A first look on your wedding day is a great way to capture special moments between you and your significant other that you will treasure for years to come. The tradition of a first look is rooted in the idea that the bride and groom should not see each other prior to the ceremony. This is still often done, but couples have recently begun to opt for a first look to get those special intimate moments captured in photos.
Who am I to say what you should do, if you are set in seeing each other at the alter than that is what we will do. But if you are on the fence, I am here to give you 5 reasons why you should do a "first look".
THE ANTICIPATION OF SEEING EACH OTHER THE DAY OF YOUR WEDDING IS KEPT PRIVATE.
This can be such an emotional time for you and your partner, by keeping this private is a great way to hug, kiss, cry and be in that moment together without everyone looking on. Yes, there will be a camera capturing all those tears but it's much more intimate with just the two of you allowing you to have more authentic reactions.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THE CEREMONY AND REMEMBER MORE OF IT!
The thought of standing in front of everyone can be nerve racking for many, at alone also seeing each other for the first time - double the nerves. By considering your first look prior to the ceremony allows you to relax and remember standing together in that moment at the alter. Your more at ease and less stressful by this point.
GET 90% OF YOUR PHOTOS DONE PRIOR TO THE CEREMONY
If you are able to see each other earlier in the day, there is no reason why we can't get all your bride/groom photos, wedding party group photos and your family portraits done before the ceremony. This allows you to enjoy your guests after the ceremony at your cocktail hour. This is another way to savor your day and make it last longer by giving yourself more time later on for whatever is most important to you.
BRIDAL HAIR & MAKEUP WILL STAY FRESH EARLIER IN THE DAY
Once you have been through your ceremony tears, hugging guests and a few hours of warm temps, wind, humidity or rain, bridal hair & makeup won't look the same.
PHOTO FATIGUE
It's real! There comes a point in the day you, your family or bridal party will reach their limit and clock out from photos. They are in party mode and that's when it's difficult to round everyone for photos. If you want to keep the photos to a minimum following the ceremony then consider doing a first look and getting majority of your photos out of the way.
BONUS: SOBER WEDDING PARTY
It's less likely your wedding party/family/you will be drunk already.
If you want to wait until the ceremony to see each other, I respect that and that is what we will do. If you dreamed of that moment as you turn the corner and your future spouse sees you for the first time who am I to squash that dream. But if you value your portraits and make them a priority - investing in a professional wedding photographer means you want some killer photos. A "first look" is a great way to commit some extra time together and create some additional opportunity for beautiful images.
If you need help with timelines, I am here to offer my assistance with suggestion of flow for your big day. I will need to know how big your wedding party is, larger parties require more time, how many family combination photos we will need to capture that day to ensure we have enough time built into the timeline.
Regardless of your decision this is YOUR wedding day and we will work with whatever you decide.
To learn more visit https://www.smonsonphotography.com/wisconsin-wedding-photographers