As we meet with future Brides, we ask if they have considered a First Look. Many respond that they would rather wait for the ceremony to be seen. They do not want to loose the emotions her Groom will have at the alter. After we explain the benefits of a First Look, most of our couples love the idea of and are excited to see each other before the ceremony!

A First Look may not be for everyone or maybe you’re on the fence. If so, take a moment to read some of the questions we ask you to consider when making this decision.

1. What time of the day will you be getting married? Believe it or not, late fall weddings usually end at dusk or later… meaning… less time for photos! When your ceremony is later in the day, meaning closer to sunset, a First Look will give you an opportunity to take advantage of the beautiful daylight. These images will look more natural oppose to photos done at night/dusk with added lights.
2. How important are the photos? Ahhhhhhhh… this is a scary question to ask as a photographer, but we find it very useful. If the couple is only having a photographer because that’s what you do, they may not be as interested in having a large variety of images. Now, when a couple ranks their photographer as a priority, then usually they want as many and as much variety as possible. This type of couple will definitely want to consider a First Look. The First Look will give them an opportunity to have the most time in front of the camera, resulting in more images and more variety.
3. Are you a public person? You may be thinking this is a weird question but let us clarify it just a bit more. How comfortable are you to show PDA in front of 100s of people? Do you like to be the center of attention? Does the thought of standing in front of a room of people scare the crap out of you? If you are this type of person, then a First Look will be exactly what you need to help make your day more relaxed and enjoyable. By having a First Look, you will have an opportunity to see your soon to be spouse and express your emotions in a private and intimate way. By the time the ceremony starts, your nerves are at ease and you are ready to get married in front of all those people!
4. Do you want to get to the party sooner? Maybe you’re OK with crying in front of the world… maybe you love all eyes focused on you… but you want to get the party started! The First Look will allow the photographer to capture majority of the formal photos before the ceremony. What does that mean in terms of the reception? You arrive sooner! You can eat dinner sooner, start dancing and just celebrating with family and friends sooner. By having a First Look, you will save yourself about an hour of picture time after the ceremony.

We hope these simple questions to ask yourself give a little more insight if a First Look is right for you on your wedding day. As photographers, we love a First Look mainly for the raw emotions. In our experience, the Groom does not hold back but is able to fully express himself.

As a recent Bride and Groom ourselves, we were thankful that we choose to do a First Look. This was OUR time together. We had a few moments to ourselves and seeing each other’s reaction up close was well worth it!

We never want to pressure anyone into a decision they are not comfortable with, however, we just ask that you consider all the perks!

Happy Planning,

Nicole and Ryan