According to ancient tradition, the bride is not supposed to show her face to the groom at all before the wedding. Of course, these customs took place while most people had arranged marriages, so it was common to not meet until your wedding day. Over time the tradition has molded into the couple not seeing each other until the bride walks down the aisle on your wedding day. While tradition says that you shouldn’t see the bride before the wedding ceremony, many couples are now opting to see each other before the ceremony: a First Look.
Your wedding day will be filled with many emotions: calmness, excitement, laughter, tears and joy. But, you’ll feel the biggest rush of emotions when you see your fiancé for the first time on your wedding day. At Majestic Gardens, many couples have their ceremony on-site so for the First Look, the groom usually is waiting for the bride in the gardens and then she comes in and they see each other for the first time before the ceremony. Of course the photographer is there to capture the moment and all the emotions. The First Look can be very private with just the couple and the photographer or you can include the entire wedding party and the family.
With the First Look, you will have already had a chance to get through the emotions of seeing each other for the first time and the whirlwind of feelings that come that day. When walking down the aisle, while you may still be nervous, hopefully you will have already experienced many of the overwhelming emotions and be more at ease. Another reason you should consider a First Look is so that you can enjoy your entire wedding reception. Typically, most couples take pictures after the ceremony and many times you are not able to attend the cocktail hour to greet your guests. This means that you will spend part of the reception going from table to table to welcome your guests. With a First Look you take pictures before the ceremony, so that after you say “I do” you join the cocktail hour and greet your guests.
A First Look is a beautiful way to start off your special day, whether it’s to have that special moment with your soon to be partner, or it’s to just have a few seconds of one on one time before you take the big walk down the aisle, or even to take pictures beforehand. A First Look is definitely something to consider but if you are more traditional, then seeing each other for the first time as you walk down the aisle may be for you. It is your wedding day so the most important thing is do what is best for you.
