It’s no secret that I love first looks! I’ve discussed them almost ad nauseum at this point, so instead of hearing from me, you can hear directly from past ALP Grooms — as a note, I asked them to be completely honest for the sake of future couples considering a first look! Enjoy! 

Ridge and Jordan | Hanover Tavern Wedding 
“The first look was something that Jordan and I will look back on for many years to come. It really allowed Alicia and her team to capture my unadulterated reaction as opposed to my reaction in front of a church full of people, watching my bride for the first time when she walked down the aisle. We had so much fun admiring each other and just how beautiful the dress was and how amazing it looked on Jordan. I would recommend it for anyone who’s considering whether or not to have one. It’s a moment that took my breath away and left me speechless seeing my beautiful bride.”

 

Robert & Stephanie | Dominion Valley Country Club Wedding
“I had never thought about doing a first look before our meeting with Alicia, but I’m definitely glad we did. It was so special to have that moment alone with Stephanie because it was really our only time alone all day! Having already seen her prior to the ceremony allowed me to take in more of the whole scene when she was walking down the aisle. It was certainly just as special, but I was able to be more in the moment.”

 

Dan & Kira | Fawn Lake Country Club Wedding
I’ll be complete honest and say that, originally, I had never wanted to do a first look — I always thought I would go with tradition (because I’m mildly superstitious!) so I hadn’t even considered it. In hindsight, I’m so, so glad we decided to do it; it was such a special moment for the two of us and I love that we were able to capture it in pictures to remember it forever. Doing the first look in no way made seeing Kira walk down the aisle less special. I still had nerves before walking down the aisle myself, and I still cried as my bride came towards me. It definitely let us spend more time with our friends and families right after the ceremony, so it was great for practical / logistical reasons, too. It really did just feel like another extra moment we got to share on our wedding day, and it’s one of my favorite memories when I look back on our day now, 5 months later.

 

Mike & Katy | Riverside Wedding by Clore
“Initially I was hesitant about the first look as I didn’t want to break tradition, but ultimately I’m glad we did it. I enjoyed the extra time I got to spend with Katy on our wedding day and it worked out so much better for our timeline. After the ceremony, we got to have more time with our guests rather than only taking pictures.”