How to Decide if a First Look is Right For Your Wedding Day

Are you and your partner trying to decide if a First Look is the right decision for your wedding day? Discussing these questions could help!

This might be a hot take…

Whether or not you do a first look on your wedding day should be about what you and your partner prioritize, NOT whether you think you need it for your timeline.

If you’re on the fence, discuss these questions with your partner to help you decide if a first look is right for you!

A First Look might be a great fit for you if these questions get a “Heck, YES!” from you both:

• Does being with your person give you the calmness you know you want on wedding day?
• Are you the kind of couple that shares emotions better in private?
• Do you have a strong value on spending as much time together as possible on your wedding day?
• Do you really want to be free to party and be with your people after saying “I Do”?
  
  

If I’m honest, a first look DOES help the photo portion of your day feel much smoother and less hurried. But more importantly, as I’ve seen many wedding days unfold, here are the more unexpected positive things that come from having a first look:

Wedding days FLY BY. Sometimes ceremony times don’t start until the late afternoon/early evening, and a first look means you get to spend much more of the day together! That means more shared memories, taking the day at your own pace, and getting to celebrate together for longer.

I’ve found that when my couples do a first look, they feel so much calmer after finally seeing their person! It’s an intentional and beautiful way to prepare yourself for the commitment you’re about to make to each other.

Ok, this one is truly one I would’ve never thought about if it were not for seeing so many wedding days play out. Imagine you don’t do a first look. You have a wonderful ceremony and are absolutely giddy and on cloud nine afterwards, right? But then… we have to do family photos. And as much as we love family and those photos are important, I’ve found that it feels really overstimulating to a bride and can be one of the more stressful parts of the day. But with a first look, we can get the family photos done before the ceremony, so that after the ceremony, you get to just enjoy all the “we just got married!” feels for the rest of the night!

NOT having a First Look might be right for you if you and your partner are saying “Yeppers!” to these questions:

• Do you want your day to build up to a big climactic moment?
• Is that aisle moment is the thing you’ve always dreamt of when it comes to your wedding day?
• Do you each have a fun squad of people to spend the morning with?
  
  

Then maybe a “First Touch” (Where you pray together or exchange letters or private vows without seeing each other) or just waiting for the aisle might be best for you! When my husband and I got married, this was the one area my husband had a strong opinion on and by scheduling a little bit more time between the ceremony and reception to take photos, we loved our climactic aisle moment made it work without photos becoming stressful!

Whether or not you choose a First Look should absolutely be about what the two of you prioritize the most about the way your time is spent on your wedding day—not about pressure from any vendors. Make the decision together and make sure its a choice you both feel good about! After all, this is a day you both have dreamt about for a long time.