13 first looks that will melt your heart (and your panties) #Wedding Porn#first look June 18 2014 | Catherine Clark bijouxandbits Photo by Christina Carroll Photography If you're not already a sucker for sappy, tearful, heart-smooshing first looks, we're gearing up to make you one. Grins, fist pumps, and of course, squee-inducing groom tears — some of the best reactions come from the first look. Behold some of our favorite first looks ever, and just try not to grin like a Cheshire cat the whole way through. Megawatt smiles on these two brides. Photo by Christina Carroll Photography Photo by Christina Carroll Photography Tears + cheers? Oh yes. Photo by June Lion Photography Photo by June Lion Photography Definitely a contender for best groom reaction. Photo by Sweet Darlin Photography Photo by Sweet Darlin Photography Sneaky hand cuddles around a corner. Photo by Pilster Photography Photo by Pilster Photography Barefoot in the forest with these cuties. Photo by Carly Bish Photography Photo by Carly Bish Photography DAT DRESS. Must hug it! Photo by Dario Endara Photo by Dario Endara The look of love for sure. Photo by Bethany Chamberlin Photo by Bethany Chamberlin "You look fabulous… and check out mah Spanx!" Photo by Justine Johnson Photography Photo by Justine Johnson Photography Gothic chic, sneak up-style. Photo by Di Bezi Photo by Di Bezi Forgetting everyone else was around and just digging each other. Photo by Red Fly Studio Photo by Red Fly Studio You thought it was Disney, but this is the happiest place on Earth. Photo by JamieY Photography Photo by JamieY Photography I love a good blindfold-meets-rainbow-crinoline-admiration shot. Photo by Ludovic Etienne Photo by Ludovic Etienne I saved my favorite for last: Corinne & Mike's wedding. Mike's turn, run, and hug just KILLS me. Photo by Lindsey Tweed Photo by Lindsey Tweed Let's see it in action… Photo by guest Are you planning a first look? Leave a comment telling us your plan! This post features Offbeat Vendors! Check out their vendor listing to see how they cater to Offbeat Brides: Carly Bish Photography Justine Johnson Photography JamieY Photography Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo Catherine Clark Catherine Clark is Offbeat Bride's Senior Editor. In her spare time she loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur baby, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com. @enidjcoleslaw @bijouxandbits @bijouxandbits PREVIOUS The science of love: design your wedding bands using your own brain waves NEXT Alicia & Jonah's nature-focused Native American wedding Show/Hide comments [ 18 ] For sure doing a first look here. We want to knock out as many formal photos as we can before the ceremony, so we can focus on the partay! Plus, I get super jittery and anything I can do to get the nerves out of the way (like smooching on my groom-to-be) will make my life easier walking up to him! 12 agree Reply My now hubster and I did a first look and it was the best thing ever. I have anxiety and wear it on my sleeve (or to say on my chest would be more accurate), so even though most of the anxious feelings stemmed from excitement, it still helped everything! We got married at the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, CT and did our first look by the carousel inside. Needless to day, the pictures are amazing. Between that and our super chill morning of ordering room service (eating waffles on my wedding day to be the best Leslie Knope I could be), I made sure that my anxiety was in check. <3 Have fun! 2 agree Reply I die. That's all I can say. I die. Each of these couples are beautiful and unique and all of them are so so so inspiring. Almost even makes me want to do a first look…^_^ *swoon* 17 agree Reply We did a first look… I can't wait to see the pictures; I know there were some good ones. 🙂 Reply Welp, this is the best fucking thing I've ever seen. 24 agree Reply I LOVE first looks. Mostly the idea of adding more scheduled things to the day stresses me out but this is definitely one I am going to make time for. I think it's especially wonderful for more private or introverted couples to get a quiet moment alone before the ceremony. All of these people look so happy, it makes me happy. 8 agree Reply We decided against a first look with my hubby and me, but I did one with my daddy. The reaction I saw was amazing and I can't wait to get that photo back! 9 agree Reply I want to – coming down the stairs to where he's waiting in the living room. We'll see what happens when the postponement is over. You're right, the third couple's groom has the best reaction! Amazing photographer to get THAT nanosecond of that look. 2 agree Reply I love love! These faces are to die for. I won't be doing a "first look" because I am superstitious, but I sure will instruct my photogs to capture the actual first look as I come down the aisle! I told my future in-laws "I hope he cries." ha 1 agrees Reply I didn't thonk of a first look until I saw this. I mean we plan on doing photos before the ceremony but this, this is a great idea. Defiantly going on my list. 2 agree Reply My eyes are leaking! 4 agree Reply Definitely doing a first look. Not exactly sure how or anything but I love the idea! 1 agrees Reply This is the greatest idea ever!! I just got married May 24, 2014 and the first look pics were the best yet! In some ways it calmed me down before I had to actually make my grand appearance. Plus I love joking around so it was pretty fun walking up behind my husband-to-be and whispering in his ear messing around with him while he had to wait before he was able to turn around! When he did, he teared up, then I teared up and told him don't cry, then our wedding party all teared up and told me not to cry!! AwwwSOME WEDDING and AWwwwSOME photographer! 2 agree Reply My husband and I did a first look photography set also. We had a busy day of places to go before our big event and decided to get "the look" out of the way overlooking Lake Michigan at a beautiful location. That moment was absolutely perfect, and our photographer did an amazing job of capturing that special time for us. After that we went to the cemetary where my father is buried to spend a moment with him, since he couldn't be with us that day. We finished up by going to the assisted living facility where my grandmother was living to see her and take some very special pictures, because she was not able to get out to come to the wedding. Those were the last pictures taken of her, as she passed away about a month later. Having that first look session took all the pressure away from the day and gave us the ability to just BE in the moment for the remainder of the day. We smiled and laughed and enjoyed the whole day. I've had so many people tell me it was the happiest wedding they've ever been to, and that is a testament to how happy we are together. I'm so thankful we did that. I wouldn't have changed one moment. 2 agree Reply Our first look was awesome. My husband cried, then I cried, and there's this picture of him holding me back by the waist and is biting his lower lip like "dayum!!!" Here they are if you want a nosey 🙂 https://www.flickr.com/photos/85979084@N05/sets/72157646787325971/ 2 agree Reply HA THIS SHOT: 1 agrees Reply Oh man. That gif got me. *tears* 1 agrees Reply My wedding was last Saturday. Instead of doing a first look with my husband I did a first look with my dad 1 agrees Reply Join the conversation Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Sign me up for your offbeat awesomeness newsletter! No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy. Biz owners & wedding bloggers Please just use your real name in your comment, not your business name or blog title. Our comments are not the place to pimp your website. If you want to promote your stuff on Offbeat Bride, join us as an advertiser instead.
For sure doing a first look here. We want to knock out as many formal photos as we can before the ceremony, so we can focus on the partay! Plus, I get super jittery and anything I can do to get the nerves out of the way (like smooching on my groom-to-be) will make my life easier walking up to him! 12 agree Reply
My now hubster and I did a first look and it was the best thing ever. I have anxiety and wear it on my sleeve (or to say on my chest would be more accurate), so even though most of the anxious feelings stemmed from excitement, it still helped everything! We got married at the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, CT and did our first look by the carousel inside. Needless to day, the pictures are amazing. Between that and our super chill morning of ordering room service (eating waffles on my wedding day to be the best Leslie Knope I could be), I made sure that my anxiety was in check. <3 Have fun! 2 agree Reply
I die. That's all I can say. I die. Each of these couples are beautiful and unique and all of them are so so so inspiring. Almost even makes me want to do a first look…^_^ *swoon* 17 agree Reply
I LOVE first looks. Mostly the idea of adding more scheduled things to the day stresses me out but this is definitely one I am going to make time for. I think it's especially wonderful for more private or introverted couples to get a quiet moment alone before the ceremony. All of these people look so happy, it makes me happy. 8 agree Reply
We decided against a first look with my hubby and me, but I did one with my daddy. The reaction I saw was amazing and I can't wait to get that photo back! 9 agree Reply
I want to – coming down the stairs to where he's waiting in the living room. We'll see what happens when the postponement is over. You're right, the third couple's groom has the best reaction! Amazing photographer to get THAT nanosecond of that look. 2 agree Reply
I love love! These faces are to die for. I won't be doing a "first look" because I am superstitious, but I sure will instruct my photogs to capture the actual first look as I come down the aisle! I told my future in-laws "I hope he cries." ha 1 agrees Reply
I didn't thonk of a first look until I saw this. I mean we plan on doing photos before the ceremony but this, this is a great idea. Defiantly going on my list. 2 agree Reply
This is the greatest idea ever!! I just got married May 24, 2014 and the first look pics were the best yet! In some ways it calmed me down before I had to actually make my grand appearance. Plus I love joking around so it was pretty fun walking up behind my husband-to-be and whispering in his ear messing around with him while he had to wait before he was able to turn around! When he did, he teared up, then I teared up and told him don't cry, then our wedding party all teared up and told me not to cry!! AwwwSOME WEDDING and AWwwwSOME photographer! 2 agree Reply
My husband and I did a first look photography set also. We had a busy day of places to go before our big event and decided to get "the look" out of the way overlooking Lake Michigan at a beautiful location. That moment was absolutely perfect, and our photographer did an amazing job of capturing that special time for us. After that we went to the cemetary where my father is buried to spend a moment with him, since he couldn't be with us that day. We finished up by going to the assisted living facility where my grandmother was living to see her and take some very special pictures, because she was not able to get out to come to the wedding. Those were the last pictures taken of her, as she passed away about a month later. Having that first look session took all the pressure away from the day and gave us the ability to just BE in the moment for the remainder of the day. We smiled and laughed and enjoyed the whole day. I've had so many people tell me it was the happiest wedding they've ever been to, and that is a testament to how happy we are together. I'm so thankful we did that. I wouldn't have changed one moment. 2 agree Reply
Our first look was awesome. My husband cried, then I cried, and there's this picture of him holding me back by the waist and is biting his lower lip like "dayum!!!" Here they are if you want a nosey 🙂 https://www.flickr.com/photos/85979084@N05/sets/72157646787325971/ 2 agree Reply
My wedding was last Saturday. Instead of doing a first look with my husband I did a first look with my dad 1 agrees Reply