What’s a first look is one of the most common questions that I get as a wedding photographer so here is what it is in a nutshell!
A first look is when the bride and groom see each other for the first time before the ceremony. This is normally done in a quiet area with no one else around. One person will stand and wait at a pre determined location and the other will walk up to them and when they turn around, boom! All the feels.
Now that you know what a first look is you might already know how you feel about them, but if you need some help deciding, here are some pros and cons!
Pros
It allows more time for couples portraits. If these are a top priority for you, having a first look will not only give you more photos, but they’ll be more intimate and filled with emotion.
It's private. Instead of having a big reveal in front of all your guests, you can have some rare time alone with your spouse-to-be. It’s the only time you’ll be alone with your new spouse all day! Often it will calm your nerves and get you so excited for whats to come. And don’t worry, you might still cry while walking down the aisle afterwards!
You can attend cocktail hour. If you plan to have all your couples portraits, and bridal party portraits done before the ceremony, then after the ceremony there are just family portraits left, then its onto the cocktail hour for you!
Cons
You will probably miss cocktail hour. Although this is traditional, it’s important to some couples to socialize with their guests at cocktail hour instead of during dinner.
Later portraits mean better light. Portraits earlier in the day will always be beautiful, but the closer they take place to golden hour (1hr before sunset) on a sunny evening, the better. Even if you have a first look, I may pull you aside for 15mins for some romantic evening portraits!
It may require more coverage time. Adding a first look typically puts an extra 15 minutes into the day's schedule of events.
I recommend doing a first look because it’s a nice moment alone with just the two of you as you will be surrounded by people for the rest of the day. This moment is raw and real so it can often lead to more emotional and natural looking photos to add to your photos. With that said, if you want to follow tradition, it’s no big deal to pass on it too!
So there it is. The ins and outs of a first look. Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!