Happy Thursday everyone! Today is the start of new ELD series called Ask Lauren! Some of you may know that I used to be a wedding designer and planner- and before that, I was an absolutely clueless bride. As a bride I, had all of these questions, but no one to turn to ask- which is why I want ELD to be a resource for YOU! Brides, now you can submit your wedding planning questions, and I’ll either answer them here on ELD or email you with an answer. You should never have any unanswered questions about your wedding- and remember, there are no silly questions either! You have never planned a wedding before- you SHOULD have questions! :)
Photo by Stephanie Ascari Photography
So now on to our first question for “Ask Lauren”…
Hi Lauren,
I have a question regarding wedding photos. My groom is on the fence about a first look. If we wait until after the ceremony, there is only 45 minutes to get family, wedding party and couple shots at the church. Is this enough time? I am very stressed we will not have enough pictures of just he and I. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
– Kelly
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Hi Kelly! First off, THANK YOU for reading ELD and submitting your question! You were the very first one! :)
Wedding day photos can be tough when you’re on a schedule, and you definitely want to make sure that you’re getting enough photos of you and your new husband! Having those photos is HUGE part of why you have a photographer, right?! Without knowing your exact wedding day timeline, and just knowing that you would only have 45 minutes, I would highly recommend doing a first look.
Photos by Avant Images
Doing a First Look will ensure that you’ll get those portraits of you and your husband, and you won’t have to be stressed about whether or not you’ll have time to get photos of the two of you. Plus, it makes for some absolutely INCREDIBLY photos! Not to mention that if your wedding is taking place during the winter, the sun likes to go down WAY early, so doing a First Look will allow you have photos with great light! :) Usually people are a little wary of first looks because they want the whole “walking down the aisle” experience. Well my friend, it’s still the same. You’re still walking down the aisle to your future spouse, and it will still be just as emotional. Seriously- some of the best photos that I have seen during the ceremony were of brides and grooms that DID have a first look!
Photo by Jason Mize Photography
With all of that said, a big part of having a successful First Look is planning for it. So here are a few things to remember when you’re planning for your first look:
– First and foremost, talk to your photographer about it and find out how long they would prefer you have for time. Since you won’t really have too much time after your ceremony, I’m guessing your photographer will prefer to have more time so they can do your portraits.
– Make sure that you are DONE with your First Look photo session 30 minutes before the ceremony so you can get where you need to be and not be sidetracked by guests!
– When doing a First Look, you will have to be ready a little earlier than you may have planned. Tell all of your vendors who are involved in the getting ready portion of your wedding day that your schedule will have to be moved up to accomodate (hair & makeup, transportation, bouquet delivery, photographer, cinematographer).
Photos by Rustic White Photography
So sure, you may have to be ready about an hour earlier than you planned on, but it’s better than only have 5 seconds for photos! :) If you need some proof for your fiance, check out all of these posts that had First Looks. And be sure to check out these past posts too…
Thursday Tips: First Looks Are Awesome!
Pro Insight: First Looks- The Images Speak For Themselves
{Wedding Planning Advice} Slow Your Day Down
{Thursday Tips} Consider A First Look
And these posts by some wedding pros are GREAT too!
FIRST LOOKS… WHY SHOULD I DO THIS?
Maybe we should take a look at some examples of the awesomeness of First Looks…
Photo by The Burks
Photo by Michael Newman Photography
Photo by Twila’s Photography
Photo by Ashley Daniell Photography
Photo by Kerri McConnell Photography
Photo by Live View Studios
My answer to anything timeline-related is always to do whatever is going to cause the least amount of stress on your wedding day. And most of the time, that does indeed involve including a First Look! Kelly, I think your fiance will definitely be okay with doing a First Look- especially once he reads up on it and sees the proof of how awesome it is! :)
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Brides, are any of YOU planning on doing a First Look? Or maybe on the fence about it like Kelly and her fiance? What are your thoughts on First Looks?
Don’t forget to send in your own wedding questions for Ask Lauren!
Lauren
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I definitely recommend first looks to brides on the fence about it. I personally think it’s an even better reaction than that walk down the aisle. It’s just the bride and groom. They get to see each other for the first time with no one else around (us photogs can shoot from a distance for that first moment too!) It’s so intimate and the photos are always much more relaxed because there’s less rush and you don’t have family members straggling about from having been there for the family portraits. There are so many more pros than cons.
I like the last photo best, but I think it depends on the couple and what these kinds of poses mean to them.