As a photographer, I absolutely love shooting first looks for so many reasons — from the genuine exchange of emotion to the sweet, often unseen moments, they are so incredibly special and truly one of my favorite things to capture on a wedding day. But as someone getting married, why should you consider doing a first look? I totally understand some couples have their hearts set on the the traditional “down-the-aisle” moment, but there are so many benefits to doing a first look on your wedding day — keep reading to learn more!
1. Finish most of your photos before your ceremony.
If you do a first look on your wedding day, you will be able to complete most (if not all!) of your photos before your ceremony even begins. A first look is usually scheduled about 2.5 hours before your ceremony start time, and from there typically the timeline will include 45 minutes to 1 hour of couple’s portraits, 30 minutes of wedding party photos, and 30 minutes of family photos — then 30 minutes of downtime before your ceremony begins. Since you two have already seen each other during your first look, you are able to get all of these photos done before your guests arrive so that after your ceremony you (and your family and wedding party) are free to enjoy the rest of the day!
Doing a first look will also allow you to allocate more time for photos. As I mentioned, it takes about 2 hours to complete portraits, wedding party, and family photos. If you do not opt for a first look, you will only have about an hour to take those photos after the ceremony before your reception begins. Because it is a much shorter length of time, as a result you will receive far fewer portraits in your final gallery, and it will typically feel extremely rushed. Plus, you will be taking them during your cocktail hour, which leads me to my next point…
2. Attend your cocktail hour.
If you opt for a first look, you will actually be able to attend and enjoy your cocktail hour! Personally as a guest I feel like the cocktail hour is my favorite part of a wedding day. The food is always amazing (loooove me some fried mac & cheese bites and sliders) and it’s such a great chance for the couple to get to casually greet and mingle with their guests. If you don’t do a first look, you will miss your entire cocktail hour. In fact, I always encourage my non-first-look couples to opt for a cocktail hour-and-a-half so that we have 1.5 hours to complete all of their photos — because usually an hour is just not enough time. Regardless, there are very few cases where you will actually be able to attend your cocktail hour if you haven’t seen each other before the ceremony.
3. Maximize the day’s natural light.
This is especially important in the fall and winter months when it gets dark at 4:30 pm, because you may not have any natural light left after your ceremony. In order to get the beautiful, romantic wedding day portraits you’ve always dreamed of, you need to have sufficient sunlight available. Think of it this way — if you don’t do a first look and your ceremony is at 4:00 pm and the sun sets at 4:30 pm, by the time you’re able to do photos together there is no natural light left. Of course it’s possible to use artificial light sources like flash, but if your heart is set on naturally lit outdoor portraits, it is so important to think about maximizing the sunlight you have available on your wedding day.
4. Control the location.
Choosing to do a first look allows you and your photographer to have much more control over the lighting and the background for this special moment. During your ceremony you have far less control of these elements. For example, there may be harsh sunlight or shadows on your faces depending on where your ceremony space is set up. Your photographer will know how to position you so that the light will be the most flattering, and what type of background will look best to keep the focus on the most important part of that moment — you and your partner! Setting up a first look will ensure you have beautiful, evenly lit photos of your partner’s sweet reaction to look back on for years to come.
5. Share a private moment.
So much of your special day is spent with family and friends or greeting guests, so doing a first look is the perfect chance to have an intimate moment for just the two of you enjoy. You may be nervous or emotional as well, so for some couples it is easier and less overwhelming to share this moment with just you and your partner (and your photographer, of course, but I promise you’ll forget they’re there!). And since so much of the day is spent celebrating with other people, a first look is the perfect chance to take some time to enjoy being together.
Plus, without a first look you may spend almost your entire day apart! If your ceremony is isn’t until 6:00 pm, that’s nearly your whole wedding day spent actively trying to avoid each other, and you’ll only have a few hours after to celebrate together. First looks truly help to maximize your wedding day in every way, and in my experience they do not make the “down-the-aisle” moment any less special.
Bonus tip: first looks aren’t only for the couple!
So many of my couples choose to do a first look with someone other than their partner! You can do a first look with a family member (many brides love doing a special one with dad) or with your wedding party. Their reactions can be just as meaningful as your fiancé’s. These first looks make for beautiful photos as well, with so much genuine and candid emotion all around.
RECAP:
1. Finish most of your photos before your ceremony.
2. Attend your cocktail hour.
3. Maximize the day’s natural light.
4. Control the location.
5. Share a private moment.
If you liked this post, check out these 10 things you might not have thought about for your wedding day.
