First looks.

We LOVE them.

And if you’ve spent any amount of time looking through our weddings, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of our couples choose to see each other before the ceremony.

But here’s the thing: we don’t think every couple has to do a first look.

There is something incredibly special about seeing each other for the first time as you walk down the aisle. If that’s something you’ve dreamed about forever, we aren’t here to talk you out of it.

BUT.

After photographing hundreds of weddings, we’ve also seen firsthand how much a first look can completely change the flow of a wedding day—in the best possible way.

So if you’re on the fence, here are 10 reasons we think a first look is absolutely worth considering.

. You Actually Get a Private Moment Together

Wedding days are amazing.

They’re also BUSY.

From the second you wake up, there are people everywhere. Hair and makeup. Bridesmaids. Groomsmen. Family. Vendors. Guests. Coordinators. Photographers. Videographers.

And once the ceremony starts, the day moves FAST.

A first look may be one of the only times during your wedding day when you get to simply stand together, hug each other, talk, laugh, cry and take in the fact that…

WE’RE GETTING MARRIED TODAY.

Yes, we’re photographing it.

But we’re also usually standing back with longer lenses and giving you space to actually have that moment.

2. It Can Calm So Many Nerves

This is probably one of the biggest things we’ve witnessed over the years.

Someone is nervous all morning.

They’re pacing.

They’re emotional.

They’re overwhelmed.

And then they see their person.

And you can almost physically see their shoulders drop.

It’s like, Okay. You’re here. I’m here. We’re doing this together.

For couples who know they’re going to be anxious or emotional on their wedding day, seeing each other beforehand can be incredibly grounding.

3. You Get TWO Reactions

One of the biggest concerns we hear is:

“But what if doing a first look ruins the moment when I walk down the aisle?”

Here’s what we’ve found after photographing A LOT of weddings:

It usually doesn’t.

Those are two completely different moments.

A first look is private and intimate.

Walking down the aisle is the moment when the music starts, everyone stands, the doors open, your family and friends are there, and suddenly it hits you:

This is actually happening.

We’ve photographed plenty of grooms who cried during the first look…

…and then cried AGAIN when their bride walked down the aisle.

❤️

4. You Can Get SO Many Photos Done Before the Ceremony

This is where the photographer in me gets very excited. 😂

A first look opens up your timeline tremendously.

Once you’ve seen each other, we can potentially photograph:

• Bride + groom portraits
• Wedding party portraits
• Bridesmaids and groomsmen together
• Immediate family portraits
• Extended family portraits, depending on your timeline

All BEFORE you walk down the aisle.

That means when your ceremony ends, you aren’t automatically looking at an hour or more of photographs before you can go enjoy your wedding.

5. You Can Actually Attend Cocktail Hour

This one surprises couples.

You spend months choosing appetizers, signature drinks, music, décor and all the little details that make cocktail hour fun…

…and traditionally, that’s exactly when you’re off taking pictures.

With a first look and a well-built photography timeline, we can often knock out the majority of your portraits before the ceremony.

That can mean after the ceremony we only need a handful of remaining family photos and a few “JUST MARRIED!” portraits.

And then?

Go get your signature drink.

Go hug your people.

Go eat the food you paid for. 😂

Enjoy your wedding.

6. You Get More Time Together on Your Wedding Day

This is one people don’t always think about.

If your ceremony is at 5:00 PM and you don’t see each other beforehand, you may spend most of your wedding day apart.

You’ve spent months—or sometimes YEARS—planning this day together.

Why not spend more of it together?

With a first look, instead of your wedding day really beginning together at the ceremony, you might get an extra two or three hours with your favorite person.

And we love that.

7. Your Timeline Has More Breathing Room

We are BIG believers that a great wedding timeline shouldn’t feel like:

PHOTO. PHOTO. PHOTO. GO. GO. GO. CEREMONY. PHOTO. RUN. RECEPTION.

No thank you. 😂

We want you to actually experience your wedding.

A first look gives us flexibility.

If hair and makeup runs 15 minutes behind, we have room to adjust.

If someone can’t find Dad for family pictures, we have options.

If we suddenly find gorgeous light and want to steal you for five minutes, we have space.

A wedding timeline with breathing room almost always creates a better experience than one where every minute is packed.

8. We Can Take Advantage of the BEST Light

Photography is literally painting with light.

And sometimes the best light of the day doesn’t conveniently happen during the 30 minutes you’ve allotted for portraits after your ceremony.

A first look gives us another opportunity to create beautiful portraits earlier in the day.

Then later, if the sunset is incredible, we can sneak outside for another 10–15 minutes.

Instead of trying to create your entire portrait gallery during one tiny window, we get multiple opportunities throughout the day.

9. Family Portraits Can Feel WAY Less Chaotic

Family photos are important.

They’re also one of the easiest places for a wedding timeline to get derailed.

Uncle Bob disappeared.

Grandma needs to sit down.

Someone went to cocktail hour.

The flower girl is DONE.

Dad is talking to someone he hasn’t seen in 15 years.

😂

When we can photograph some—or all—of your immediate family portraits before the ceremony, everyone is already gathered and ready.

And that means fewer people we’re trying to track down afterward.

10. You Get to Slow Down and Actually EXPERIENCE Your Wedding

This is really what it comes down to for us.

We’re not recommending a first look because we want to manufacture more photographs.

We’re recommending it because we’ve watched hundreds of wedding days unfold.

We’ve seen timelines that felt rushed.

We’ve seen timelines that felt peaceful.

We’ve watched couples spend their entire cocktail hour taking pictures.

And we’ve watched couples finish their ceremony, hug their families, grab a drink and head straight into celebrating because almost everything was already done.

The photographs matter tremendously.

Obviously—we’re photographers. 😂

But the experience you’re having while those photographs are being created matters too.

And for many couples, a first look gives the wedding day room to breathe.

But What If We DON’T Want a First Look?

Then don’t do one.

Seriously.

If you’ve dreamed about seeing each other for the first time when those ceremony doors open, we can absolutely build your photography timeline around that.

There are beautiful ways to create meaningful moments beforehand without actually seeing each other.

You can do a first touch.

Read letters back-to-back.

Pray together around a corner.

Exchange gifts.

Hold hands without seeing one another.

Our job isn’t to tell you what your wedding day has to look like.

Our job is to help you understand the options, explain how those decisions affect your photography and timeline, and then build a plan that lets you actually enjoy your wedding day.

So… Should You Do a First Look?

If you’re asking us?

We love them.

Especially for larger weddings, weddings with multiple locations, couples who want lots of portraits, or couples who really want to enjoy cocktail hour with their guests.

But talk about it together.

Think about what matters most to you.

And build your wedding day around your priorities—not simply what weddings are “supposed” to look like.

After all, you’re only doing this once.

Let’s make sure you actually get to experience it. ❤️

Still Deciding About a First Look?

We created a FREE guide with 10 Reasons to Do a First Look that you can save, send to your fiancé, or come back to while you’re building your wedding-day timeline.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE FIRST LOOK GUIDE

And if you’re already one of our Living Radiant couples—don’t stress about figuring all of this out alone! Timeline planning is part of the process. We’ll help you determine when your first look should happen, how much portrait time you actually need, when family should arrive, and how to structure photography around the experience you want to have.

Because a beautiful wedding gallery starts with a wedding day that actually gives us the time to create it.

— Maggie + Patrick
Living Radiant Photography