Why The First Look Is The Best Addition To Your Wedding Day

On a wedding day, you and your vendors work a delicate balance between the logistics of the actual event, to the emotional flow of one of the biggest days of your life. As a photographer, I’m with you and your spouse every step of the way through the day, so I’m there for all the choked-back tears and hurriedly mis-buttoned suit jackets (guys, don’t fasten that bottom button). When the timeline is fast-approaching the point in the day where excited and hungry guests start arriving, this is often where the most jam-packed two hours of the wedding occur. Utilizing a first look before the ceremony can totally change how you and your family feel after you say “I Do.” Let’s break that down:

The Power Hour (And A Half)

I mentioned that, often after the ceremony, the couple and relevant family members can feel rushed and ultimately stressed by the timeline. People often try and cram everything and the kitchen sink into the time between the ceremony and reception. I call this the “Power Hour [And A Half]”. Here, you must balance the need to get a bunch of photos done in a short amount of time, and the gurgling tummies of your hangry wedding guests. An example of this would be:

3:00 - Ceremony

3:30 - Ceremony End

3:45 - Receiving Line Finishes

3:50 - Family Photos

4:20 - Wedding Party Photos

4:40 - Couple Creative Portraits

5:00 - Line Up For Reception Entrance

You can see how this timeline presents some major issues. The first is that we must face reality… The reality that your family photo time will likely go over what the timeline prescribes. Maybe it’s your distracted uncle Steve, whose attention is being pulled in two directions by both the open bar and his frustrated wife calling his name. Maybe it’s your little cousin who, though she nailed her role as the flower girl, can’t seem to stop crying over the fact that, no, she’s not allowed to yank down the cloth draped over the ceremony arbor. Whatever roadblock your wedding day will throw in your direction, it will likely happen during family photos due to the many moving parts. This pushes the ever-important wedding party and couple creative photo sections deeper into the reception time, where famished guests and anxious vendors await you.

There Is An Easy Fix

If you’re willing to relocate the experience of your first look from the ceremony aisle to an earlier time of the day, then virtually all of your scheduling woes for the rest of the day wash away, at least from a photography perspective. Placing a set time for doing a first look allows us to complete your creative portraits, wedding party shots, and even some family photos, all before the ceremony.

Then, once the ceremony is finished, all we have to worry about is grabbing the remaining family photos - usually extended family and large groups. If we have the time, we can grab a few post-marriage photos of you and your now-spouse in the time before the reception. The rest of the day flows really smoothly, and the only real adjustments you may have to make to accommodate the first look is to start your getting-ready processes an hour or so earlier in the day. A small price to pay for this huge scheduling weight off your back! So many of my couples have told me that they loved the small, quiet moments that happened during their first look. Many use it as an opportunity to read personal notes to each other, or to exchange gifts. As a plus, it makes for some really beautiful, powerful photos!

We, as wedding vendors, really want you to have a beautiful, stress-free day that you remember fondly. If you’re having trouble fitting everything into your current itinerary, consider adding a first look!