Planning a wedding is a big-whirlwind-daunting-exciting-scheduling crazy task. We totally hear ya there. There are a million things to consider and figure out what is really you and what’s not.

 

This blog will give you a bunch of ideas, tips and points to ponder in regards to whether you should have a First Look. Is a First Look worth it? Will it ruin that ceremony moment? How does that alter my wedding schedule?  But most of all, there’s a decision to make in all of this… How do you decide what’s you? What to incorporate into your day, when to keep it and when to throw it out? 

 

Let me cut to the chase and give you the take-home, right here.

 

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So… given that, having a first-look does bring some awesome opportunities to help the celebration come alive and fill the day up with rich experiences. Here are 3 reasons a first look could just be the thing for you.

 

 

 

 

To put it simply, couples who have a first-look before the ceremony get to hang out with each other more!  So instead of spending the majority of your wedding day physically apart from each other, waiting for a late afternoon ceremony to begin, you can meet earlier and spend more of your wedding day together.

 

Having a first-look also means you get another ‘thing’ or activity you can experiences together throughout the day, instead of just packing it all into the last quarter of the day and then wondering why the day went so quickly!

 

[side-track] We actually wrote a blog post about putting as many ‘experiences’ into your wedding day as you can. It’s where people really light up and the coolest memories are made to reminisce on, in years to come.

 

So having a first-look helps to make more of your entire day.  You’ll spend more time together, more memories will be made and your wedding day won’t disappear on you in a flash by cramming all the good bits into the back-end of the day.

 

 

 

Having your first look and photoshoot before the ceremony means your photographer has WAY more time to go find those really epic and diverse locations with you than you’d otherwise have time for. Normally, your photographer is limited to locations in the direct vicinity of your venue and time after the ceremony always seems to speed up. But having photos before the ceremony gives you so many more options as to where you can go and what you can do.

 

Having your photos before the ceremony also means you’ve got more time afterwards to hang out with your guests who travelled so far to celebrate your wedding day with you, so you don’t have to leave them to run off for a 2-hour long photoshoot. You can walk back down that aisle hand-in-hand and know it’s just party time from here on out!

 

 

 

 

Now, if you want to really have your cake and eat it too, and have that first look experience without giving away too much too early, you can still meet before the ceremony, just don’t see each other. Make it a ‘no-look first-look’. The video above captures this really well, but you just need to find the corner of a house or even just stand back to back and connect for a few minutes.

 

You can exchange cards, gifts, or just hold hands to share and build the excitement as the ceremony approaches. But there’s still that visual hiddenness and mystery that holds … until you walk down the aisle.

 

We captured a couple, Dennis and Sook, who had an ingenious idea on how to balance community and connectedness before the ceremony while keeping it all a surprise until Sook walked down the aisle. We wrote about it here if you’re curious! But it all speaks to the bigger picture of what this is all about.

 

All these ideas, tips and traditions are all there to enhance your day and fill it with meaning and love.  Having a first look before the ceremony helps spread out the whole ‘wedding-day-experience’ and you get to see more of everyone as a result. But if it’s not you, or you’ll rather save that ‘first look moment’ for the aisle, then that’s just as epic too!

 

When all is said and done, your wedding day is about making the most epic and most meaningful mark in the sand as you possibly can. It’s a party thrown your way, with your styles. First look or not!

 

Thanks for reading this blog, and if you’re after a couple more tips that will fill your Wedding Ceremony with lots more love, check out this blog post here!  6 Ways To Create A Rich Atmosphere At Your Wedding Ceremony

 

PS: I should add, there will always be time for a few sunset photos.  Always!!! 

 

Till next time, Jared