BENEFITS OF A FIRST LOOK

BENEFITS OF A FIRST LOOK

I am going to start by saying that I am heavily in favor of couples doing a first look. I think they're magical, beautiful, and emotional in all the good ways. All of the beautiful photography aside, they are efficient as heck for your wedding day timeline. Here are my favorite reasons why I will always encourage a couple to do a first look on their wedding day:

During a first look, you two can actually talk to one another and express your feelings

Imagine, you're walking down the aisle to the person you're about to marry. You didn't do a first look, so this is your first time seeing them on your wedding day. You're so incredibly happy and excited, and you meet at the front of the alter or ceremony space in front of 100 other guests. All eyes are on you. And then the ceremony starts. You can't tell your betrothed how beautiful she looks in her stunning beaded gown, or how handsome he looks in his tailored charcoal tux. You can't hug or talk about how you're feeling or how your morning has been, or do anything beyond a smile. After your ceremony, any readings or religious traditions, your first kiss, and recession down then the aisle, then you're allowed to talk to your new spouse. But not for long, because then we're straight into formal portraits with wedding party and family, making sure to stay on our strict ceremony/ reception transition timeline.

Had you done a first look, you get to talk, hug, cry, happy dance, or express yourself to your betrothed. You're allowed to be authentic and real, and all of those beautiful moments are artfully photographed. These are the images that truly represent you.

It's a private moment between two best friends, not a public moment with all of your guests

This one is pretty self explanatory. A first look with your best friend without 200 pairs of eyes on you really take the pressure off you & give the two of you some time to relax and breathe before the scheduled festivities of the day begin. 

Adds efficiency to your wedding day timeline

When you choose to do a first look and portraits as a couple before your ceremony, we can also knock out all of the formal family & wedding party portraits that would typically happen after the ceremony. The reason we are able to do them pre-ceremony, is because you've already seen your fiancé and are now able to pose for formal family photos together. This also means that you & your new spouse and your families can join in on the festivities without formal portrait time cutting into your cocktail hour or time spent with your guests at the reception. When your wedding planner + wedding photographer are crafting your wedding day timeline to include a first look, you would simply inform immediate family (parents, siblings, and grandparents) to arrive about an hour and a half before the ceremony start time in order to get those photos out of the way. 

Control over the aesthetics of your first look photos

If you choose to do a first look, we can choose a location on the grounds of your venue (or even somewhere nearby the venue, if you want some variety in your wedding photo gallery) if there's great lighting & a beautiful backdrop. We have 100% control over this with no rules or restrictions, which is a nice option since some ceremony venues have restrictions for photographers during wedding ceremonies. You first look at your new husband or wife would be beautiful and authentic, and in a location of your choosing!

If you're still not convinced that you should do a first look at your wedding, then you're wrong ;) on a more serious note, I'd love to answer any questions you might have about planning your own first look for your wedding!

Photographer: Christine Gosch | Varying Houston, Texas wedding venues | Film: The FIND Lab