We’ve decided to launch a “Secrets from a Wedding Planner” series to explore some helpful advice for you brides (and friends/family of brides) as you begin your wedding planning journey. We couldn’t be launching this series on a more romantic topic. This is hands down my favorite blog post I’ve written to date…and while collecting images, I might have even shed a tear. Or ten.
It’s a hot topic, and people often debate whether or not to do a “first look.” Let’s explore that a bit more…
Image Below Courtesy: Style Me Pretty
Weddings are an amazing tradition to celebrate with family and friends, recognizing the union of two in a sacred bond for life. While I agree that it’s important to have the ones you love most present on this day, I also think many brides and grooms don’t get a chance to digest the day together.
Marriage is a bond of two people entering a lifetime together. Loved ones will be there to support you in your ups and downs, but it’s your spouse who is there in the thick of it all. It’s your spouse to whom you’ve committed, and it’s your spouse with whom you really should take a private moment to take it all in. Once the wedding ceremony starts, the day is done in a flash and many couples wake up the next day wishing they could have paused and breathed it all in a little more slowly.
This is why I so cherish the first look. It’s that special private moment for the bride and groom to see each other one last time before the wedding festivites begin. It’s a moment to cry, laugh and cherish this person who is about to truly become your other half. And it’s a moment to have it all beautifully captured.
These pictures are the embodiment of why you chose to say “I do” in the first place. They capture the beauty, the emotion and the incredible joy that embody what it means to love!
If you still don’t want to break tradition, there are other first looks that don’t “spoil” the moment at the ceremony. These alternative “secret” first looks involve blindfolds or doors that separate the bride and groom while they hold hands, say a prayer or read love letters from one another. These moments capture another type of beauty – that moment of anticipation for the unfathomable joy about to unfold at the ceremony.
Below is a small sampling of love frozen in time. You might want to grab a tissue before you continue.
Image Below Courtesy: Style Me Pretty
Image Below Courtesy: Green Wedding Shoes
Image Below Courtesy: Grey Likes Weddings
Image Below Courtesy: Wedding Chicks
Image Below Courtesy: Style Me Pretty
Image Below Courtesy: Green Wedding Shoes
Image Below Courtesy: Green Wedding Shoes
Image Below Courtesy: Wedding Chicks
Image Below Courtesy: Wedding Chicks
Image Below Courtesy: Wedding Chicks
Image Below Courtesy: Wedding Chicks
Image Below Courtesy: Wedding Chicks
Image Below Courtesy: Ira Lippke Studios
Image Below Courtesy: Jasmine Star
Image Below Courtesy: Charlie Juliet
Image Below Courtesy: Brandon Kidd
Image Below Courtesy: Something Turquoise
I think that last one is my favorite…images really are powerful aren’t they? If you have any questions about first looks or wedding planning or styling in general, we’re happy to help guide you!
Love this! I love weddings, planning weddings– all things weddings! This is a great post!
Thanks – it was so fun to write. And I couldn’t stop adding photos – so many beautiful moments captured by photographers across the world!