What is a first look?

In the past few years, first looks have become incredibly popular, and for good reason! Being able to have an epic cocktail hour you can actually be present at and lots of really pretty, meaningful portraits of you and your spouse on your wedding day is a treat! It’s a win-win in my books!

 

 

First, let’s establish what a first look actually is! It is a designated time (often private, besides your photographer and videographer) where the soon-to-be newlyweds meet up to see each other before the ceremony. Some couples have their bridal party and parents nearby to watch. That’s totally fine, if that’s what you want!

 

Why have a first look?

One of the best reasons to have a first look is for a private moment together before the wedding. You can talk, get a good look at each other and calm any nerves. The other is that it creates a more laid back reception experience for you and your guests! After your first look, you’ll typically start your portraits! You’ll take some sweet photos of you and your soon-to-be spouse, then bridal party photos and family photos if your family can all be there before the ceremony. After your ceremony, you can head straight to your cocktail hour to start enjoying some time with your guests. Your guests will thank you for not having to figure out what to do for the next 2+ hours as you head out for your portraits.  Not to mention, first look photos are incredibly beautiful and make for really wonderful memories!

I’ve found that one of the main reasons couples are hesitant to have a first look is that they’re worried it will take away from the moment you walk down the aisle. This is not the case! When you walk down the aisle with everyone you love there around you and the man of your dreams standing at the alter waiting for you, it’s a feeling like no other. Nothing can take away from that moment! I believe that if you choose to have a first look, you’ll end up with two very special moments. Both are very different, both are wonderful and neither will take away from the other.

Now, even though this is a post about the benefits of having a first look, I want to go over why you might still choose to have your first look be when you’re walking down the aisle! And that’s if you value tradition over all else, which is a wonderful choice! When it comes down to it, your wedding day is your wedding day and you should choose the details that matter to you.

 

What’s right for me?

If you want to have a laid back day, a first look will probably be a great choice for you! You’ll get to enjoy extra time with your spouse and guests and have a bigger variety of portraits. If you love the idea of age old traditions, an aisle look will suit your day perfectly. You’ll be able to spend lots of your day with your bridal party and take part in a tradition that’s been around longer than anyone can remember! Ultimately, it’s your day and you can do whatever makes your heart happy! The really cool thing about weddings is your choices aren’t black and white, yes or no. You can blend any combination of traditions and new ideas and make it completely your own, which is pretty amazing!

P.S. I chose to have a first look for my own wedding and I loved it so much. We met up inside the barn at the ranch because it was pouring rain outside. I remember the butterflies like it was yesterday and I’m so happy to have these photos to help me remember that! Our photos were by Kassandra Donaldson!

 

 

I hope this post helped you to understand all the amazing benefits of having a first look.

Happy planning! <3