First Look – when a couple sees each other before walking down the aisle on their wedding day.

There is so much pressure put on couples on their wedding day. I mean, you want everything to be perfect right? I’m a big fan of creating less stress while wedding planning and especially on your wedding day! Planning your wedding day timeline can be tough, especially when you want to capture those amazing, romantic, epic photos. You need to leave time on your day to do that, but where? And how nerve-wracking it is to see your soon to be husband or wife for the first time before you get married with a bunch of eyes on you! Eeek! Having a first look is a great way to solve those problems and more! Here is of – reasons why I believe a first look is the way to go!

What exactly is a first look? Well it’s a private moment for you and your soon-to-be husband or wife to see each other before the ceremony, followed by photos of just the two of you! It’s an alternative to the traditional approach of seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony.

IT’S SUPER ROMANTIC! 

Having a first look gives you a chance to see each other and have a private moment before you walk down the aisle. Once your guests start arriving, you won’t have any time for just the two of you (it really is a day to celebrate your love). And while I’m there to capture this beautiful moment, I stay back and let you share an intimate moment until you signal me that you’re ready to move into your couple’s portraits.

CALM YOUR NERVES

It can be very nerve-wracking walking down the aisle to see your soon to be husband or wife for the first time on your wedding day. Having a first look takes the pressure off seeing each other for the first time in front of all your guests! That moment of walking down the aisle to meet them doesn’t feel any less special, just less stressful!

BE PRESENT

You’ll be able to enjoy your cocktail hour! When you don’t do a first look and couple portraits before the ceremony, you’ll be doing all your photos afterwards and a lot of couples don’t get to enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests. If you do your photos beforehand, you’ll only have to worry about family and bridal party photos, and you’ll be able to enjoy the time to mingle with your guests! You can even do your bridal party photos before the ceremony as well!

SKIP THE RISK

There are almost always delays in a wedding day, no matter how well we plan! Things can happen that throw off the timeline you worked so hard on – think weather, traffic, technical issues, lost rings, family running late. Any of those could push your ceremony back and since your dinner is at a set time, your time for your photos is the first to get cut. And I may be biased because I’m a photographer, but it really is an important part of your day that you don’t want to cut. Your wedding photography has its own unique challenges that I have become an expert at dealing with, but delays can happen there too. And while I sprinkle in a few minutes when planning your photography timeline, if we are already short on time, you will have to make some sacrifices in your photography, and therefore your memories.
Now, we all love a gorgeous sunset photo, but you’ll want most of your photos taken with the best and most natural light. On the longest day of the year the sun will set around 9pm, on a day in October you’re looking at 6:30 (that’s not even mentioning that pesky daylight savings time). Having a first look and your photos before the ceremony means you won’t have to worry about losing that beautiful natural light for photos. And we can always sneak out of the reception for those sunset photos!

YOU’LL BE SUPER FRESH

(Let’s be real, even the best hair and makeup will wear through the day, suits will wrinkle, dresses will drag on the ground. First look photos are taken at your most fresh! You’ve just had your hair and makeup done, your suit is freshly pressed, your dress is clean and you are looking your absolute best!

So, there you have it! There are so many great reasons to have a first look, these are just a few. Ultimately it is your decision and a very personal one. But I want you to have the best memories of your wedding day – it’s what you hired me for after all! Maybe I sold you on the idea, maybe I have given you a glimpse of

Tradition can be outdated. It’s 2022! You don’t have to do what your parents and grandparents did! Create your own path, start new traditions, have your wedding the way YOU want!

Looking for your dream photographer?

Learn about working with me!

You’re getting married! HECK YES! Congratulations!! Now is the time to start the planning process, but where to start? There are hundreds of photographers in your area, how do you sift through them to find the photographer that is the right fit for you? It can be quite the process, but I’m here to help!

STEP 1: Find your style  

This is a big one! You have a lot of options when it comes to style – everything from shooting style to editing style. Let’s start with shooting style. 

SHOOTING STYLE – You have probably heard the terms editorial, photojournalistic, lifestyle – but what do they mean? It is the photographer’s approach to capturing your day which results in the feeling of photos you get when you look at your photos! Photographers will most likely shoot a variety of styles mixed together, but have one main style. For example, I am an adventurous lifestyle photographer – meaning my style falls in the candid and photojournalistic with a little bit of traditional categories. I would also classify it as fun and adventurous too! 

EDITING STYLE – Each photographer has their own editing style – film inspired, light and airy, dark and moody, earthy etc… Again, there are so many styles and each photographer has their own signature style that they have developed and perfected over the years. And because of that photographers will usually edit in one style, that is why it is important that you find a photographer who’s editing style you love! — When deciding on a style, create a Pinterest board and just pin any photo that speaks to you.Once you have a bunch, look at the overall theme. Are the images more candid or posed? Are they light, true to colour or dark? Whatever that shows will be the style of photo that speaks to you and that is the type of photographer you should be looking for!

STEP 2: Set your budget

This can be a little tricky when you don’t know what photography is going for nowaday. Before you start contacting photographers, set a budget for your wedding. Think of what is most important to you, not only on your wedding day, but after the actual wedding day. Where does photography come into play? Set your budget based on that. If those photos to look back at are important, you can always find room in your budget, by cutting costs elsewhere. 

STEP 3: Get in touch

You’ve got your budget, you’re found some photographers whose style you love, get it touch! A lot of photographers don’t put their prices on their website, but can give you an idea as to what most couples will spend on their photography. The reason being is they may have a pricing guide with more information about their services than just the price. The experience photographers offer is just as important as the photos you get in the end! 

STEP 4: Meet some photographers

Will your photographer meet with you either in person, by video call, or even on the phone? They should be! You will be spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day, you need to be sure that you get along. You should be able to tell a little about their personality from their website or instagram captions, but it is important to meet with them! I definitely recommend meeting with your photographer either in person or over video chat before booking with them. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about their personality and style – and to ask them any questions you may have before deciding on a photographer. Meet with a few photographers whose style you like. If you really love a photographer and they are a little out of the budget you originally set, you might be willing to increase your budget a bit to work with them!

STEP 5: Choose your photographer

(and thank the others for their time)
You have found the perfect photographer! Time to book them!

You’re now on your way to choosing your photographer to capture the memories of your wedding day! Happy Planning!