A first look is a time where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony. There are many reasons to do this and also to choose not to do this. No matter what you choose, do what feels right for the two of you and not what is currently the popular thing to do.

If you do choose to do a first look, I will set a time about 1.5 hours before the ceremony where you get to see each other in privacy for the first time that day, all dressed and ready to go! It is often a very sweet and special moment that is very emotional for the couple. I help with picking the location for this for pretty pictures, but also to prioritize privacy. Once I capture the moment for about 1 minute, I will leave and let you spend some alone time together! This time is super important and one of the main reasons I like encouraging couples to have a first look. You can breathe and take some time to soak in the day together, actually alone, and feel that much more excited to get married! Many couples feel a sigh of relief after this moment and it makes the ceremony much less nerve racking.

As far as photography goes, if you do a first look, we will plan a little extra time before the ceremony for additional couples portraits (5-10 minutes), and also be able to get the full wedding party photos complete before the ceremony. This allows the wedding party to be free of photos after the ceremony, and leaves more time for either couples portraits, or time for the couple to join cocktail hour with their guests before the grand entrance.

If you choose not to do a first look and save that moment of seeing each other for the first time at the aisle, there is another option for you to have some time together and a nice photo op before the ceremony – it’s called a First Touch! For a first touch, you will be holding hands back to back or around a tree or corner where you cannot see each other, but you can simply hold hands and spend a short moment together to talk, pray, or get out some nerves before the actual ceremony, while still preserving the first look moment for the walk down the aisle. Many couples these days are choosing this option as it really is the best of both worlds!

The main difference in this option is that you wouldn’t have an additional shorter couples portrait time and full wedding party photos would have to happen after the ceremony, which is no big deal at all and sometimes its nice to break up the photos this way!

The only time I really enourage a couple to do a first look is if it is a winter wedding and we are limited on daylight for photos after the ceremony. Otherwise, it really is up to you two and what you feel is right in your heart!