A first look is meant for just the two of you. You are allowed to be who you want to be, react how you want to react, and be in a comforting environment without a hundred eyes on you. It's a moment alone for you to not only see eachother for the first time, but to be tucked away in an intimate setting and away from all the hustle and bustle.
Our first look was our little moment away where we could really take everything in - together! While talking and laughing and hugging and squeezing! Rather than keeping it all together in front of an audience. The First Look was the only part of our day that felt 100% natural and unscripted. This moment ends up being one of the most emotional and powerful moments for our couples - and we get to be there to capture it and preserve it for them forever.
PS: in case you're worried, the walk down the aisle was still just as powerful for us. This is the moment you and your partner see eachother not just with fancy attire on, but as the person who is about to become your life partner. It was just as powerful as I'd imagined, and I loved that it had it's own moment. And since we got to see eachother beforehand it came without all the pressure, nerves and jitters!
1. privacy
2. timeline
When you choose to take pictures prior to the ceremony, you give yourself (and your family/wedding party crew) time to be able to enjoy your day, without having to immediately leave the party for structured photos. And if you've heard from anyone who's ever gotten married ever, it's that time flies 1000 x faster on a wedding day. It's crazy! You blink and it's already time for dinner. A first look allows you to get all the formal photos done prior to your guests arriving, so that after the ceremony, you can join your own party and relax knowing the structured part is over. It also frees up *our* time to capture candid moments of your day, the two of you enjoying beverages with your guests, and it also allows us time to sneak into the reception room to grab detail shots before your guests enter. These are memories and details that you wouldn't receive if you had been taking formal photos the entire cocktail hour.
I know I'm a photographer so this kind of contradicts my job description, but the last thing I would ever want is for your day to feel like a photoshoot. I want your day to feel as good as it looks. And when you look back on your wedding day do you want to remember taking photos for two hours while your guests partied? Or would you rather remember that you were able to sit back and enjoy your day, organically. Hand in hand with your partner, mingling and celebrating with your favorite people!
One thing couples don't realize is that after the ceremony, you are usually quite drained! The adrenaline from the ceremony wears off, hunger sets in. You're just craving a nice cold beverage. The last thing you probably want to now do is take 90 mins of photos with family, your wedding party, and at last, the most important photos - your bride & groom portraits! A first look is not just a quick peek at each other, it flows naturally into your romantic portrait time, which happens early on in your day. You’ve just eaten lunch, you're fresh and READY for the day, makeup on point. You move into portraits still feeling all the emotions from
the first look, energized, and excited! Instead of drained from already standing almost two hours at that point. These are the things that are often overlooked ahead of time but really make a huge difference mentally. Consider your energy levels, YOU know yourself best!
3. mindset
4. more time together
This is probably the biggest game-changer. First Looks allow you to extend your wedding day by 2-3 hours! The day already will go by SO fast and trust me you’ll want to be together for as much of your day as possible. Not hiding until the 4pm ceremony. Now, oftentimes church weddings take place much earlier, so portraits afterwards makes sense. However, if your ceremony won't be until later do consider a first look for timing purposes. You're investing a lot into this day, and should be given the adequate time and space to be present for all it's unique moments.
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Okay so final thoughts, I know it may not be tradition, and it's hard to change that childhood vision and element of surprise down the aisle (speaking from experience here). However, I've seen couples time and time again be drained by not choosing a First Look for the sake of tradition and wish they would have had more time to enjoy their day.
So in the end, if a First Look prior to ceremony allows you to spend more time together, opens up the door for more genuine candid photos, creates a smoother, organic timeline for all parties involved, and allows you more time to relax and enjoy your party... I think there's a reason so many couples are making this the new tradition and standard going forth!
When you choose to take pictures prior to the ceremony, you give yourself (and your family/wedding party crew) time to be able to enjoy your day, without having to immediately leave the party for structured photos. And if you've heard from anyone who's ever gotten married ever, it's that time flies 1000 x faster on a wedding day. It's crazy! You blink and it's already time for dinner. A first look allows you to get all the formal photos done prior to your guests arriving, so that after the ceremony, you can join your own party and relax knowing the structured part is over. It also frees up *our* time to capture candid moments of your day, the two of you enjoying beverages with your guests, and it also allows us time to sneak into the reception room to grab detail shots before your guests enter. These are memories and details that you wouldn't receive if you had been taking formal photos the entire cocktail hour.
I know I'm a photographer so this kind of contradicts my job description, but the last thing I would ever want is for your day to feel like a photoshoot. I want your day to feel as good as it looks. And when you look back on your wedding day do you want to remember taking photos for two hours while your guests partied? Or would you rather remember that you were able to sit back and enjoy your day, organically. Hand in hand with your partner, mingling and celebrating with your favorite people!
2. timeline
One thing couples don't realize is that after the ceremony, you are usually quite drained! The adrenaline from the ceremony wears off, hunger sets in. You're just craving a nice cold beverage. The last thing you probably want to now do is take 90 mins of photos with family, your wedding party, and at last, the most important photos - your bride & groom portraits! A first look is not just a quick peek at each other, it flows naturally into your romantic portrait time, which happens early on in your day. You’ve just eaten lunch, you're fresh and READY for the day, makeup on point. You move into portraits still feeling all the emotions from
the first look, energized, and excited! Instead of drained from already standing almost two hours at that point. These are the things that are often overlooked ahead of time but really make a huge difference mentally. Consider your energy levels, YOU know yourself best!
3. mindset
This is probably the biggest game-changer. First Looks allow you to extend your wedding day by 2-3 hours! The day already
will go by SO fast and trust me you’ll want to be together for as much of your day as possible. Not hiding until the 4pm
ceremony. Now, oftentimes church weddings take place much earlier, so portraits afterwards makes sense. However, if
your ceremony won't be until later do consider a first look for timing purposes. You're investing a lot into this day, and should be given the adequate time and space to be present for all it's unique moments.
----
Okay so final thoughts, I know it may not be tradition, and it's hard to change that childhood vision and element of surprise down the aisle (speaking from experience here). However, I've seen couples time and time again be drained by not choosing a First Look for the sake of tradition and wish they would have had more time to enjoy their day.
So in the end, if a First Look prior to ceremony allows you to spend more time together, opens up the door for more genuine candid photos, creates a smoother, organic timeline for all parties involved, and allows you more time to relax and enjoy your party... I think there's a reason so many couples are making this the new tradition and standard going forth!
4. more time together
I hope you found this helpful in determining if a First Look is right for you!
thank you!
I will be in touch soon.
