This post is for all the brides to be. Whether you are a future AO Bride or not, we hope you will find this useful!
There are many beautiful options out there these days; the traditional veil, the birdcage veil, a floral crown, a tiara, or nothing at all. We love and support each and every one of these looks! For todays post we are specifically talking to you brides who will be wearing the traditional veil.
We recommend each and every one of our couples to have a first look. We could go on and on about the why, but we will save that for another blog post in the future. For the first look we feel it is best to forgo the veil. You may be wondering why, after spending money on an expensive beautiful veil, you would not want to wear it when your soon to be husband sees you for the first time. After photographing several weddings and first looks we have three main reasons for this.
ENJOY THE MOMENT FULLY
The first and main reason is, we feel you and your fiance deserve to enjoy the moment fully. We want the two of you to be able to forget the rest of the world exists and to focus on each other completely. We want you to be able hug each other as tight and as long as you would like as you think about how you are just moments away from becoming man and wife. In the years that we have been photographing weddings, we have witnessed where the groom hugs his bride and in his enthusiasm, accidentally pulls on the veil making it come loose or even fall out. This can ruin the moment in an instant as the bride starts worrying about the wardrobe malfunction instead of focusing on the two of them.
THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE AISLE
The second reason we recommend not wearing your veil during the first look is so your groom can, in a sense, have a second first look as you walk down the isle. Although he has already seen you earlier he will have all those raw emotions all over again, and this time he will get to see you in your full bridal attire. The look on his face will be unforgettable.
TWO DIFFERENT LOOKS DURING PORTRAITS
The third and final reason we recommend not wearing your veil during your first look is because it will give your portraits more variety. You will get two different looks on your wedding day, photos with and photos without your veil. Typically the first look is done early in the day when the sun is high and bright. Veils tend to not photograph as well during this part of the day because the brightness of the sun can reflect too much on the white veil. Later in the evening when we sneak away for portraits during golden hour, the softer sunlight can shine beautifully through the veil, allowing the focus to stay on you and your groom without the distraction of the veil being overly bright and drawing attention away from your faces.
Another reason it is a good idea to have two different looks on your wedding day is because it may be easier to photograph details of your dress without the veil blocking parts of it. When Ryan and I got married we loved our photos. My one and only regret was that I did not get a good detailed photo of the back of my dress, which was one of my favorite parts of the dress. Any photo showing the back is sufficiently blocked by my veil. I wish I would have thought to remove it for some of the photos.
THE DECISION IS YOURS
We know we gave you a lot to think about. Ultimately, the decision is completely up to you. Maybe you have dreamed for years of the moment your fiance slowly turns around and sees you standing there in front of him dressed as his bride for the first time. Maybe that dream includes you wearing your veil. If that is the case, wear your veil! If we will be the lucky ones to photograph you on your big day, we will support you in whichever decision you make! There is no right or wrong way to do things on your wedding day. This is your moment and your day and we will be there to support you every step of the way!
