First looks are becoming more and more the “norm” than the traditional aspect of seeing the bride for the first time when she walks down the isle. A first look is a moment set up by the wedding photographer for you to see each other before the ceremony, at a location away or hidden from friends, family, and guests, to give you privacy and make that moment just for you and you only. There are several reasons why this has become the norm, so let’s get started!

1. It’ll be your only alone time!
First, and most importantly, during your wedding day, you will be spending A LOT of time with friends and family, and while your fiancé will be with you the whole time, you won’t get to spend that much alone time with them. By having a first look, you’re ensuring that you will get to spend as much time with them as you’d like before the ceremony. Use this time to take a step back from the wedding chaos and reflect on your lives together, past, present, and future. Enjoy the time you have with them during that moment.

2. Relieves pre-ceremony nerves!
On a similar note, it will relax some pre-ceremony nerves. The difference between a first look, and the first look walking down the isle, is that this moment is completely private between you two… and the photographer of course! Your Groom may be so nervous before you walk down the isle, that he may forget to breathe! Well, maybe not that extreme, but he may be so caught up in his nerves that he forgets to take it all in an enjoy the moment! Occasionally I’ll photograph a groom who’s got that “deer in headlights” look as his bride walks down the isle, and later on I’ll find out that he was just trying not to cry in front of his friends and family! I mean, it’s already tough for guys to express emotion. And then we put him in front of 200 guests with all eyes on him just waiting to see his reaction, it can be a nerve-wracking experience!

3. You’ll have SO many more photos of just the two of you!
Following your alone time, we’ll go into your private portrait session. This is suuuper great because it saves about an hour of time after the ceremony when you would typically do your newlywed portraits. In nearly 100% of my couples that choose not to have a first look, the formals get cut short every time and we don’t have any time at all to photograph the bride and groom. After the family formals, and the bridal party formals, almost always the bride and groom are just ready to party, leaving us with very few photos of them together. And since this day is all about the bride and groom, the portraits aren’t something you should lightly leave to chance. To give you a visual, a couple with a first look will have around 50 images of just the two of them and a couple without a first look, usually walks away with only 3-5 images. A first look is the perfect way to ensure your portraits get taken care of early… before your face gets tired of smiling in family portraits!

4. Practical and time saving!
Even better, since you’ve already seen each other, now is a great time to take care of family and bridal party portraits! Traditionally, formals would take place for about 1.5 hours after the ceremony. If you’ve ever been a guest at a wedding, you might know how long the wait can seem while you’re sipping on your cocktail hour drinks waiting for the bride and groom to show up. With a first look, all portraits would be conducted BEFORE the ceremony. So, immediately following the ceremony, you get to kick your shoes off and have a great time at your reception!

First looks are the best thing that will happen on your wedding day! They’re practical, time saving, emotional, and just all around wonderful. First looks aren’t for everyone, but there’s a reason it’s becoming so popular! If you have any questions about a first look, feel free to contact me! I’ll be happy to convince you a little more!