Have you ever considered a First Look Wedding? 

We often get questions from our couples about the advantage of doing a First Look wedding over a Traditional wedding and, honestly, there are so many! In a First Look wedding, the couple sees each other well before the ceremony (usually in a private secluded area), so they can take a good look at each other and spend some time together before the happy chaos of the wedding day festivities begin. 

And while both Traditional and First Look weddings have pros and cons, (which you can read about here in one of our previous blogs), in this post we want to focus on the benefits of having a First Look wedding.  

A First Look Wedding reminds you that the day is all about you.

A First Look is a private, meaningful and deeply intimate moment between the bride and groom—it’s their chance to see each other for the first time, all gussied up for their nuptials, without the eyes of all of their guests on them. With the exception of the photographers (who stay reasonably far away to capture the moment), the First Look is the one moment in a wedding day that the couple will get to themselves—a few minutes where to calm each others jitters, remind each other why they chose to be there and what they love about the other, and share their excitement about what’s to come. 

The photos that come out of a First Look are always the moving, emotional, and deeply meaningful. It is impossible to miss the love that shines between two people when they first see each other and realize that this is what they’ve been dreaming of, this is the day they get to start forever together. This brief few minutes, amidst a day of chaotic love and laughter, where it’s just the two of them, standing there, together, enjoying each other. 

A First Look Wedding calms nerves and sharpens memories.

Many couples who go the Traditional route (and don’t see each other until the ceremony on the day of their wedding) report that they were so nervous and anxious by the time the ceremony came that they not only don’t remember first laying eyes on their love during the processional (when the bride walks down the aisle), but they don’t remember the ceremony either. This is where a First Look is really helpful! Having a chance to spend some time with each other before the ceremony calms couples down, takes away their jitters and anxiety, and has the added effect of clearing their heads. So many of our clients tell us that the First Look chilled them out so much that they remember every detail of their ceremonies and it really helped them to settle in and enjoy the experience even more. 

A First Look Wedding allows for a much more relaxed wedding day.

A First Look allows a couple to follow a much more relaxed timeline (which you can read about here) by getting through most (if not all) of the wedding day portraits before the ceremony even happens. Because the couple gets ready a little earlier and sees each other before the ceremony, they have plenty of time to hang with their photographers to get all of the wedding party portraits, bride and groom portraits, and sometimes even family portraits done. 

Even better, everybody has time to get a little more downtime before the ceremony, where the ladies can freshen up and the men can chill and hang out or have a beer before the nuptials begin. 

A First Look Wedding gives you more time to mingle with your guests. 

Often, in Traditional weddings, the couple and their attendants leave to take photographs right after the ceremony and their guests have to find something to do while the wedding party is away. The added bonus of a First Look is that the bride and groom are usually able to head right to the reception after their ceremony and spend more time with their guests, which is so great considering many of those guests come from out of town.

The only other time demands from photographers during a First Look wedding is sometimes (for a brief 15 to 20 minutes just before sunset) they will want to sneak the couple out and grab some shots in the best light of the entire day! 

Doing a First Look breaks up the shooting time so nobody gets exhausted, creates an atmosphere of relaxed anticipation, allows couples to spend more quality time with each other and their guests, and gives the photographers plenty of time to create stunning and creative images of your wedding day. If you haven’t thought about it, it’s definitely worth considering having a First Look Wedding.