances you’ll get throughout the wedding!

Thanks for reading! Happy Wedding Planning! XO! -Emma Loo