How to Customize your First Look
Ok, so you’ve decided that the best thing for you and your fiancee’s wedding is to do a “First Look” but how do you customize this moment so that it is extra special? Well, you’re in luck because I’ve got several ideas that range from sweet to silly to make a First Look that is as unique as you!
(Not sure what a ‘First Look’ is or whether it is right for you? Head over to my other blog here which explains what a First Look is and why you might want to consider it for your wedding day!)
What a First Look! I’d say he was pretty pleased with her “wedding look!”
Custom First Look Option #1
Make your First Look extra special by sharing personal vows when you see each other for the first time during your First Look.
Are you or your partner a little more on the shy side? Does pouring your heart out in front of 100-plus people make you a little more than nervous? Well, then this might be the perfect solution for you!
Most of us have experienced some level of stage fright at one time or another, so it is understandable that speaking freely in front of a large gathering of wedding guests might be something that is beyond your comfort level.
Instead of saying your personally written vows during your ceremony, you can share them during your private and secluded First Look.
Sharing personal vows the first time you see each other during the First Look takes the emotion of this moment and turns it up about ten notches. Plus, since you are in the privacy of a First Look moment which is normally only shared between you two and your photographer, the emotions you feel upon seeing each other for the first time or from listening to your partner’s personal vows can be more freely expressed because you aren’t nervously standing with 100 pairs of eyes on you. During your private First Look you can have the privacy and intimacy to truly enjoy this moment with no distractions of being in front of a bunch of people!
My favorite First Looks to photograph are by far ones which involve the exchanging of personal vows to one another. The raw emotion felt just comes across so beautifully in these images, and they are photos that the Kate Holt Couples I work with treasure forever.
Take a look at a few of the sweet moments below which capture First Looks with personal vows and see if this might be the perfect fit for your wedding experience!
Custom First Look Option #2
Plan a meaningful gift exchange during your First Look
Want to save your personal vows for your ceremony? You can still customize your First Look in a very personal way with a gift exchange with your fiancee!
I’ve seen some really beautiful gift exchanges during that private First Look moment. From a custom engraving on your fiancees wedding band, to a beautiful new watch, to stashing a guitar and surprising your partner with a beautiful love song you learned to play just for them!
There are a bunch of ways to make this gift exchange truly meaningful to you both and the more creative and personal you can make your gift the more blown away and emotional your partner will be!
(For more personal gift giving ideas, head over to my blog about gift giving on your wedding day here!)
Custom First Look Option #3
Looking to add some silliness to your wedding day? Try a “Fake Out First Look” with a willing groomsman before your actual “First Look!’
Wedding days can be intense, and if you are looking for a way to add some comic relief to your day, this is a great option! Of course, you have to convince one of your partner’s groomsmen to struggle into a dress, but if you are a fun-loving couple who enjoy practical jokes, this is a really great way to shatter the stress and serious vibes of the wedding and get everyone laughing!
If you go this route for your First Look, make sure to coordinate with your photographer and with the rest of your wedding party so someone doesn’t accidentally ruin the surprise!
Custom First Look Option #4
In lieu of having a groomsman willing to be the comic relief, you yourself can add some silliness to your First Look by dressing up in a silly costume or fake wedding day outfit at first!
One of our Kate Holt Brides last summer had to downsize her wedding due to the pandemic of 2020, and rather than get super bummed out about it, she took advantage of the fact that their bridal portraits had to be rescheduled to a private session with just her and her groom and she planned a “Fake Out First Look” where she donned a silly costume to surprise her fiancee at first.
This particular bride and groom had a sort of inside joke about those blow-up waving guys that you often see on top of used car dealership buildings, so the day before their Bridal Portrait session, she went online and found this hilarious blow-up costume of one of those “waving men” to wear for a “Fake Out First Look.”
It was absolutely gut-busting hilarious to see her run up to her groom and see his face as he turned to see his beautiful bride dressed up like a giant waving man! They laughed and laughed and we had a ton of fun taking some fun portraits before the bride changed into her wedding dress and we did the “real” First Look and the remainder of her portraits.
Now, I’m sure there aren’t that many of you that it would make sense to dress up in this costume specifically, but you could choose other silly costumes that might be meaningful or silly for you two. There are a lot of couples who love Star Wars for example, and I could definitely see a bride dressing up for a “Fake Out First Look” as a significant or funny character from Star Wars to create a similar hilarious customization to their First Look.
Custom First Look Option #5
Write a Wedding Day Timeline that allows time for additional First Looks, such as a First Look between you and your bridesmaids, or between you and your dad!
The first time those who love you get to see you in your wedding dress is a very emotional moment no matter who it is, so adding in extra time in your timeline to have these moments set up and photographed is a wonderful way to document all that emotion!
Daddy/Daughter First Looks are some of my FAVORITE and always end up being so emotional!!!
Also, getting your dress on with just your mom and then showing off your finished look to your bridesmaids all at once can also create some pretty intense and amazing reactions from these women who love you so much.
Work with your photographer to make sure these additional First Looks are planned into your timeline, as they can take a few minutes to set up and to occur, so it is best to plan them in rather than trying to fit them in “on the fly.”
I hope this helps you to customize your First Look experience in a way that fits your personalities and creates memories which last your lifetime together!
If you are still searching for a photographer and liked the above images, I welcome you to shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see if I’m available for your wedding date!
Also, even if you aren’t interested in booking Kate Holt Photography for your wedding day, but are enjoying our blogs on bridal education and wedding tips and tricks I welcome you to drop me a note! We love hearing from brides and couples who use our education to create awesome memories on their wedding day!
Have further questions about First Looks?
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