3 Reasons You Should Do a First Look On Your Wedding Day

ADVICE

May 1

Are you struggling to decide if a first look is right for you? I get it; breaking with tradition is always a challenging decision. After photographing 100s of weddings, I will give you my most compelling 3 reasons to opt for a first look, so you can have clarity and confidence in your decision as to whether or not to ditch tradition.

CRYING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE IS TOUGH.

Don't pressure your partner to cry on your wedding day; here's why: I'll level with you; we all secretly want our partners to shed tears of pure happiness, joy, and love when they first see us on our wedding day. The fact is that most people will not cry in front of a room full of people, and that's totally NORMAL. I don't know about you, but I usually eagerly abscond to the bathroom if I want to cry in public. So let's relieve the societal expectation to cry during the ceremony and do a private first look instead. Ultimately, you might have a higher chance of waterworks which is the ultimate goal. Right?

GET TO THE PARTY QUICKER

Post-wedding ceremony photos kill the vibe. How many weddings have you attended where post-ceremony photos drag down the party? You're standing around for family photos, bridal party photos, and couple photos, and suddenly, you realize an hour and a half has passed, and you missed trying the hors d'oeuvres. Cut down the post-ceremony photo time to thirty minutes by doing a first look and knocking out all the obligatory photos before the ceremony. Then, you will thank yourself, enjoy your own party and not be hangry. Nothing kills the momentum of a good party more than an awkward post-ceremony photography session. Let me put this into perspective for you, why do we do all of this anyway? Oh yeah, for the slight chance that your partner will cry in front of a room full of people when they first see you walking down the aisle. Is tradition really worth it? Do yourself, your partner, guests, bridal party, and family a favor and do a first look, so ya'll genuinely enjoy each other's company after the ceremony.

MORE PHOTO OPTIONS

Here is how to build in 2 couple portraiture sessions on your wedding day because we all love options: do a first look. Selfishly, I will always advocate for more couple portraits on a wedding day because that's when I get to make art with my client's love. If you opt for a first look, you get pre-ceremony daytime photos and post-ceremony golden hour/sunset photos, which have a different vibe because of the changing light. Let me tell you, as an unmarried female wedding photographer, when my time comes, I want photos of me and my life partner in every kind of light. That's as big of an endorsement for a first look that I can give. A first look frees up time to be put to great use for a couple of photos in diverse lighting situations.

There you have it, folks! Crying in front of people is tough; getting to the party quicker and having more photo options are my top 3 reasons why you should do a first look on your wedding day. Ultimately, breaking from tradition is a personal choice, but I hope this article brought you closer to a clear decision.