Wedding Photography: To first look or not to first look?

That is the question. You’ll be planning a million small details about your wedding day: from flowers and seating charts to the perfect dress and first dance song. I admit I’m partial, but I think that planning how your wedding day will unfold in photos is one of the top priorities of your big day.The biggest detail you’ll want to be sure to plan is whether or not you will have a first look.

What’s a First Look?

Traditionally the bride and groom’s wedding portraits are taken between the wedding ceremony and the reception. You might host a cocktail hour before your grand entrance into your reception venue, and spend that time taking photographs with each other and the wedding party. The upside to this choice is that you preserve tradition – they say it’s bad luck to see your spouse before the wedding ceremony. But modern couples know that with the fast pace of the wedding day, a quick peek before the ceremony won’t hurt, and can actually help calm wedding day jitters.

First Look vs. Traditional Photography Timeline

Pros, Cons and Everything in Between for First Looks

There are several upsides to first looks – they happen early in the day when hair and makeup are fresh. There’s tons of natural light on sunny days. But I think the biggest upside to choosing a first look as a part of your wedding day photography is that you get to spend time with your spouse before the celebration is in full swing. By carving out time for the first look and the bride and groom portraits before the wedding ceremony and reception, you’re also ensuring that your portraits together don’t get shortchanged. Whenever a wedding is running late (and of course yours would never run late), the photography time is the first thing to be cut down. Consider choosing a first look as an insurance policy on your investment in wedding photography.

Why Atenea and Mo Chose a First Look

At our initial consultation, Atenea and Mo were adamant that they were only interested in candid photographs of their big day. As our conversation progressed, I understood why they were opposed to portraits – they didn’t want to miss a moment with their family and friends once their wedding got started. A first look solved that problem and they ended up with gorgeous portraits of themselves and their family to show for it.

So what do you think? Will you have a first look for your wedding day? Let me know in the comments!