The First Glance - never know what might happen!

I hear it quite a bit, that little question – do you think we should see each other before the ceremony?

I don’t answer. Instead, I tell them exactly why a First Glance is so special and why it could be a wonderful experience for them. And then I let them decide on their own.

You as the bride are fresh from the stylist, just put on your dress, your feet don’t hurt a bit, and it’s just hit you once you put on that veil that you’re a Bride. Capital B. Nerves are about to get a little ramped up!

Your Groom is freshly pressed and can’t wait to see you. But at the same time, he’s even more nervous than you because, not only will he about to exchange vows, but…what if he cries in front of God and everybody when he sees you walking down the aisle? He doesn’t want everyone to see him cry, just you. And maybe God.

So think about this – what if we find a little out of the way spot with beautiful light, and we fix your dress to look its best and your flowers and veil are framing you beautifully.

And then, we tell your Groom to turn around while we back away and leave the two of you alone for five minutes?

You get a chance to let your emotions go, drink in the moment, see each other at your finest time. And best of all, spend the rest of the day together.

Sure, I could mention that you get to go to your own cocktail hour and sure, I could tell you that not jamming in all your portraits in the 45 minutes you have after the ceremony can be very daunting for you both (not to mention your poor face from smiling constantly during the group photos). But that “spending the rest of the day together” part is, well, wonderful!

So given all that, why should you wait until the ceremony starts? If your religion expects it, or if you have more than an hour between the end of the ceremony and the start of guests being seated, or if it’s something you’ve always dreamed of, then by all means wait. Don’t let anyone talk you out of what you want just to push up the schedule a bit. We work around you and what your wishes are, not force you to do what we think is best.

So there you go, a little something to discuss before schedules are made and photographers are consulted. Whatever you decide will be perfect. Happy holidays!