xavitos: The Wedding: First Look

The pictures are here!

And that means I can finally begin my wedding series! I'm planning on having six posts (including this one) dedicated to explaining and sharing the ins and outs of our wedding. The six posts will be: First Look, Ceremony, Reception, Bridal Attire, Trash the Dress and the all important Budget and Advice post.

As you read, if you have specific questions about something you see in the pictures that I don't address, please post a comment below! I'll be more than happy to answer them.

Let's dive in!

Contrary to the wishes of many, R.J. and I decided to do a "First Look" photo session before the wedding. As we know, tradition typically holds that the groom should not see the bride before the wedding. However, the "First Look" allows for the couple to see each other before the ceremony - and it offers a great photo op!

The main reason that R.J. and I chose this new tradition was because of TIME. From the beginning of the ceremony to hopping in the getaway car, our wedding was two and a half hours. [Note: We had a short ceremony...and by short, I mean SUPER SHORT! But, you'll find out why in the next post!] When I sat down with my day-of coordinator, Corrie Kirk of Signature Weddings and Events, a few weeks before the big day, it became quickly apparent that if R.J. and I wanted to actually attend our reception we would have to do a "First Look" to get those pictures out of the way.

I'm not going to lie. It was a hard decision for us. From the beginning, one of the main things R.J. wanted was to not see me until I was walking down the aisle toward him. I was really resistant to the idea at first because I wanted R.J. to have his request granted. However, after showing R.J. the timeline without the "First Look" and the timeline with the "First Look," he also agreed the "First Look" was the best option for our wedding.

He also wanted to enjoy the reception. After all, from the beginning of the wedding plan process, we knew the reception was the most important part of our wedding to us. We wanted our marriage to be a huge celebration with our families and friends. The reception is really where we spent most of our time and money. We wanted to be there with our families and friends enjoying every second of the reception too.

From the looks of the pictures, I don't think he regretted it. I know I didn't!

One thing I really liked about the "First Look" is it gave us a private, intimate moment before the fast-paced chaos of the actual wedding. Any nerves we both had completely vanished. It got me really excited and helped me focus on what was about to really happen. It was no longer an imaginary day in the distant future that I was spending a bunch of time planning. It was here. Finally here and I was, at that moment, so ready for it.