5 Reasons Why You Need First Look Photos on Your Wedding Day

Many engaged couples are ditching the traditional concept of waiting until the ceremony to first see each other on their wedding day. It’s gaining more popularity to save that special moment for a more private, intimate setting. After 5 years of experience in photographing weddings, I recommend first look photos to all of my couples. Here are 5 reasons why you need first look photos on your wedding day:

Calm your nerves

Your wedding day is probably ranked as one of the most important days of your life. It’s totally normal to feel nervous or anxious leading up to a huge life event.  Even if you’re an extremely extroverted person, having all eyes on you at your ceremony can be intimidating. First looks give you a moment to spend some time with your fiance and calm your nerves, together, before walking down the aisle. You can have peace of mind knowing you’ll be fully present and enjoying the moment without any disturbances.  

Feel the feels together

If the first time you’re seeing each other is at your ceremony, you won’t really be able to embrace each other or have a conversation. You will have to wait until the vows are taken and the ceremony is over before you can totally freak out about how good each other looks- and how excited you are to spend the rest of your lives together. During a first look, you’ll be able to touch and candidly interact with each other, creating a truly unique and special moment for you two to enjoy. (& I promise, the second look down the aisle will be just as special).

Less pressure

Laying eyes on your fiance for the first time on your wedding day is sure to bring up a lot of emotions. You’ll want to capture and remember that moment to look back on for the rest of your lives. Taking away the pressure and distractions that can come with a crowd staring at you,  ensures that the reaction is as raw and genuine as possible- making for some seriously tear-jerking photos.

You will look & feel your best

If you want to look your absolute best in your wedding images, having a first look is the way to go. You will probably spend a lot of time (and a lot of money) perfecting your appearance before you say “I do”. Take some time to be photographed while your hair, makeup, and flowers are as fresh as possible and you’re feeling the most confident.

Enjoy cocktail hour with your guests

After you share a kiss and the ceremony is over, things can turn into quite the whirlwind. Rushing to get all of the photos in with each other, your wedding party, and your families- can get stressful when your guests are waiting for you to join them in celebration. Having the most important portraits already taken and out of the way, allows the process to go much quicker so you can go relax and enjoy a drink with all of your loved ones.

As a wedding photographer, I may be a bit biased to why having a first look is so important.  Some couples are set on keeping things traditional, and that’s great too! However, I’ve witnessed the impact firsthand that a first look can create on the emotions, timeline, and of course- the photos of my past couples’ weddings. I hope this helps you in planning your big day!