Since busy season is kicking off and I have so many upcoming weddings, I thought it was the perfect time to share a blog post with a wedding tip. This month, I'm giving you all the pros and cons of scheduling a first look in your wedding timeline and why it might be right for you.
... so, why do a first look?
easing the pressure
With everything going on during a wedding day, there can be so many nerves that walking down the aisle to meet your partner can be daunting, especially in front of all your guests. If you do a first look prior to the ceremony, you get those anxieties out of the way ahead of time. Plus, have you ever heard someone ask the groom "are you going to cry when she walks down the aisle?". *gasp* imagine all of the pressure he must feel to have the right reaction!
The first look is intimate and allows the two of you to feel all of the emotions without the added pressure of everyone else's eyes on you. Ceremony? Piece of cake now.
check off formal portraits + enjoy your cocktail hour
One of the biggest benefits of doing a first look is that you can do formal portraits prior to the ceremony - this can include couple portraits and family portraits. Then, you can go into your ceremony and join cocktail hour to spend time with your guests. Many couples tend to do portraits during cocktail hour, and the downside is that everyone that just attended your ceremony wants to chat, but you (and many others) have to step aside to do portraits. In my experience, I've seen that couples who set up their timeline this way end up wanting to rush through portraits so they can go enjoy time with their friends and family (totally fair). However, these portraits are an important piece to remembering your day, so why not schedule them in ahead of time and give everyone space to enjoy time together following the ceremony?
privacy
Not only does the first look ease the nerves, but it gives you and your partner a completely private moment together during your wedding day. It can be difficult to actually get time together throughout the day, so the first look will likely be the only time the two of you get a quiet moment without others around. Remember that it's YOUR wedding day, and the two of you deserve time to soak that in before jumping into the craziness of the day.
a first look may not be for everyone...
...although I am talking through the benefits of doing a first look, I want to be clear that it may not be for everyone.
tradition
There is certainly a traditional aspect of a wedding where you get the magical moment of someone walking down the aisle, followed by a reaction from their partner (or other family and friends). The difference with a first look is that these moments occur privately. It's becoming much more popular these days, but there's no doubt that there are traditions, religions, etc. that may not support a first look, so it's certainly something to consider based on your beliefs.
too private
There are some couples who may feel more comfortable with a crowd of people during this moment rather than doing this privately. At the end of the day, you typically have a photographer and potentially a videographer that are going to capture the moments of the first look. This might feel even more daunting than walking down the aisle in front of a bunch of guests, and hence make that moment feel a bit awkward for the two of you. Definitely think through what you prefer while building your timeline.
timeline struggles
Embedding a first look into your timeline means pictures need to happen earlier, which also means that everyone will need to be dressed and ready earlier. Because of this, if anything throughout the getting ready process gets delayed, this may mean you have to shorten the amount of time spent on the first look and portraits to follow, or potentially delay the ceremony. It's not a great situation to be in, especially because some of these portraits may be your favorite photos from the day.
As a wedding photographer...
I am always willing to talk through questions and concerns when it comes to deciding on a first look. Everybody's wedding day is unique, so it's ideal to discuss what will work best for your day and for you both as a couple. Hopefully reading through this post can give you a glimpse at the benefits (along with a few cons) to help prepare you to make the most fitting decision for your special day.
As always, thank you if you've made it this far!
♡ Kylie
