Wedding day info: A quick guide
What is a first look and why should you do one?
The "first look" is a private moment between the Bride and the Groom to see each other for the first time before the ceremony starts. I strongly urge every couple I photograph to do a first look for a few reasons;
1.) A first look allows you as a couple to share the moment of seeing each other for the first time with just them, instead of everyone else who was invited to the wedding. This is a great experience, because it is a private, and intimate moment the two can share together, and will calm your nerves before the ceremony.
2.) More time for photos! Doing a first look will allow you to take photos before the ceremony, and your guests don't have to wait for you at the reception. This is a big deal because after your ceremony, it can get crazy. You're going to have family trying to talk your ear off before you get to your reception, and your going to have to make sure your wedding party is rounded up for photos, and before you know it, you've spent 30 minutes alone before taking any photos! Getting great photos is a very hard thing to do when we are rushing because of time!
As I said before, I always heavily push every couple I photograph to do a first look. Some couples are worried about breaking a wedding tradition, or their parents pressure them into not doing a first look because of tradition as well. Although tradition is great, some tradition's need to be broken so you can have a stress free wedding, because in the end, you wont be thinking about tradition, you'll be thinking about the memories you made!
1.) A first look allows you as a couple to share the moment of seeing each other for the first time with just them, instead of everyone else who was invited to the wedding. This is a great experience, because it is a private, and intimate moment the two can share together, and will calm your nerves before the ceremony.
2.) More time for photos! Doing a first look will allow you to take photos before the ceremony, and your guests don't have to wait for you at the reception. This is a big deal because after your ceremony, it can get crazy. You're going to have family trying to talk your ear off before you get to your reception, and your going to have to make sure your wedding party is rounded up for photos, and before you know it, you've spent 30 minutes alone before taking any photos! Getting great photos is a very hard thing to do when we are rushing because of time!
As I said before, I always heavily push every couple I photograph to do a first look. Some couples are worried about breaking a wedding tradition, or their parents pressure them into not doing a first look because of tradition as well. Although tradition is great, some tradition's need to be broken so you can have a stress free wedding, because in the end, you wont be thinking about tradition, you'll be thinking about the memories you made!
When do we start taking photos?
I always strongly recommend taking photos 2 hours before the ceremony starts, starting with the first look. This means the entire wedding party (minus family) is dressed and ready to go 2 hours before the ceremony starts. This gives us enough time to take photos of the first look, your wedding party, and photos of the Bride and Groom and anything extra we need, and also allowing the Bride, Groom, and wedding party to freshen up after we take photos before the ceremony starts.
What If I am not doing a first look?
If you've 100% decided that you don't want a first look, we will plan around it. I will photograph the Bride with her Bridal party and the Groom with his Groomsmen separately before the ceremony. Then, after the ceremony we will do the photos of the whole wedding party, just the bride and groom, and the family. This is not ideal, because you will be limited on time between the ceremony and reception.
When should we take Family Photos?
I always do family photos after the ceremony instead of before. I have very rarely seen all family members arrive on time when they are supposed to. By doing the photos after the ceremony, you can let your family know before hand to stay in the area after the ceremony to take photos. On average, your family photos shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes.
Im worried about taking photos outside..Will my dress get dirty?
I am by no means going to drag you through mud to try and get a perfect photo but I always like to let brides know that your dress, is just a dress, and your photos are what you'll be looking back on for the rest of your life. Often times, people get caught up in small details trying to make sure everything is perfect, they forget to have a good time and forget the importance of what their wedding day is about. Yes, you may get a little dirt, or some grass on the bottom of your dress outside when taking photos. But no one is going to notice, or even care for that matter. Remember that your wedding day is about you and the person you are marrying, and to have fun. I recommend every bride to be who is worrying about a dirty dress to go and read this article: https://lindseyroman.com/blog/brides-why-its-ok-to-get-dress-dirty