Victoria Wedding Photographers

You might or might not have heard about this new trend where brides & grooms are breaking the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. So what exactly is a “first look”? Well, instead of waiting until the ceremony, the bride & groom choose a more private setting to share that special moment when they see each other for the first time on their wedding day. Every photographer might approach the first look a little different, but what we typically do is find a location with great light where the groom will wait for his bride to walk up to him. The bride will then tap her soon-to-be-husband on the shoulder and we will be there capturing their special moment from a distance. The photos we create will often be some of our favourites from the wedding! That moment when he is completely nervous and cannot wait to see his beautiful bride, and the moment when they fall into each other’s arms, and when they tell each other how great they look, those are the most perfect photo moments. Very intimate, real and emotional.

There are many different advantages to a first look and we want to talk about some of them. First of all, a first look is great for the couple. You get to spend this special moment with just the two of you. You can do whatever you like; there’s not two hundred people watching. Of course, we will be there to capture what’s going on, but we will not be intrusive or say anything. We let you have as much time as you’d like. A first look is much more intimate than waiting to see each other at the ceremony when you cannot really enjoy the moment as the ceremony is about to start. Our experience is that the first look is much more magical than waiting until the ceremony to see each other!

Secondly, the first look is an opportunity to spend more time with your guests. You will only get to spend so much time with them at your wedding and in order to maximize this time it is best if you can move directly from your ceremony into your reception. So if you were to do a first look before the ceremony you can also do the entire portrait session with the two of you and with the wedding party in the morning as well. That means you do not need to go away after your ceremony and can start your reception right away!

Thirdly, a first look is also great for your photographer. They will be able to create better images if the people they are photographing are relaxed and not feeling like they need to hurry up to get to the reception. Of course, there is the ceremony to get to, but with good planning and preparation there should be plenty of time for great photographs without any stress. Typically, after the ceremony your wedding party will be ready for food and drinks, so they will appreciate it if they can get to the reception right away. And as we’ve mentioned before, the images from the first look will probably be some of your favourites from your wedding. There is nothing more intimate than the moment when you see each other for the first time on your big day.

We recommend considering a first look to all of our clients. However, we do understand that this is a very personal choice, and we want you to know that we respect your decision, whether you choose to see each other before the ceremony or not!

The images below are from Kris & Eileen’s wedding. They chose not to only do a first look in the morning, they also shared their vows with each other in the morning! This is what they had to say about their experience: “[The] first look was a great idea by Rosanne. It allowed us to share in our excitement and joy in privacy. We were able to say our personal vows to each other with full intention and to get the “nervous jitters” out. When it came time to walk together down the aisle we were no longer nervous and could focus on the day ahead.”