Pros and Cons of a First Look on Your Wedding Day

We know the pros and cons of a First Look far too well on a wedding day — we chose one for our own wedding over a decade ago and took all our portraits before the ceremony. It was one of the best decisions we made. A First Look is a private moment where couples see each other before the ceremony — just the two of you, with your photo and video team buzzing quietly in the background. It’s a popular alternative to the traditional aisle reveal, but it’s not for everyone. To help you decide, we’ve put together a quick list of pros and cons.

Pros of Having a First Look:

• It’s a private moment for the two of you to connect before the ceremony.
• A first look can calm your nerves if you feel like you may get overwhelmed quickly, and helps you both feel grounded.
• It can feel infinitely more intimate than being on display in front of guests, especially if you feel uncomfortable being in the spotlight.
• Some couples choose to do their wedding party and couple portraits after their first look, which means they have more time to mingle with guests post ceremony – all while avoiding cramming all photos into cocktail hour.
• Gives you flexibility with natural light which can be great for winter weddings when the venue cannot start your ceremony until later in the afternoon.
• The first look does not take away from the power of the ceremony and sometimes allow the couple to feel more present during their vows with guests.

Cons of Having a First Look:

• Some couples dream of the aisle reveal being their big moment of seeing one another and want to keep with tradition.
• Hair and makeup needs to be started earlier to allow enough time for a first look to take place.
• First looks usually take place earlier in the day which could be when natural light is at its harshest so planning a good spot with soft light takes time.
• You need to have adequate time factored into the runsheet to hide away from guests arriving for the ceremony.
• Having your first look and all your wedding portraits can often mean adding on a little more time onto your timeline.

Our Thoughts on a First Look:

Having a first look is a beautiful way to calm your nerves before the ceremony and at times it’s your go-to choice when a venue is limited on the start time of your ceremony in relation to sunset.  Choosing to have all your portraits before the ceremony can give you more time to mingle with your guests post ceremony but will need a little more time added into your timelines to give couples a little buffer between the motions and not bump into guests arriving early.  We still recommend taking 15mins out during the reception for Summer weddings to take advantage of that dreamy light.