Are you torn between doing a first look or not on your wedding day? I completely support whatever decision is right for you and your future spouse. However, there are definitely some benefits to having a first look on your wedding day. Hopefully this helps you weigh the pros and cons of having a first look on your wedding day!

A Private Moment

Trust me when I say, you will not get much alone time on your wedding day. A first look allows you to have a private moment with just the two of you before the rest of the day ensues. As your photographer, I’ll guide you through your first look to capture your reactions, and then I’ll stand far away and let it play out so you two barely notice I’m there. It gives you a chance to ENJOY each other and get out some jitters before the day. If you’re at all nervous, a big hug from your future spouse will sure help calm you down!

You Spend Your Wedding Day TOGETHER

You might be surprised, but if you don’t do a first look, you will actually spend most of your wedding day APART. The day is about celebrating you two joining your lives together so doesn’t it make sense to spend most of the day together? If you do a first look, you’ll be spending most of the day TOGETHER!

Sentimental Gift or Letter

Many couples choose to give each other a gift, or write each other a letter to read during the first look. It is so fun to get to see your partner’s reaction to the gift or letter. Of course, you don’t have to do this. But if you do, the first look is usually the perfect moment to share something sweet with each other.

Bridal Party Wants to Party (And you do too)

Do you want to attend your cocktail hour? Do you want your best pals (AKA your bridal party) to be able to attend your cocktail hour? If you answered yes to either of these then you should do a first look. If you don’t do a first look, the only time for bridal party photos and bride & groom photos is right after the ceremony. This usually coincides with cocktail hour

Natural Light

If your ceremony is later, the sun might quite literally set on you. If you’re having a sunset ceremony and want bridal party photos in that gorgeous natural light, you will DEFINITELY want to do a first look. Otherwise, there won’t be any time to take bride & groom or bridal party photos outside.

Authentic Reactions

When I asked couples what they felt about their first look, they said they were able to have more authentic reactions when it was just the two of them. They weren’t nervous about a few hundred people staring at them as they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day. Most grooms say that having a first look didn’t diminish the way they felt as they saw their partner walk down the aisle – in fact it actually calmed their nerves a lot! They felt that they could actually ENJOY the big moment of walking down the aisle because they weren’t a bundle of nerves!

More Time and Variety for Portraits

If you’re looking for super dreamy portraits in a variety of locations on your wedding day, then a first look might give you the flexibility and time that you need to go to all of those locations. Otherwise, you’d have to try and cram all of those in after the ceremony and that might not be feasible. So if you’re planning of driving around town with your bridal party to a bunch of different spots a first look will allow you to do this!

Alternative First Looks

Still not completely sold on a first look? There is absolutely nothing wrong with not having one. Here’s a few alternatives to doing a first look that you might want to consider.

• First no-look. You and your future spouse will stand on either side of a door, or a corner so you can’t see each other. But you might get to hold hands, say a prayer together, or read each other a sweet note you wrote. You can still get some of those jitters out this way but you save the surprise of seeing each other for later!

• Daddy-daughter first look. Let me just say I LOVE daddy-daughter first looks. And you can do one of these even if you’re doing a first look with your spouse. There’s something so special about being able to capture your dad’s reaction to seeing you on your wedding day.

• Bridal party first look. This is one you can also do even if you’re doing a first look. While you’re getting in your dress, your bridal party will wait in another room and you can reveal the final look to them once you’re ready!