Want to Have a ‘First Look’?
During the wedding planning process, there is always one hot topic that the bride and groom will talk about: the ‘first look’. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, a first look is when a bride and groom meet together privately and see each other before the ceremony begins. This is different from the traditional ways, where the couple will only get to see each other during the ceremony.
While some may say a first look is unnecessary and untraditional, some will also claim that it is a must. Regardless of what you may believe, we sometimes suggest that you consider it as there are some compelling reasons why you may want to have a ‘first look’.
4 Reasons You Will Want to Have a ‘First Look’
- Your wedding is held during winter
Typically, if you plan to hold the wedding ceremony late into autumn, during winter, or even early spring, you may want to have a first look done. This is because the sun sets quite early, and if you are holding your ceremony later in the afternoon, there will not be any natural light left for the photo-taking session.
As such, a first look early on ensures that you and everyone else will be able to have photos taken using the light still left before it goes below the horizon.
Photos taken during sunset are of course taken at sunset, after the ceremony, but you need not take as long as you usually would due to having had a photoshoot done before your ceremony.
You may have also considered having an engagement shoot done previously also for the same reasons.
- The reception follows the wedding immediately
If the reception starts immediately or almost immediately after a wedding, you will want to have a first look session done before the ceremony. Otherwise, you may spend the majority of your time during reception, taking photos rather than enjoying your meal. This is especially true if you also plan to have pictures of friends and family, which reduces even more time for your post-wedding activities.
On top of that, if you are planning to enjoy plenty of cocktails and other drinks during the reception, you may not look at your best after a few. In other words, you may want to have a ‘first look’ as it will ensure you and your partner can have your photos taken before getting busy with the ceremony!
- The location of the wedding is far from the reception venue
Many couples hold their reception on the same or near their wedding venue. However, some may hold their reception far away from the ceremony location. If the latter is your case, then it is smart to want to have a ‘first look’ before the ceremony. This way, you do not have to rush around trying to take pictures right after the wedding to give you and the others more time to reach the venue and prepare for a wonderful night. Plus, a first look ensures you get plenty of photos to add to your album, whereas rushing for pictures taken will only significantly limit how many photos you get!
- You are afraid of the pressure of your emotions at your ceremony
Perhaps the most common reason why people want to have a ‘first look’ is that they are afraid that the nerves leading up to a traditional ‘first look’ as the bride walks up the aisle may be too much to bear causing ugly crying or other such emotional reactions you may not want to display in front of family and friends.
Having a first look allows you to get these nerves and emotions out of the way before the ceremony thereby lessening the chance of not looking your best during the ceremony.
If you believe that you will have a rushed photo-taking session due to the tight wedding schedule, then you may want to have a ‘first look’ before the chaos ensues! Sure, the ceremony will be a blast, but you may regret it later when you find out that the resulting photos were not what you expected or that you do not have enough to work with because you didn’t allocate enough time for it.
Save yourself the headache and do a first look if any of the above reasons apply to you, or you simply want to see the love of your life before everyone else!
Sven Studios is a professional wedding photography service that helps couples capture their weddings’ emotional memories to treasure forever. If you are looking for the best wedding photographers in Adelaide or around Australia, get in touch with us today to see how we will capture the best moments of your day!
