5 Reasons Why We Love First Looks | Arkansas Wedding Photographers |

5 Reasons Why We Love First Looks | Arkansas Wedding Photographers

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Why do we love first looks? It’s a host of reasons, really. If you’re thinking about doing a first look at your wedding, this post is DEFINITELY for you.

3 Reasons Why We Love First Looks Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Bride and Groom share a hug during their first look on their Arkansas wedding day.

Let’s start with the basics. What is a first look anyway?

A first look is where the bride and groom see one another in a carefully planned portion of the wedding day and then proceed to take all the formal portraits (including bride and groom, bridal party and family portraits) before the wedding ceremony actually happens. We typically set up the groom in a beautiful location and let our bride walk down to her groom.

90% of our couples choose a first look, and we LOVE first looks. We don’t require our couples to do a first look, but we definitely think that first looks are a fabulous way to begin your portraits on your wedding day – and here’s a few reasons why.

  1. A first look allows a private moment between the bride and groom that they, otherwise, don’t get to have.
  2. It streamlines portraits on a wedding day, saving time and making the portrait process more efficient and streamlined. If couples don’t have a first look, we typically have two separate portrait times – portraits before the ceremony and after the ceremony.
  3. Your guests get to enjoy you at the reception sooner. Unless you have a planned cocktail hour for your guests, chances are, they’re expecting to see you pretty quickly after the ceremony is over. Having all your portraits completed by the time the ceremony begins, you get to go straight into greeting your guests and celebrating.  If you choose not to do a first look, we recommend having a pre-ceremony portrait time and a post-ceremony portrait time – both lasting an hour.
  4. Often the first look can help us re-orchestrate a rain plan in case of inclement weather. When a first look is in place, we can adjust or re-adjust our portrait plans due to rain. We can hold off if we need to or get them in early before the rain begins.
  5. During the winter months, first looks are an especially good idea if you’re planning an evening ceremony.  Because the sunset time is so early during the winter, there’s almost never enough daylight time to take portraits outside after the ceremony.  If you’re planning a winter wedding without a first look, we recommend setting your ceremony time at least 2 hours before sunset.

5 Reasons Why We Love First Looks

I hope this helps you in your planning! For more related posts, check out 3 Tips For Better Couples Portraits on Your Wedding Day  | 3 Things To Consider When Choosing A Wedding Venue | 5 Tips For Building The Perfect Wedding Day Timeline.

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