Should I Have a First Look – Three Reasons the Answer Is NO!

Every couple we talk to asks themselves that same questions. Should I have a first look? When it comes to a first look, most couples either love or hate the idea. But not all our couples come to their conclusion knowing all the facts. Having a first look will give you a lot of benefits, but most people get caught up in the fact that it isn’t traditional. While we will never try and push you into having a first look, we do want you to have all the facts before you make up your mind.

Reason One – You Don’t Want an Emotional First Look

Most people steer away from having a first look. They feel it won’t be as emotional as if they waited to see each other for the ceremony. But the fact is that you are more likely to hide your emotions in a packed full church then if you were alone with just the person you are marrying. It can also be really overwhelming having so much going on when walking down the aisle. This makes it hard to focus on one person. You have kids jumping up and down, people cheering and clapping, music playing, etc. This makes it really difficult to truly feel the moment. But with a first look, it’s just the two of you enjoying a moment together and being able to fully take each other in.

Reason Two – You Don’t Want Time Alone

It’s possible to go through your entire wedding day and not have had a single moment alone together. Yes, you read that right. So whether you do a first look or not, we at least recommend having some type of alone time on your schedule. But doing a first look makes it so you can have this moment at the perfect time. It’s so ideal because if you do this alone time after the ceremony, then you are taking away from the time you get to spend at your reception with all of your friends and family.

Reason Three – You Don’t Want to Be a Timeline Ninja

Walton Arts center wedding by Vinson Images - Northwest Arkansas Wedding photography - red curtain silhouette couple portrait

Having a first look is the single most effective way to karate chop your timeline. A first look allows you to knock out a good chunk of your pictures before the ceremony even starts. Take a look at the example timeline in our Free Wedding Guide. You’ll see we have more than an hour of portraits completed before the ceremony. Without a first look, these images will need to be done after the ceremony and before the reception. This either means more time for your guests to wait for you or less time for you to have images taken. It is possible to capture bridal party images without a first look. The problem comes into play for the couples portraits. What normally happens is the time for couples portraits end up being cut to a minimum to save on time. This leaves us less opportunity to get creative and results in fewer images for your final gallery.

Should I Have a First Look?

I hope seeing these three reasons will help you answer your question. If you’d like more useful tips on how to plan the perfect wedding, make sure to download our Free Wedding Planning Guide. If you’d like to see a wedding that had a first look, make sure to check out this Detroit Michigan Wedding with Megan and Rufino!

three reason to not have a first look on your wedding day

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