First Look, Should You do it?
Short answer, YES!
Almost all of my clients do first looks, and besides getting the best photos, they are also much more relaxed on their wedding days than if they hadn’t done them. I spent years photographing weddings where couples went the traditional route of seeing each other for the first time on the aisle, and it made me realize I needed to start explaining why first looks make a lot more sense. Here are the 5 things I noticed about couples who waited to see each other at the ceremony:
They were a lot more nervous and anxious before the ceremony, which made them a bit irritable sometimes and distracted from being able to enjoy those moments.
Those who are not comfortable with displaying emotion in front of all those people often felt embarrassed and held back because it was so uncomfortable.
These days, guests can be extremely rude at weddings and often jump in the aisle to get a phone picture (PLEASE please please have your officiant announce that guest pictures are not allowed during the ceremony!) which has completely blocked the couple’s ability to see each other and my ability to get photos. That emotional photo you were hoping to get of the groom seeing the bride for the first time? Not gonna happen when Uncle Harry pulls out his iPad and steps in the middle of the aisle!
The emotion many couples are expecting for that walk down the aisle isn’t nearly as epic as they thought it would be.
The ceremony can feel awkward because of the distraction of being in front of all those people and wanting to interact with each other but needing to be formal.
The case for a first look
If you take a gander through my wedding blog posts, you’ll see lots of examples of first look photos. That epic emotion you want is so beautifully captured in a first look because we give you time and space to have a private time together instead of the pressure of all those people staring at you expectantly. It gives you time to talk to each other and just be quietly together before everything gets crazy. It also gives us the ability to set you up in spots where we know we can get stunning photos. We get THE BEST photos during this time, totally authentic and beautiful. Our couples who do first looks are so much more relaxed going into the ceremony and I’ve found that they are actually able to be much more open and engaged during the ceremony when they do a first look. Almost always there is still emotion during the walk down the aisle, but it’s much more comfortable without the nerves. Many of the photos you see on my website are from the first look photo time.
Take a look through my posts to see more first look photo series. I strongly urge you to do it on your wedding day. You won’t regret it!
