First Looks and Why I Love Them

When it comes to wedding planning, you have plenty of decisions to make! One of my main goals is to help my couples create a stress-free, seamless, relaxed, and enjoyable wedding day timeline! While there are literally a million and a half reasons why I adore first looks, I know that all of my couples need to choose what feels right for them and their relationship! I want you to feel fueled with all of the perspectives, so that if you’re on the fence about whether or not a first look is right for you, you can make the decision confidently! Let me share some of the perks with you:

 

It’s a Private Moment Between the Two of You

On a day where you will likely get very little alone time, having a first look means you will have time to share an intimate, private moment together. Just the two of you (and me with my quiet, ninja-like camera). Once the wedding day kicks off, you’ll find that it’s pretty rare to find moments to stop and take a breather together, so this is the perfect opportunity to come together and soak it all in. You won’t have to sit there anxiously waiting sometimes until 6 pm to finally TALK and kiss one another at the ceremony! 

Spreads Out Your Timeline

Your timeline tends to be a lot less stressful when you have a first look! You’ll be able to get your bride and groom portraits, bridal party portraits, and typically even family photos DONE before the ceremony! If your ceremony begins late or runs late, or family photos run longer than expected, it’s, unfortunately, the bride and groom’s portrait time that gets cut short. By having extra time built into the timeline for the first look, we can ensure that your portraits are prioritized and finished before the ceremony! Works like a D-R-E-A-M. I’ve cranked out a TON of portraits in about 10 minutes during weddings without a first look, but guaranteeing a solid 30 minutes for bride and groom portraits allows you to relax, enjoy, and not feel rushed to get all of your photos done in crunch time! Your wedding day is going to fly by (like everyone says!), so we want to plan ahead of time for you two to actually be present and enjoy it all without cramming and rushing.

Enjoy Your Cocktail Hour

Having all of your portraits, family formals, and bridal party photos finished before the ceremony means you get to actually enjoy your cocktail hour and time with your guests! You spend so much time and money on this part of the day, and it breaks my heart when my couples don’t even get to see any of it, let alone eat and enjoy it! Plus your bridal party and family will TOTALLY thank you for this, because they will also get to enjoy the entire cocktail hour!! It’s a great time to say hello and spend time with a ton of your guests, which means more time on the dance floor and less time going table-to-table to say hi to everyone during your reception! You can spend it just fully enjoying the party! Without a first look, you will spend your full cocktail hour (and possibly an extended cocktail hour) taking all of your photos!

It Won’t Take Away From the Aisle Moment

Contrary to popular belief, having a first look doesn’t seem to take away from the moment you walk down the aisle. I totally understand wanting to stick to tradition and having that moment when you first walk down the aisle, but I’ve found that it is STILL so special because it is like you two are reliving that first look moment all over again! Oftentimes, even after doing a first look, in the time leading up to the ceremony, emotions build up again, making your aisle moment just as real and special as you hoped it would be, but minus all the nerves! And since none of your guests have seen you or know that you did your first look, it’s still a WOW moment for everyone in the room! Plus, NOTHING is going to beat that vision and moment of you walking down the aisle – it’s still so beyond special when you actually get there.

The Nerves Can Settle

My girl Britney Spears says it best, “All eyes on me in the center of the ring, just like a circus!” Most brides are *hoping* to get that classic reaction of their fiancé teary-eyed as they walk down the aisle. HOWEVER, sometimes all eyes on them makes them more nervous and hesitant to show emotion, so they end up a little more straight-faced. First looks allow for a much more relaxed moment to show genuine, heartfelt emotions without the pressure! If your love is a crier, they’re going to cry regardless. How could they not?! They’re about to marry you!

I’ve also heard time and time again that people feel like they ‘blacked out’ during the ceremony because they’re just so excited, nervous, and overwhelmed! Doing a first look allows you to ease all of those nerves, so you can fully be present during the ceremony with each other!

More Pictures!

Let’s be honest, the MOST important photos of the day are the ones of just you two! Bride & groom portraits are typically my couples’ favorite photos to take on their wedding day, so of course, we want to ensure that there is plenty of time allocated for them! Couples who do a first look have so much more time to snag plenty of amazing portraits during the day from before the ceremony to sneaking away for some sunset and night portraits! I mean, who doesn’t want more pictures of you and your love!? Another HUGE perk to having some portraits taken immediately after your first look is that you both will look your freshest AND this gives the bride a perfect opportunity to do a trial run of walking around and moving in her dress before having to do it in front of everyone at the ceremony!

Now I don’t know about you, but I’m totally crushing on first looks! I hope these insights help as you consider a first look for your wedding day! Hearing a bride say to me, “Now I understand why people do first looks,” truly stuck with me so much, and encourages me to let me couples find a way to enjoy every minute of your day without stress, rushing, or feeling like you’re missing anything you’ve worked so hard to plan. First looks allow for so many sweet moments and time to unfold on your day! If you’re still unsure if a first look is right for you, I am always more than happy to sit down with you both and chat about what would be best for your wedding day! I’ve got you! 🙂