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Many couples choose to do a first look on their wedding day, while others decide to go the more traditional route and leave their first look for the ceremony. If you’re undecided about whether you want to do a first look or not, read on. We’ve put together all the reasons why we love first looks and why you should consider a first look for your wedding day.
Wedding days come with a lot of pressure – to keep with schedules and timelines, manage any last-minute crisis that may occur, and of course deal with your own nerves. Adding in the pressure to take photos after your ceremony and before your reception may be an unnecessary addition, especially if you’re tight on time. A first look actually helps you keep a tighter wedding day timelines and prevents you from having to have a large gap between your ceremony and reception in order to allow time for photos.
If you decide to take your photos prior to the ceremony you’ll have the opportunity to take your time, enjoy some private moments with your soon-to-be spouse before the craziness of the day begins, and not have to worry about anything except for having fun once you say “I do”!
While some people love being the center of attention and look forward to the spotlight on their wedding day, that isn’t the case for everyone. For some couples, the anticipation of your upcoming wedding day comes with lots of jitters and nerves. Having your photos taken prior to the day’s events will give the two of you time quiet moments alone which will help calm your nerves. By taking your wedding photos in a calm, relaxed setting you’ll not only feel better, but your photos will look better because you’ll both feel less stressed. You’ll be able to head into your ceremony calm and collected – and don’t worry you’ll still feel that rush of joy and excitement as you walk down the aisle.
This one is probably our favorite reasons to do a first look because you can choose a location that is special to you, and not one that is based on how close it is to your reception site. At the end of the day, you’ll get beautiful photos no matter where you have them taken, but a first look allows you to have more location options. If there is a special spot that is meaningful to the two of you but is a little out of the way, you can make the trip to that spot to take your wedding portraits. The options are truly endless!
Couples who decide to take photos in between the ceremony and reception often don’t have a lot of time to linger around and greet their guests after the ceremony. A first look will save time later when the transition from ceremony to reception takes place, and with all of your photos done, you can actually, enjoy your cocktail hour with the rest of your guests.
A first look is one of the few moments on your wedding day where you’ll get to enjoy each other’s company without a ton of other people around. The rest of your day will be filled with family and friends that can’t help but share their love and excitement with you and while this is a great thing, it leaves for very few private moments! This is also the perfect moment to get your formal couples session finished before moving onto bridal party and family photos.
One of the best things about having your first look and formal photos done at the beginning of the day is when you are looking your best and freshest! You’ll also have an opportunity to touch up your hair and makeup prior to your ceremony but won’t have to worry as much about how you’ll look in photos – so go ahead and cry during your ceremony and forget about worrying about your mascara running.
Scheduling time for wedding photos prior to the ceremony with a first look allows for more beautiful photo opportunities. It will allow your photographer to capture spontaneous moments during your ceremony and reception, and allow them to get creative with any portraits they take throughout the day since your formal portraits are already done.
The truth is, there’s a lot that can go wrong on your wedding day. Bad weather, people running late, and traffic are just some of the things that could add stress to your wedding. By doing a first look your photos will be done and out of the way so any surprise that comes your way can be dealt with easily. It also gives you a back-up time slot to finish your wedding portraits in case something held you up earlier in the day.
There is so much going on and so many things to accomplish on your wedding day that sometimes it can be difficult to take it all in. While your photographer will be there to capture every moment, you should be able to witness them all yourself. You don’t want to find yourself feeling like you missed things when the night comes to an end because you were too busy sticking to a schedule. A first look will allow you to slow down and be more present on your wedding day which is something that you will treasure forever.
