Wedding First Look | First Look vs Traditional | Colorado Wedding Photographer
The benefits of a First look
Before I make my case on why a first look can be beneficial for your wedding day, having a first look or staying traditional will equally make beautiful memories for you to look back on. Either way, it gives me more information on what my couples want, and is one of the strongest, emotional moments to capture on the wedding day.
In my experience, that first time seeing each other always overpowers anything else that is going on around you. For a photographer that loves to capture moments, it doesn’t get more real then freezing that emotion in time.
Moment Alone Together
One thing that I love about the first look is for the bride and groom to get an intimate moment alone. On a wedding day, the bride and groom are the stars of the show, the lead actors of this once in a life time play. Everyone at the wedding is focused on them. The loved ones and guest want to express their joy and gratitude towards them with a celebratory congratulations.
All this is exactly what a wedding day is all about. A memorable celebration on this epic day with family and friends. That’s why this small window of a moment can be an important piece to your perfect day.
As a wedding photographer, I like to catch this intimate moment and give my couples 10-15 minutes of alone time afterwards. The contentment of that special moment, and that small break to “take it all in” with a deep breath together is simply priceless.
More Flexibility
Another plus is more flexibility before your ceremony. Your days activity can be a bit more limited when you don’t have a first look. What I mean by that is, you’ll most likely need to plan your timeline around not crossing each others paths and be confined to a specific location.
Examples: Needing a designated look-out person to lead and give you the “go-ahead” to sneak down the hall to the bathroom of the venue, or not being able to get bridal photos out by the garden, because you fear the groom will see you in your dress through the many surrounding windows.
These are just a few small examples that I have seen. Not at all a big concern or issue, but avoidable if you’ve had a first look. Other pluses are being able to spend the earlier part of your day with your soon-to-be husband or wife. Not only do you both get to be with each other more, but the groups you are individually with can spend more time together also.
Formals, Wedding Party, and Bride & Groom Photos
Now that you have had that intimate moment together, the rest of the time before your ceremony can spread out your planned day and be valuable windows for your timeline. Most traditional wedding will have all the family formals, wedding party, and newly wed couple session right after the ceremony. This is usually within the cocktail hour.
Following that great moment of “I do” it can be one of the most rushed part of the day. It’s nice to have the option of doing some of these must-have photos before the ceremony to make it a more smooth and enjoyable day. And if the timeline fits, you can come away with multiple bride and groom photo sessions, and let your photographer really dive into that creative mind that you hired him/her for.
Again, I want to reiterate that no matter what your vision for your wedding day is, it’s YOUR vision. Whether you have a first look or go with traditional, it’s your beliefs and your wants. There is no wrong way to experience joy and celebration.
If you have any questions on your specific day and timeline, I am an open book. Please feel free to message me anytime. And if you want to no more about my booking process or availability, I look forward to hearing from you.
