NGKUR: A First Look?

[akraus2015]

Okay guys I need an opinion. I am trying to put together our wedding day timeline, and can't seem to make enough time between the ceremony and reception for photos. We are getting married on a Friday, so the ceremony isn't until 5:00, and the reception is at 7:00, at a different location.

Did you do first look photos when you got married? I really don't want my fiancé to see me until I walk down the aisle, but I'm starting to think that an evening wedding makes that impossible. Will a first look make the ceremony less special?

[housecarder]

You could always do most of the pics before: wedding party, family, etc. and then do the ones with you and him after. But I think that it's completely up to you. I don't think it will make it any less special to do them before, but if you have your heart set on him seeing you for the first time at the alter then wait for that.

[doggiestyle88]

We didn't do a first look but I kinda wish we had. We tried to cram all our pictures in between the ceremony and the reception and it was stressful. I was in a wedding this summer where they did a first look and most of the pictures before the ceremony and I preferred that. We looked more "fresh" and we got to the party faster.

[longhornwino0907]

Our ceremony was no less special, and we did a first look. In fact, those are some of my favorite pictures from the day. Pure, uninhibited happiness on both our faces. Our families were both hesitant about the first look, but it was perfect. And our ceremony was just as beautiful as it would have been otherwise. The look on my H's face when he saw me walking down the aisle was perfect.

Good luck in getting that timeline nailed down, and I hope you have a beautiful wedding!

ETA: Also, we did most of our family and bridal party photos before, too. After the ceremony, during cocktail hourr, H and I went out into the vineyard we got married at for pictures in the vines. It was a very special moment in time for us just enjoying being together and married.

[akraus2015]

I looked up some "first look photos" on Pinterest and I totally cried. They were super cute. I'm usually a pretty traditional gal, but I'm thinking this "new" tradition might win me over.

[mrsbstau]

Jan 23, 2015 18:49:27 GMT -5 doggiestyle88 said:

We didn't do a first look but I kinda wish we had. We tried to cram all our pictures in between the ceremony and the reception and it was stressful. I was in a wedding this summer where they did a first look and most of the pictures before the ceremony and I preferred that. We looked more "fresh" and we got to the party faster.

I completely agree with this. 

We tried to accommodate our guests by not having them wait a long time in between the ceremony and reception. So we crammed our pictures in, missed a lot of great pics/moments, and since it was in the fall, we raced against the sun too (for lighting). 

[mill23]

We did a first look, and I was waffling a bit about it right up until the week of the wedding. I am SO GLAD we ended up doing one. It was a beautiful moment, we both got our jitters out and got to laugh and hug. We also did all the wedding party photos beforehand which meant more time for them (and us) at the cocktail hour. It was so much less stressful than the family shots we did after the ceremony where all the guests were hanging around, watching, and we just wanted to be giddy about what just happened together and instead had to pose awkwardly.

The first look photos are so beautiful, and my dress wasn't filthy or torn yet (yep that happened quick), and we got to have a quiet moment just for us. Also, H still cried through the whole ceremony (and he is not a crier at all) - it did not detract from the 'specialness' of the ceremony at all. Highly recommend!

[longhornwino0907]

Jan 23, 2015 18:52:56 GMT -5 mrsbstau said:

Jan 23, 2015 18:49:27 GMT -5 doggiestyle88 said:

We didn't do a first look but I kinda wish we had. We tried to cram all our pictures in between the ceremony and the reception and it was stressful. I was in a wedding this summer where they did a first look and most of the pictures before the ceremony and I preferred that. We looked more "fresh" and we got to the party faster.

I completely agree with this. 

We tried to accommodate our guests by not having them wait a long time in between the ceremony and reception. So we crammed our pictures in, missed a lot of great pics/moments, and since it was in the fall, we raced against the sun too (for lighting). 

Another reason we did pretty much all of our pictures early. The few we did after captured the sunset, but we wouldn't have been able to fit in everything before the sun went down.

[teareading]

We didn't do a first look, but I wish we had. Our pictures were beautiful, but I would have loved to have more of me and H together. The ceremony is special no matter what!

[carolinaheart]

We did a first look and then all wedding party pictures before the ceremony. It allowed us to attend most of the cocktail hour and it really calmed me down to see him since I hadn't even spoken to him since the rehearsal dinner.

[getzystark]

We did a first look. I loved it. It was the first time I had relaxed all damn day. Being in his arms made all the stress melt away.

We didn't have enough time either and I've been to many a wedding where you sit around for an hour or two, waiting for the bride and groom (and food!!!).

[morwen]

We did all of our group photos (including the ones of DH and I) before the ceremony - it just made the day flow better for us. For us it worked well, and honestly, walking down the isle I was too preoccupied with having all of the guests focusing on me to pay specific attention to DH's face so I'm glad that we saw each other beforehand.

[madamewaffles]

My wedding was also on a Friday, with the ceremony at 5:30 and reception at 6:30 (same venue). We did all photos before the ceremony, including first look. Our guests really appreciated not having to wait around for hours for us to do pictures. On a personal note, I really liked the first look. It was just me, MH and the photographer so I really loved the intimate aspect that our first looks at each other were not in front of a bunch of people.

[wirt2cute]

We didn't do a first look but we did do all of my single pictures and me with the bridesmaids together. Then H and the groomsmen did their pictures, all of this was done before the wedding so after the ceremony during cocktail hour we were able to do the group pictures and family pictures. It worked out great and we had enough time to really enjoy our guest and the reception.

[lovegrilledcheese]

We did first look photos, couple shots, and almost all of the bridal party/family shots before the wedding. I don't think it changed how special the wedding was. We wanted to spend as much time with our guests after the ceremony. We only ended up spending another 20 minutes after the ceremony taking a few more photos of just the two of us.

[beckynsean11]

We were planning on doing them, but getting ready took too long. Since we didn't do tons of friends & family photos, really just spent about 30 minutes doing us pics & 10 minutes doing group, we were able to join our reception pretty quickly. We did the group shots so everyone could go ahead & get started without us.

[Sparkly]

We didn't do one because my H was adamant about not seeing me before the ceremony. I sort of regret not doing it, because I wasn't thrilled with our photos, and we missed our entire (LONG) cocktail hour (and a half). It was very special and emotional walking down the aisle, seeing each other for the first time that day, but I feel like a first look moment would have been just as much so.

[dee]

We're planning on a First Look because that means we get to the cocktails, food, and guests sooner after the ceremony. Plus, we like the idea of just the two of us.

[ohinvrtedworld]

At our own wedding, H was ADAMANTLY against a first look. He required that he not see me until walking down the aisle.

I love attending weddings where the pics are done early, because the time between the ceremony and partying is a little less because it's just those family group shots in the ceremony location and whatnot, which only takes about half an hour or so.

[westisleflower]

We didn't do a first look, we had a cruise wedding so almost all traditional stuff went out the window. But I think it is a good idea if you can! Especially since you are tearing up at stranger's pics.

[icaughtfire]

We did most of our pictures before the ceremony, including the First Look pictures. I can assure you our ceremony was just as special -- your husband seeing you walk down the aisle isn't all that makes a ceremony special. Plus, we didn't feel so rushed after the ceremony & actually got to enjoy some of the cocktail hour.

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2015 18:44:33 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

Okay guys I need an opinion. I am trying to put together our wedding day timeline, and can't seem to make enough time between the ceremony and reception for photos. We are getting married on a Friday, so the ceremony isn't until 5:00, and the reception is at 7:00, at a different location.

Did you do first look photos when you got married? I really don't want my fiancé to see me until I walk down the aisle, but I'm starting to think that an evening wedding makes that impossible. Will a first look make the ceremony less special?

We're Jewish and its actually traditional to see each other before the ceremony (called the "bedeken"); story goes its to ensure the bride is the right one, ha! So yes, we did ours -- both the more modern see each other with pictures and then the bedeken. It meant we could spend the time after our ceremony by ourselves for a few moments, see the reception space, and enjoy some of the cocktail hour with our friends. I highly recommend it.

[icequeen]

I had one photographer take pictures of my bridesmaids and me getting ready before the ceremony and another photographer photographing DH and his groomsmen at a separate location. One photographer arrived at the church and took separate pics of DH and me and then we took photos all together after the ceremony. Then both photographers came with us to the reception location and took photos of DH and me and the bridal party while the guests were all having cocktails. When we were done, the formal reception started. After the reception we took more family photos with only one photographer.

Good luck with the planning! What an exciting time for you. I know it can be super stressful so don't worry if everything doesn't happen perfectly. Either way, things will fall into place and it will be a magical day!

[joy]

We didbn't do first look photos. I loathe the whole concept.

What I did wish we had done was take 15 minutes after the ceremony to go in a room - just the two of us - and jump up and down, talk, squee or whatever about how we'd just gotten married. We had no time alone until after everyone else had gone to bed that night. First Look is pre-ceremony and means nothing - after the ceremony and after we had just done something so meaningful meant four hundred times more to me.

Seriously - biggest regret of our wedding to me.


EDIT: Our time alone would have had nothing to do with pictures - it had to do with him and me. I think this is why I don't like the First Look concept. It's all about pictures but painted as this private moment for the couple. But it's not - it's not private if someone is photographing you. I wanted legitimate time with my husband after the ceremony. Just a few minutes to take in what had happened.

[akraus2015]

Okay you all have definitely convinced me. Now I'm actually really looking forward to it!!

And @spicymama, I didn't know about the Jewish tradition, thanks for sharing. We are Catholic, but my granny converted to Judaism when my dad was little so I love to learn new things about the Jewish faith.