Why You Should Have a First Look
The wedding day first look in Rhode Island — My top 5 reasons to do it!
You may already know what a first look is at a wedding, but if not — a first look is a moment before the ceremony where the couple sees each other for the first time.
Traditionally, seeing each other before the ceremony was not a thing until a few years ago, as it was considered “bad luck” — bullshit!
With that being said, some couples may want a slightly more traditional wedding. There’s nothing wrong with that! But if you are debating, here’s my top 5 reasons for having a wedding first look!
Sharing a private moment
Having a first look during your wedding means you have more one on one time with your partner. That’s an awesome thing!
If you’re having a larger wedding, it is likely that you’ll be mingling with your guests during the reception. This won’t leave much time for you two.
Having a first look during your wedding allows you more time. Take all of it in, and and have a beautiful moment before you head into the day! Remember to ask everybody there to give you space. That includes parents and best friends.
2. Calming the nerves
Most couples find comfort of being around their partner. Having time to see your partner before you ceremony can help calm the nerves you may have.
It’s only natural to be nervous when you’ll have potentially hundreds of people watching you. Some couples choose to exchange private vows during this time, especially if they’re the shy type. If you want your vows to be more intimate, then this is the perfect opportunity!
3. Get the formal photos done!
Who really wants to finish their ceremony and go right into taking literally all the photos?!
You want to celebrate with your people, right??
Your family and wedding party photos can be done before the ceremony when you have a wedding first look. This will save you so much time and stress for you later on in the day. You might want to do one big group shot with the extended family immediately after the ceremony and a few wedding portraits but after that, you’re cruising into cocktail hour!
4. Get a range of wedding portraits
On top of getting all of the wedding party and family portraits done, you can also knock out most, if not all of your bride and groom portraits! If you’d like to head back out during sunset for some dreamy photos, we can still do that!
I personally like to give my clients a range of very quick portrait session in different lights. One after the first look, one after the ceremony, one around sunset, and the last one after dark. That’s really telling the story of the day and giving you options for the large living room print!
5. Spend more time with your guests
You can head into your cocktail hour and reception feeling absolutely stress free and ready to chat with your guests!
If you have all of your wedding photos done beforehand, your wedding timeline will be a whole lot less crazy after the ceremony. Your wedding day should be as stress free as possible. It’s so incredibly important that you enjoy your time with your closest friends and family.