Here Comes the Bride: Traditional Walk Down the Aisle vs. First Look

It is considered bad luck if the groom sees the bride before she walks down the aisle to the altar to him. So naturally, in the past, brides did not see, take pictures with, look, or Snapchat (is it sad that I have to say that?) their groom at all. They waited until they were walking down that aisle to see the man of their dreams.

But in this day and age, luck does not seem to be all that important to the bride and the groom. There is a new trend in the wedding world that has taken off by storm, and it is quickly becoming more and more popular. And this trend is called The First Look.

If you are confused as to what that means, let me break it down a bit for you. The First Look is where the groom stands somewhere, normally outside a church or somewhere beautiful to snap photos, and waits for his bride. The photographer waits with him, and when the bride sneakily comes up behind the groom and taps him on the shoulder, the photographer is there to snap the photo of the groom’s “first look”. This first look often happens an hour or two before the ceremony, giving the bridal party time to take pictures before the wedding.

There are probably some brides that are reading this that get really excited at the idea. Then there are other brides who like the idea of the traditional concept, where the groom watches you come down the aisle in front of all your family and friends. Below there are pros and cons to each concept, along with pictures for each one. The hope is that by the end of this article that you will be able to decide which idea you like more, and that you will be happy for the pictures that await with you and your honey.

The Traditional Walk Down the Aisle

Pros:

1. Your friends and family get to witness the groom seeing the bride. Many times for the groom, it is definitely an emotional moment. And if you want your family to partake in this emotional scene, than having him see you for the first time when walking down the aisle is perfect for you.

2. It is tradition! If you have a very traditional family or traditional values and want to respect that, than walking down the aisle is the traditional way to go.

3. You are the star of the show! All eyes are on you, and if the crowd sees you locking eyes with your husband for the first time, they will definitely remember you and him. Throw in a few tears, and they will be crying right along with you!

Cons:

1. Your friends and family get to witness the groom seeing the bride. This is a curse and a blessing. If you desire an intimate moment with your better half, than doing it in front of your guests is most definitely not intimate. Therefore, this option is probably not best for you.

2. Not the same reaction. Depending on the groom, and their pride and personality, if you are expecting them to cry in front of everyone, it might not happen. It is hard for some men to cry naturally in front of others. But if you were both doing a first look, it might be easier for the groom to cry because it is you and solely you.

3. You lose time. Because you wait to see your groom until the ceremony, that means you have to wait to take bridal party pictures until after the ceremony, meaning you miss that social time with your guests. So if time is of the essence to you, then this might not be for you!

 

 

The First Look

Pros:

1. It is intimate. If you want the first time your groom to see you be personal and private, then this is a wonderful option for you both. It might be easier for both of you to express you emotions with just you two and the photographer.

2. It is a time saver! Because you saw each other before the ceremony, that means that you can take your bridal party pictures before the wedding, which means during the cocktail hour after the ceremony, you can spend that time with your guests. So if you are on a time crunch anyway for the day, then doing the first look beforehand can be helpful.

Cons:

1. Your guests do not get to witness that moment. If you want your friends and family to see the groom’s reaction when you walk down the aisle in your beautiful wedding gown, then you will definitely want to go with the traditional option!

2. Your photographer is there. Like every woman these days, it is all about the picture. But even though your photographer will be there and will be taking pictures to get that “perfect” moment, you might not get the “perfect” reaction from your groom if there is someone standing there with a camera all up in his face. So if you are going for true privacy and perfection, then maybe photographing this sweet idea is not a good idea.