Oh the first look. A popular topic tossed back and fourth by all couples planning a wedding. Should we do it so we don’t ugly cry in front of everyone we know and love? Should we not so we don’t rob the groom of that unforgettable moment of seeing his bride walk down the aisle?

I’m just gonna jump right in and say - I love a good first look. I encourage it simply because it allows the bride and groom to spend more time together on a day that goes by so incredibly fast. That, and no matter what happens, rain falls, pigs fly… nothing could possibly take away from the magic of that moment when a bride walks down the aisle toward the man whom she is promising her life.

Now that’s not to say that it makes sense for every wedding to have a first look. Truth be told it works out beautifully either way. So let me map out both scenarios for you so you can get a better idea of what may work best for you and your fiancé.

Typically a first look works best if the ceremony is around 4pm. I’ll begin photographing the girls as they’re finishing hair + make up and prepping their dresses. We’ll send our second photographer to meet the guys as they suit up. Then we’ll get the groom in place, and escort the bride to him for the BIG REVEAL! After the couple has a moment to soak each other in, we instruct our Light Garden couples to have their immediate family and bridal party nearby so we can jump right into some casual pre ceremony portraits. That way, after the ceremony we don’t have such a long list of family photos, and can usually make it to cocktail hour! The breakdown of that may look something like this:

(Madison with the girls)

11:00am | Bride Prep

12:00pm | Put on dress

(Second photographer with the boys)

12:00pm | Groom Prep

12:30pm | Put on suit

(Both photographers together)

1:00pm | First Look

1:30pm | Parent + Sibling Photos

2:00pm | Bridal Party Photos

4:00pm | Ceremony

5:00pm | Family Photos

5:45pm | Bridal Party Photos Round 2

6:00pm | Reception Begins

In the case that the ceremony is earlier in the day - time is typically too tight for a first look. But it’s truly nothing to stress about. With the help of a second photographer, you can still get beautiful pre ceremony portraits of the bride and groom separately. For our Light Garden couples, we plan on being dressed and ready an hour and a half before the ceremony begins. That gives us a window to take photos of the bride and her parents + siblings, as well as her bridesmaids before the ceremony while everyone is fresh. The groom will do the same with his immediate family and groomsman. Then after the ceremony we’ll focus on family photos with the couple together, and all the bridal party together. A loose timeline may look something like this:

(Madison with girls)

11:00am | Bride Prep

12:00pm | Put on dress

12:30pm | Bride’s Parent + Sibling Photos

1:00pm | Bridesmaids Photos

(Second photographer with guys)

12:00pm | Groom Prep

12:30pm | Put on suit

1:00pm | Groom’s Parent + Sibling Photos

1:30pm | Groomsmen Photos

(Both Photographers together)

2:00pm | Ceremony

3:00pm | Family Photos

4:00pm | Bridal Party Photos

5:00pm | Bride + Groom Photos

6:00pm | Reception Begins

I hope that was helpful! With all my years experience I can assure you that whichever path you choose will turn out beautifully and uniquely you. Keep in mind too every wedding is unique so these are just general guidelines. We’ll sit down and map out your photo timeline together to compliment the individuality of your day. We’ve got you covered! Cheers and happy planning!