What is a First Look and Should You Do One?

Being in the wedding video industry, the term “first look” is a term that is used often so it is easy to think that term is common knowledge. However, for plenty of couples, planning their wedding, they may not have ever even heard of it! So I wanted to quickly address the question of “what is a first look?”

What Is a First Look?

The short answer is, when the groom first sees his bride, prior to the ceremony. This is usually done with the groom’s back turned, while the bride approaches. As she taps him on the shoulder, he turns and voilà, he seems her, in all her beauty for the first time!

You may wonder why some couples choose to do a first look. There are a couple main reasons. One of which, is that they prefer to experience that first reveal privately and intimately, without a whole church of people joining it. Having it privately gives you the opportunity to take as long or as little as you would like to enjoy that moment which whomever you do or don’t want to be there. Another reason is for scheduling. By doing your first look, which happens earlier in the day, gives you more time to take photos at different locations without being on a tight schedule.

Should You Do a First Look?

If you are on the private side and want to experience that moment intimately, a first look would be a great choice. However, if you prefer for the more traditional and natural experience of the groom seeing his bride for the first time walking down the aisle, then go for it!

If your ceremony and reception (cocktail hour) are back-to-back, I would also suggest a first look. This way, you can schedule your bridal portraits, f bridal party photos to all be taken prior to the ceremony so you don’t have to worry about squeezing them into cocktail hour. This will also give you the time to enjoy what just happened (YOU GOT MARRIED) without having to take dozens of photos.

All the feelings of that first look! 🙊💖 #idovideobyleo #firstlook #wedding #reveal #bride #groom #weddingvideo #blissfullyboehmer

51 Likes, 4 Comments - I Do Video by Leo (@idovideobyleo) on Instagram: "All the feelings of that first look! 🙊💖 #idovideobyleo #firstlook #wedding #reveal #bride #groom..."

First Look Wedding Video Coverage

Either way, whether you do a first look or not, your wedding videographer will be there to capture the groom’s first sight of his lovely bride-to-be! Have additional questions? Feel free to inquire about video coverage or get a quote for your wedding video!

Award Winning Wedding Videographer

As the owner of I Do Video, I take my brand seriously. The work that I do has a lasting impact on those that receive it which makes the feedback from those that I have worked very important. That is why the acknowledgments received by WeddingWire and The Knot always are so special to me. These awards start with customer satisfaction and represent the effort that we put in annually to make sure they are achieved.

WeddingWire Couples Choice Award

The WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® recognize local wedding professionals who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism. Winners are determined by the reviews from more than one million WeddingWire couples.

Since it’s inception, I Do Video has been recognized annually by WeddingWire to be in the top 5% of wedding videographers in Chicago. Year after year, we have proven to provide quality services that our customers recognize.

The Knot Best Of Award

he Knot Best of Weddings is an annual award that recognizes the top wedding vendors across the country. This prestigious honor distinguishes vendors who are trusted, dependable, and fun to work with. They have dazzled and delighted their couples, and it definitely shows.

For back-to-back years, I Do Video has received this award and is proud to be apart the best Chicago wedding videographers out there. I regret not submitting my profile previously to have be considered in previous years but will always stride to achieve this annually moving forward.

Award-Winning Wedding Videos

We will always continue to push boundaries, with innovative equipment, creative thinking and most importantly the opportunities to capture such a special day. We thank you for the feedback that has given us the opportunity to continue to capture more wedding to come!

Benefits of Raw Footage from Wedding Video

If you’ve been to a wedding, you know that a lot is going on! From the bride and groom to the decorations, so much is happening! That is why people choose to add a wedding videographer in order to capture this! Our wedding videographers in Chicago do this to perfection! But all wedding videos have their limit, which is why we always suggest to take advantage of the raw footage we offer.

Raw footage from your wedding video are basically the uncut, unedited video clips that are captured throughout the day. So even though your uncle breaking it down on the dance floor may not always make your wedding video, all those infamous moments is included within the raw footage. These hours of footage can be enjoyed for years to come!

So when you are ready to book a wedding videographer, make sure to ask about raw footage!

5 Year Anniversary

Video is my passion. From flying my drone on a vacation to capturing a #GerardiParty, a camera is an extension of who I am and I use film to tell my story.

So when I covered my first wedding 5 years ago, it felt completely natural. Being able to capture such special moments and share them with my clients was something I knew I wanted to continue to do.

Still, I never thought it could grow to what it has become today. For that growth, I think my clients who have given me the opportunity to do what I love. 5 years in and their satisfaction is what inspires me to continue to do better, for many years to come!

Find a Videographer on WeddingWire

Planning a wedding is a lot of work. There are countless vendors to choose from for things like the cake, food, photographer and of course videographers. So, where do you start? Many couple find WeddingWire to be a great place to narrow down their choices. There you will find dozens of qualified wedding videographers in Chicago that you can browse from.

WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Videographer

I Do Video is thrilled to have been chosen as one of the top 5% of Chicago videographers based on the feedback from previous customers. We are honored to have received this award in 4 consecutive years.

Choose a Qualified Vendor

So whether you’re in need of a wedding videographer or a party bus and everything in between, check out WeddingWire to confirm that your vendor satisfies the standards that you deserve for your wedding day!