Do me a favor, ask your parents if they had a first look? Lol, I would be surprised to hear their answer. Most of our parents have no clue what a first look or a first touch is. Some of the couples I talk to have never hear of it either. A first touch or look is a built in part of the wedding day that the bride and groom sees each or touch, before the ceremony. We ask this in our questionnaire so that we are prepared with a location and an idea of how to shoot it. Most couples opt out of this and want to keep everything in the traditional fashion of the groom seeing his bride for the first time as she walks down the isle.


The first look, serves a greater purpose ..... Time Management.


When the couple sees each for the first time before the ceremony, that frees up about an hour for pictures. I tend to get the wedding party images out of the way so after the ceremony I can take the more intimate portraits, especially if the ceremony is later in the day. We love those golden hour and sunset images , but we need the time for that. The first look serves as a way to move some things around the wedding day timeline so that we all can move in a not so hurried way. There are also first looks with parents which are awesome photo opportunities. But beware, it's a good idea to have your a makeup artist aware of this and is prepared, this is always a tear jerker and you want the bride still looks picture perfect when she walks down the isle.


First touches are a little different.


I had a bride who was to be married on Saturday I talked to her and the groom on the Thursday before everything was set. Time line was a go and we were having ourselves a wedding. 6am on Saturday morning I get a text from the Bride, her nerves kicked in. All she wanted was her fiance`... to pray with her before the ceremony. I thought ... how sweet, but how do we pull this off on already crowded day. The wedding party got together and came up with a plan. We blindfolded him and had her come in from another part of the building. They stood back to back and prayed. Not a dry eye in the wedding party! No it was not a time saver but it calmed the bride and that to me, is what mattered. Sometimes that is all it takes is a touch to soothe or calm a nervous bride or groom.


Only the couple knows how they want their special day to go. If you do not mind forgoing the big reveal at the alter with the groom and all the guests, then a first look is for you. And maybe you want to keep the reveal but do something smaller than. a first touch can be arranged.


So what will it be ... To see or not to see ... that really is the question!