Man to Man: Why You Should Plan a First Look at Your Wedding

hey everyone!

i hope you all are having a great week! today’s post is actually by my awesome hubby, Stephen. he’s posted on here in the past, but it’s definitely been a while, so i’m glad to have him back on the blog. today he is sharing about the First Look…from a guy’s perspective. enjoy! xo jess

Ok guys listen up! This post is for you!!

If you are on the fence when it comes to seeing your woman prior to her walking down the aisle, I would like to add my two cents.

My name is Stephen. I am the dude behind the creative, photographic genius that is my wife, Jess Robertson! Many times when we are sitting down with couples, they are quite hesitant about seeing each other before the ceremony. The reasons for the hesitancy are many and varied. Without a doubt, the couple is certainly in the driver’s seat when it comes to the First Look. However, Jess and I make sure that we try our best to sell the First Look.

So dudes, what follows is my perspective, three reasons, why you should seriously consider planning a First Look.

Historically, it was customary to hide the bride away until she marches down the aisle. Back in the day when arranged marriages were all the rage, it was important that the bride be kept hidden. If she was seen before the nuptials, there would be an increased chance that the dude would peace out. So one day Oli Osterven, nervous that he might not be able to marry off his last daughter, wanted to keep the status quo. So he said that it was bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony. Yes, I just made that story up internet viagra. I have no idea exactly how the luck element was introduced into our cultural wedding rituals, but it really doesn’t matter. We live in a more realized world; we make our own luck.

Photographic Moments You’ll Be Grateful For

As wedding photographers, we are always trying to find where the angles are and where they will be. The light and the angle are what we hunt for, as they convey the story of the day; your story. Jess and I love getting to know each of our couples as much as possible. And being a witness to your First Look gives us a behind the scenes glimpse into who you are as a couple–what an honor!!

Be advised: your wedding day will happen to you! It will feel like a whirlwind. I remember distinctly feeling amazed by how quickly the whole thing went down. Also, weeks later as we were pouring over the photos from our wedding, I remember feeling grateful that we did a first look. It felt like our own little wedding before the wedding. We just held each other, as Jess tried to not ruin her make-up with her tears; ok, ok!! I cried a little too.

Private Time – Sumpt’n Sumpt’n Style

You guys are a couple. You are about to embark on the greatest journey of your lives. Celebrate! Now, to be clear I’m not talking about the fun stuff of later that night. I’m talking about holding each other; taking a deep breath in, and becoming aware of the fact that what is about to happen is literally awesomesauce.

The Day is About You

I know that conventional wisdom is that the wedding day is all about the bride, but that’s not close to the tru–sorry I can’t finish that. It is all about the most special person in the world, to you. It is about your best friend. It is about your bride. But it’s about you too, dude! Take a moment to settle yourself in the moment and the gravity of all of the preparation that went into this day. All the time planning, meeting with different coordinators, taste-testing wedding cakes, trying to find a special location, picking out flowers, seating arrangements, making the tough choices on the invitation list, trying to not lose your ever-lovin’ mind! All of that stuff needs to now, just for a few moments, take a back seat to what the day is really all about, you and your love. Besides, you are the groom–shouldn’t you, of all people, receive the privilege of seeing her before all of the others. And yes, when you see her, you’ll know; this day is for you.

Jess and I are so grateful that we had an open mind about the First Look, as they are some of our favorite photos from our wedding.

Oh! I nearly forgot: congratulations on your engagement!