Mathew and I are traditionalists at heart, but we always love to mix up the traditional at times. We’re doing a lot of things to mix up the traditional (like a December wedding that doesn’t have green and red in the color scheme), and definitely not taking regular wedding party pictures where everyone is just standing at the church.
However, one thing that we really have decided to keep traditional–no first look pictures.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE looking at everyone’s first looks. There are gorgeous ones like: 
but we’ve decided it isn’t for us. I really want him to see me first when we go down the aisle. I first saw this picture when a girl I know from church got married a couple years ago. I thought it was REALLY cute and was a perfect idea for a before the wedding picture with my groomie. 
I think doing a picture similar to this (but maybe the corner of the building?) would be REALLY cute and a fun way to take a picture with him before the wedding without him actually seeing me. I’ve also seen pictures where the bride and groom are praying before their ceremony (they’re holding hands and the bride is in her bridal suite and the groom is outside the door). I found a different cute picture the other day (and I’m stupid for not saving it) of a bride on one side of a door, and the groom on the other and they’re kissing the door. It was SUCH a cute pre-wedding picture!
Ok, so what’s your take on the first look? Yay or nay? Why?
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT:
The winner of the 100 UPrinting.com Postcards is….
Laura from Dual Coast Bride! Congrats Laura! I hope you get some great use out of these 🙂 Please comment with your email address and I’ll have UPrinting get in touch with you! 
I love this picture and the whole idea! We decided to do a first look since we wanted to share that special private (with the photographer) moment together, and take pictures together and with our wedding party/families before the wedding. It also helped us to both feel much more relaxed and to get pictures while my makeup was still fresh. But I definitely think not seeing each other can also be very special, too, allowing for a very emotional and incredible experience! I hope you’re having a good week!! 🙂
I DID NOT, let me spell it, D-I-D-N-O-T want to do a first look. Of all the new-age stuff we did that was “our own” I didn’t want to see Shawn beforehand. We hadn’t seen each others’ outfits before the wedding after we had them altered and re-designed and wanted to see them at the wedding first. But I also wanted lots of pictures. I started hearing my far-away-living relatives greet each other as I hid in the bathroom. I decided that it was just a dress, and I didn’t even have my veil on yet. I just wanted to hug my family and friends. We got SOOO many pictures with EVERYONE and if I hadn’t done that, we would have missed out!
we did not do a first look but they are sooooo cute
I definitely want to do a first look! It’ll be the only private moment we have until the night is over… and it’ll be like our little pre-game huddle. LOL!
And congrats Laura!! You must share once you’ve printed them!
PS: Go see all.women.stalk…
for like, no reason ;o)
i was SO sure that we were going to do a first look! i wanted them so badly and i was telling everyone and defending the whole idea to every single person! but then, 2 days before, sean looked at me and said “i think i want you walking down the aisle to be the first time i see you”. and suddenly it wasn’t that important to me. i wanted it because i wanted more pictures! but honestly, we didn’t do it and we still have 1700 PROFESSIONAL pictures not to mention all the ones that are on facebook and everywhere else. and i think it’s so special that our guests got to see the true emotions of us seeing each other for the first time. and it may be something that just can’t be captured in a photograph 🙂
HiLLjO- OMGOSH i saw all.women.stalk! I was so excited! I think it’s funny about your pictures too. Funny how it all changed!
Heather- I’m glad it was a great experience for you two! I think either way they’re both sweet 🙂
Jillian- they are definitely cute!
Shannon- you crack me up!
Jasmine- That’s pretty much the conversation Mathew and I had. I really wanted the first look but he wanted to see me down the aisle first. I’m glad you two got tons of pics though!
We chose not to do a first look and I totally do not regret it! I think that first look pictures are amazing, but I know that the feelings I had as I saw him for the first time walking down the aisle were pretty amazing, too! I guess no one can really say which is better…unless they’ve had two weddings! Haha!
We did a first look and I’m so glad we did. Like others have said, it was a chance to have some time alone with him… that didn’t happen much that day. It was also a time to get at least some of my emotion out.
ALSO, after I saw J, our photographer had my dad come out and it was the first time he’d seen me that day. I don’t remember seeing my dad cry before that moment… I’m so glad I had a couple of minutes with him without the whole wedding party around, so if you don’t see your fiance before the ceremony, I would suggest a “first look” with your dad or whoever is walking you down the aisle. I’m so glad I have pictures of the emotions… they are so real and sincere.
Just thinking about and typing this brought tears to my eyes.
We did a first look and I absolutely LOVED it and loved the pictures from it! I honestly don’t think it takes anything away from the walk down the aisle (probably because David cried when I walked down the aisle even though he’d already seen me!)
I think the ‘almost’ first look is so adorable too, though! I saved several similar pictures during our engagement before we’d made a decision regarding the first look. I’m sure your pictures will be adorable and it will still be a special moment!
I really wanted to do the first look so that we could spend more time with our guests and maybe actually make it to our cocktail hour but Groomzilla was totally against it. He wanted the first time seeing me to be walking down the aisle. I guess I just couldn’t argue with him on that one.!
Congrats to Laura!
We are going to do a first look and we are really looking forward to it! But then again, we are not traditional AT ALL!
Woohoo! Thanks! I’m excited about the postcards! My email is dualcoastbride at gmail dot com.
No first look for us. I want him to see me first walking down the isle too. I think he’s gonna cry. Haha!
whatever you decide to do will be “right” 🙂 For us, it was a First Look (i posted about how we came to the decision with pics here http://thistleandclovers.blogspot.com/2010/12/aint-no-mountain-high-enough.html ) and like Laura said- Rob still cried when I walked down. That too was special… nothing could take that away.
I do LOVE the “almost” looks and the first looks with Dad… so sweet! The whole day is full of special moments I am sure your photographer will capture beautifully
we decided to stay the traditional route and not do a first look as well. Those picture ideas are so cute though!!
I might have to steal this idea for myself. While I love first look photos, I’m just too traditional for that.