Should You Do a First Look?
A lot of couples ask whether they should do a first look or stay traditional. Ultimately, it is up to you and your personal preferences, but there are some benefits to doing a first look. The biggest hesitation for brides is they want the magic of their groom seeing them for the first time as they walk down the aisle. Even though you have already seen each other this is still a very special moment for each of both of you. We will break down why we think first looks are great ideas!
Wedding Day’s are Stressful
There are a few reasons we suggest a first look, but the main reason is it takes away some of the anxiety and stress of the day. You have the opportunity to see your best friend and have a private moment together before the day gets very hectic and crazy. Enjoy this moment and take a moment to yourselves. We like to capture the first look and then give our couples a few minutes alone to just take in the time with each other.
Along with the benefit of spending more time together on your wedding day, from a videography perspective, the first look also gives you some incredible advantages. It unlocks your timeline and maximizes your time with your photographers and videographers. When we do weddings that incorporate the first look, we love to use these timeline advantages because we think they serve you.
Timeline Advantages
Wedding day timelines can be tight, but by doing the first look it allows your timeline to breathe. First looks allow a couple’s session before the wedding and a small sunset session after the ceremony to finish off couple photos. (We LOVE sunset sessions and highly recommend working this into your timeline.) For sunset sessions, we usually quickly pull the couple away from the reception to get a few more shots. These quick sessions are usually only 15 minutes and you will be so happy you did this!
It also allows for wedding party photos and family photos prior to the wedding ceremony. We think this is crucial because you get to your wedding reception sooner! We have found that by doing the first look, minimal photos are done after the ceremony and your guests won’t be waiting long. After all who wants to delay the party!
Pro Tip: Are you struggling to come up with the best wedding day timeline? Talk with your vendor team and wedding planners they are more than happy to help you! We also shared a wedding timeline template and a guide to creating the perfect wedding day timeline on our blog!
In the end, about 75% of our couples choose to do a first look, so by no means is it required, but we do believe it makes the wedding day flow smoother, it frees up your timeline, and allows each of you to relax.
