Wedding First Kiss Tips and Inspiration
“You may now kiss your bride” is followed by cheers from the wedding guests and feelings of joy from everyone who witnessed the special moment. Of the many wedding rituals, the first kiss at the end of a wedding ceremony is one of the most memorable. After the heartfelt vows, the ring exchange, and other religious or cultural traditions that all take the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions, the first kiss is the perfect culmination and ending to the ceremony. To make sure you have wedding first kiss photos that are as perfect as the memories of the moment, here are a few wedding first kiss tips:
Practice Beforehand
Practicing before hand will give you and your partner a chance to get on the same page. How long should it be? Should you use tongue? Is one person going to dip the other? A little discussion and practice will answer all of these questions and help you shake some of the nerves you may have in the moment.
Communicate The Timing With Your Photographer
As mentioned earlier, this will be one of the special moments of your ceremony that you will definitely want to end up in your wedding album. A few key shots that every photographer aims to capture at ceremonies is the Groom seeing his Bride walking down the aisle for the first time, the ring exchange, and the first kiss.
The first wedding kiss seals the deal! It signifies that you are officially husband and wife and that your journey as newly-weds can now begin. This is why it is so important that your photographer captures this moment. Communicating with your photographer ahead of time and letting him/her know the exact planned timing of the first kiss during the ceremony can help you ensure that this shot won’t be missed.
Close Your Eyes
This is a fairly obvious tip but one that is often overlooked. The wedding first kiss photo can look a bit unnatural if either has his or her eyes open during the first kiss. Close your eyes and enjoy the brief moment.
Eliminate the Gaps in the Bodies
Gaps in the bodies can create an awkward “middle school dance” feel to the photo. Remember to bring the bodies together to eliminate the gap for the wedding first kiss.
Watch Your Hand and Arm Placement
The hands and arms should always have a place to go with intention. The most common places are either around the other person’s hips or shoulders. This is where practice comes in handy because you can determine which person is doing what.
Hold It for a Couple of Seconds
How Long Should We Hold The Kiss?
This is probably one of the most important things you should consider when planning out your first kiss. If it’s too drawn out, things could get awkward for your guests. If it’s too short it will seem non-sincere and forced. Try to time your kiss just so it’s long enough to show the love and intimacy between one another, but save the long make-out session for the honeymoon.
You also need to keep in mind that the photographer needs time to get the shot. The first wedding kiss only happens once. Sure, the photo could be re-created if absolutely necessary, but it wouldn’t be genuine and true-to-the-moment. The photographer(s) usually has to move around a good bit to get different angles and make sure they get all of the special shots. They can’t be in two places at once. They may also need a second to zoom in. So, when the first kiss takes place, keep in mind that this moment is being captured and make sure that you give the photographer a few seconds before ending the kiss. Trust me, this is a moment you will want captured!
How Intimate Should The Kiss Be?
The next thing you will need to consider when thinking about your first wedding kiss is how much is too much? You need to find the balance between expressing your love for one another in an intimate way without going overboard and completely devouring one another. The first kiss can appear intimate without appearing full blown sexual.
Do not be afraid to touch bodies and embrace one another. If you are standing too far apart and just lean in for a quick peck, it can come off as fake and just “part of the ceremony.” One great way to pull this off is to have the Groom pull his Bride into him (chest to chest) and then go in for in the kiss.
Do It Again After the Recessional
After recessional, go in for another kiss at the end of the aisle. Consider a dip or a lift for an even more dramatic photo. This is often one of the best, most iconic photos from the day because of the emotion of the moment combined with the beautiful background consisting of your wedding ceremony site and all of your wedding ceremony guests.
Be in the Moment
The final tip that we’ll conclude with is to be in the moment. Don’t overthink it, be nervous or do things “just for the photos.” If you happen to miss of a few of the things mentioned above, don’t worry about it! It’ll still be an incredible, memorable, and beautiful moment.
Many things about a wedding can be stressful. The planning, the costs, preparing for the ceremony, etc. Walking down the aisle in front of potentially hundreds of guests can be intimidating and nerve-racking. When it comes to the first wedding kiss, you may be tempted to just move in quickly just to get it over with. This mindset could ruin your first kiss. The last thing you want to do is move in so quickly that bump heads or completely miss altogether.
Take the time to lock eyes with your partner before moving in. Move in slowly, embrace one another, and just focus on your new Bride or Groom. This will make the kiss much more genuine and meaningful to not only you and your new spouse, but also to your guests.
