Should We Do A First Look?

Dec 9

Written By Madeline Brose

CLOYNEANDNICK-oregonwedding-bridalveillakes-firstlook-madelinerosephotographyco-14_websize.jpg

CLOYNEANDNICK-oregonwedding-bridalveillakes-firstlook-madelinerosephotographyco-15_websize.jpg

CLOYNEANDNICK-oregonwedding-bridalveillakes-firstlook-madelinerosephotographyco-16_websize.jpg

CLOYNEANDNICK-oregonwedding-bridalveillakes-firstlook-madelinerosephotographyco-17_websize.jpg

Should we do a first look? In short, YES!

Doing a first look lets you spend HOURS more with your person on your wedding day, go to cocktail hour, and shake out your initial wedding day nerves in privacy instead of in front of all of your family and guests.

First looks have easily become one of the most beneficial “modern” additions to a wedding day. The work you see in my portfolio takes time, and a good amount of it. First looks impact that greatly. If you’re on the fence, consider these points before sticking to the traditional aisle moment:

1) You get to spend about 4-5 hours MORE with your spouse on your wedding day! The timeline below shows how much more time that pre-ceremony window adds to your day together.

2) First looks are almost always more emotional and personal than seeing each other down the aisle. If you’re nervous at all about being in front of a crowd, are an introvert, or just want a little private time on your wedding day, this is a huge benefit.

3) You enjoy time with your friends during cocktail hour because we aren’t scrambling for photos. Bring on the apps and drinks and go mingle! Your wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye. I want to create amazing photos for you, but I also want you to hang out with your guests and family and celebrate— that’s the whole point after alL!

4) We aren’t rushed to do your couples portraits, family portraits, AND wedding party shots during cocktail hour (not rushed = better photos). I’ve listed an example timeline below. Doing a first look lets us spread out photos across 2.5 to 3 hours. If we do them during cocktail, we have to condense the same amount into JUST an hour. It’s a tight ship.

5) You probably won’t need to add on any additional coverage to your day to accommodate more guest photos. If we’re doing all of your photos after the ceremony, I can’t take group photos or cocktail hour photos and will need to stay later in the reception to make sure we can capture all of your guests!