Unveiling the "first look" dilemma: To Peek or Not to Peek?

Not sure whether you want to do a "first look"? Not even entirely sure what a first look is? You've come to the right place!

TLDR (that's "too long, didn't read" for those of you who are as clueless as I was until a month ago). There is no right answer. Unless of course you're the bride and you know exactly what you want :)

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So let's begin with a little background on "the first look".

*searches "history of the first look" *

I'll save you the painful two minutes it took me to learn this: the first look comes from a rather old fashioned, eye-roll inducing history involving dowries and hiding the bride's face until it was absolutely too late for the groom to pull a runaway bride...

Okay okay, I know you didn't come here just for a small dose of humor...

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What is a first look?

What are people referring to when they ask you if you're doing a "first look"? Doing a first look means that you're choosing to share a special and semi-private moment with your soon-to-be spouse prior to exchanging your vows. For many couples, it doesn't matter if this is the first time they're seeing one another that day or if they woke up in their home together that morning; this moment is still often reflected on as their favorite part of their wedding day.

Choosing to do a first look doesn't just mean being able to enjoy a precious, quiet moment with your soon-to-be spouse, it also provides the opportunity to get gorgeous photos of the two of you! If you're worried about not having enough time to get couple portraits done after the ceremony, or maybe you just want lots of different shots of you and your hunny, a pre-ceremony first look might be the way to go.

How do you do a first look?

A first look can go any way you want it to - just be sure to let your photographer know your plans!

In a traditional first look, couples choose one partner to be positioned with their back turned while the other walks up from behind them. With a light tap on the shoulder, they turn around and get to take in the view of their future spouse in their wedding attire for the first time!

Another way some couples opt to do their first look is by touching hands without looking at one another. This option allows couples to have a quiet moment alone while still reserving the big moment when their eyes meet for the actual ceremony. Oftentimes this option is done with each partner standing on either side of a door or the corner of a building.

Some couples opt to write each other a love letter and read it during their first look while others like to surprise their future spouse with a "fake" first look, having the Best Man or another friend wear a wedding dress and tapping the shoulder of the groom instead of the bride! Another popular trend that's taking hold is arranging a first look with an important family member(s) such as the bride's parents or grandparents.

What if I don't want to do a first look?

Now that you know a little more about what a first look is, you might be wondering what the alternative is. Traditionally, couples waited until the start of the wedding ceremony and the walk down the aisle to see one another for the first time.

We may be a tad biased - we chose to go the traditional route at our own wedding - but we're suckers for the heartstring-tugging, eye-watering candid moment that takes place when a couple locks eyes for the first time on their wedding day in front of all their loved ones. We feel there's nothing that quite compares to the electricity that comes from that moment when your eyes meet down the aisle and it's our job to capture that! You may have 150 people at your wedding, but everything fades away the moment you lay eyes on the one you chose to spend the rest of your life with.

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As documentary photographers, we believe it's important to have two shooters to capture these precious but fleeting moments, regardless of whether you choose to do a staged first look or wait to see each other until the ceremony. This is because there are always two (or, in some cases, more than two) people's reactions you want captured. Those split seconds after a couple locks their gaze on one another for the first time on the day of their wedding or the moment a parent gets to see their child all dressed up on their wedding day are moments you want to be able to relive and cherish forever. Having a professional photographer (or two) can give you the beautiful photos to do just that.

Ultimately, it's your wedding day and it's up to you and your soon-to-be-spouse to decide what's most important to you and what feels most authentic!

So, what do you think? Will you do a first look? Will you be waiting until you walk down the aisle? Already married? Tell us what you chose to do in the comments below!

To peek or not to peek?

• 0%Pre-ceremony first look all the way!
• 0%Waiting until the ceremony is traditional for a reason!