There are a lot of things to think about and consider when it comes to your wedding day and one of those things will be when you will do your couple portraits. You will want lots of gorgeous portraits of the two of you on your wedding day and there are two times when that could happen- either before your ceremony or after your ceremony. If you take your portraits before the ceremony, you will be doing a first look which is where you see each other before you walk down the aisle. If you opt to not see each other until you walk down the aisle, then you won't be doing a first look and will do all your portraits in-between the ceremony and reception. If you are on the fence as to if a first look is right for you, keep reading for four reasons why you should do a first look and four reasons why you may want to skip doing a first look.
Why You Should Do A First Look
1. Lets you have more time with each other.
You are committed to spend the rest of your lives together so why not get to spend the whole day together on your
wedding day? If you opt not to have a first look, you won't really get to talk to each other until after the
ceremony! That can feel like a lifetime for some couples. When you do a first look, you get to spend the whole
day together (after you are both dressed and ready) and can talk to each other before the ceremony. This will let
you really get to enjoy the full day together.
2. Helps calm nerves.
You are so excited for your wedding day and to officially become a married couple but it can still be a bit stressful
and make you a bit nervous. Getting to see your love before all the festivities get started can really help you relax
and stay calm. You can share in this pre-wedding excitement together!
3. Gives you more portrait time.
By doing a first look and your portraits ahead of the ceremony, you can schedule as much time as you would
like for your portraits. This will give you the freedom to have multiple portrait locations and have a variety of
portrait images from your wedding day.
4. Allows you to get to your reception and cocktail hour sooner.
If you have less time between your ceremony and reception or if you just want to get to the party sooner, then
doing a first look will allow you to do just that! You can take all of your couple portraits and wedding party
portraits before the cermeony happens which means that after the ceremony, you just have your family portraits
to take and then you can get to the reception and party the night away!
Why You Should Skip A First Look
1. You are traditional and want the first time you see each to be when you walk down the aisle.
If you have always pictured seeing your fiancé for the first time on your wedding day when you walk down
the aisle, then you will more than likely want to skip a first look. If you want to keep this moment for the
ceremony, that's completely fine!
2. You have a huge gap between your ceremony and your reception.
If you have more than two hours between the end of your ceremony and your reception entrance, then it may
make sense to do all of your portraits between the ceremony and the reception. In this case, you don't need to do
a first look for time constraints and can save all your portraits for later. If you still want to do a first look but
want to save your portraits for later, you can do that too!
3. You don't have a lot of time before your ceremony.
Depending on where you will be getting ready and your hair/makeup timeline, you may not have extra time
before the ceremony. Most hair and makeup artists will work with you to make sure they can get you done as
early as you need but sometimes, this may not be the case. Likewise, some venues may not give you access to
start getting ready until a certain time and that may make it tough to do a first look and all portraits ahead of
time.
4. You don't want to make up early or get ready too early.
If you opt to a first look it can make everything go smoother and help con nerves but it does mean that your
wedding day will have to start earlier. If the thought of waking up early on your wedding day or being dressed
and doing photos a few hours before your ceremony starts makes you panic, then a first look may not be the best
choice for you. I think the pros make it worth getting up and being ready early but if that's not your thing, then
it's something to think about!
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