Weddings are jam-packed with everything from fun and excitement to emotional sentiment. A wedding photographer’s job is to capture those special moments in a way that tells the story of the bride and groom’s wedding day so they can relive it through photographs. For most of the day the photographer gets candid shots while catching the action as it happens. But after the ceremony the wedding photographer traditionally takes family formals. It’s during this time the bride and groom enter a dilemma. They can either:
- Keep their friends and family waiting while they indulge in the photo shoot until their satisfaction is met
- Cut the photo shoot early and get reception started
Luckily there’s a third option – a “first look!”
The First Look
A first look is when the bride and groom agree to part from traditional and instead opt to see each other before the wedding ceremony so that they can take photos together. The groom typically faces one way as the bride approaches behind him and then taps him on his shoulder. The groom then turns around to see his bride for the first time! It can be done the other way around too, with the groom walking up to the bride.
How A First Look Can Improve Your Wedding Photos And Wedding Day
A first look gives the bride and groom an opportunity to have their wedding cake and eat it too (pun intended). They get to spend all of the time they want taking pictures (before the ceremony) without having to make their friends and family wait on them with an extended cocktail hour. A first look is usually much more relaxed because everyone isn’t rushing to get a bunch of pictures taken before cocktail hour is over. This makes the day go much more smooth.
Plus the photographer should be able to get better quality photos because he’ll be able to spend more time setting up shots and making creative photos. Not only will you get better photos, you’ll also get more of them. And instead of your wedding day being only 5 hours long, which many wedding couples say goes by so fast it’s a blur, you’ll extend your wedding day to 6 or 7 hours.
Of course, you’ll have to give up the tradition of seeing each other for the first time as the bride is walking down the aisle. But if you’re an untraditional couple, or if your wedding photos are important to you, a first look could solve your wedding dilemma.