Discover the Advantages of Having a First Look Photoshoot in
Drafting Your Wedding Timeline!
A first look photoshoot is a hot topic when it comes to wedding photography. It is increasingly becoming even more popular as more and more couples realise the functionality of having a first look photoshoot when it comes to plotting their wedding timeline.
“First-look wedding photos are when a couple sees each other for the first time on their wedding day, usually in the morning or before the ceremony. This private and intimate pre-ceremony moment is typically shared with just one other person – your photographer” writes Ellie Hargreaves for Easy Weddings Australia.
PROS FOR HAVING A FIRST LOOK
1. Smashing out group photos before everyone is too busy for snaps.
It is no secret that the reception after the wedding ceremony is a battlefield! It is a prime location for epic dance offs, kids running around, and it is too chaotic though you can’t decide if it is endearing or frustrating. It is difficult to gather everyone for photos when your family members and friends run off to who knows where!
Including a first look wedding photoshoot frees you from this hustle and bustle that you can tick off ‘beautiful wedding photos with friends and family’ from your itinerary even before the wedding starts.
2. Maximise time for creative sessions
Worst case scenario is – the wedding that you have planned for months on end can pass by in a blur without having the chance to preserve your best wedding memories in photographs.
Every bride’s wedding vision is that everything must be perfect. The venue, the food, the flowers, the photos! No bride would want to turn into a bridezilla because of the stress of the day.
By allocating 1 hr – 1.5 hrs in a First Look photoshoot, you can give your photographer more time to capture and film creative shots which would result in a beautiful portfolio of wedding photos. If you are wondering how this could work, Black Avenue Productions can plan and coordinate with you regarding your vision! You would also have the once in a lifetime opportunity to truly feel your moment and strike all the poses you’ve imagined without rushing through the photoshoot.
3. Optimising the Best Time of Day for Great Lighting
Lighting is everything! Lighting plays a pivotal role in the outcome of the images. Natural light in particular, has a unique ability to enhance the beauty and depth of a photograph. The sun’s position in the sky can dramatically affect the quality of light and the overall mood of the photos.
Ideally, photographers do creative sessions in between strong sun and before sunset. During winter, the sun sets at 5pm, which usually leaves no time to take photos. One way to overcome this obstacle is by incorporating a first look photoshoot into your wedding timeline.
Longer days in the summer months offer more flexibility to plan out photography sessions during the ideal lighting hours. The golden hours, which occur shortly after sunrise and just before sunset, are renowned for their soft, warm light that bathes the surroundings. During summer, the sunset time is generally around 8:30 pm, making the period between 4-6pm the perfect window for outdoor photography.
4. Elevating Guest Experience
While weddings are the bride and groom’s moment, some couples are very considerate of their guests and wouldn’t want them waiting around for 1.5 to 2 hrs after the ceremony is over while the couple is out with their photographers doing lengthy creative sessions.
If you find yourself concerned about this, a first look may be the perfect solution. The session will take place before the wedding ceremony and before the guests have arrived. The only people who will be there with you are your family and your bridal party. This is like taking care of two tasks with one move! The couple can smash out their creative sessions, and family and friends are gathered together looking fresh as a daisy to get their group photos with the couple taken as well!
PROS FOR NOT HAVING A FIRST LOOK:
1. First Look as the Bride Walks Down the Aisle
Every bride has her own dream moment when it comes to walking down the aisle and seeing the reaction of her groom. It’s a magical and emotional moment that deserves to be cherished and captured forever. While a first look photoshoot allows for intimate and private moments between the couple, it’s understandable that some brides want to keep the traditional element of the groom seeing his bride for the first time as she walks down the aisle. If this is your ultimate dream, you may choose not to have a first look photoshoot before the ceremony. However, it’s still essential to allocate at least 1.5 hours for a creative session in your wedding timeline to ensure you get great photos that will be treasured for a lifetime.
Below are two timelines showing the difference between having a first look, and without one:
WITHOUT FIRST LOOK
-
- 10:00 am: Groom’s Getting Ready – 60 mins
- 11:00 am: Start packing to Bride’s location -30 mins travel
- 11:30 am: Bride’s getting ready – 90 mins
- 1:00 pm: Pack up and head to ceremony location – 15 mins travel
- 1:15 pm: Set up cameras at ceremony + location shots
- 2:00 pm Ceremony
- 3:00 pm Group photos + Family photos – 15 mins
- 3:15 pm Head to Creative Session location – 15 mins travel
- 3:30 pm Creative + Bridal Party photography session – 90 mins
- 5:00 pm Pack up and head to Reception – 20 mins
- 5:20 pm Venue photos + Canapé while Bridal Party take a rest
- 6:00 pm Guest seated at Reception hall
- 6:30 pm Reception
- 10:00 pm Black Avenue Productions finish – 12 hours call
** Your ceremony needs to be earlier in order to allow 90 mins for Creative Session + Bridal Party Session before canapé and reception starts
WITH FIRST LOOK
-
- 10:00 am: Groom’s Getting Ready – 60 mins
- 11:00 am: Start packing to Bride’s location -15 mins travel
- 11:30 am: Bride’s getting ready – 90 mins
- 1:00 pm: Pack up and head to First Look location – 15 mins travel
- 1:15 pm: First Look Photoshoot – 15 mins
- 1:30 pm Creative + Bridal Party photography session – 90 mins
- 3:00 pm: Pack up and head to ceremony location – 15 mins travel
- 3:15 pm: Set up cameras at ceremony + location shots
- 4:00 pm Ceremony
- 5:00 pm Group photos + Family photos – 20 mins
- 5:20 pm Pack up and head to Reception – 10 mins
- 5:30 pm Venue photos + Canapé while Bridal Party take a rest
- 6:00 pm Guest seated at Reception hall
- 6:30 pm Reception
- 10:00 pm Black Avenue Productions finish – 12 hours call
** You can have a late ceremony and straight into the canapé and reception party so guests don’t have to wait. Because you have already your Creative Session + Bridal Party photoshoot taken.
There you have it! These are just a few things you can consider when deciding whether you are going to have a first look photoshoot or not. The decision is entirely up to you and your vision for your dream wedding!