You’re imagining your wedding day. You just got engaged and don’t know where to start. It’s daunting just imagining the whole project! What will the day look like? You can sum it all up to one specific question.

Will you have a first look?

Why would that make all the difference? Because in answering that one question you are able to establish a timeline! How does a first look affect the timeline of your wedding?

Great question! Depending on when you and your partner have your first look, whether before the ceremony or during the ceremony, will affect when the bulk of your pictures are taken! There is no right or wrong answer, but deciding on having a first look or not will help you or your wedding planner in establishing the day.

Let’s go through a typical wedding day with a first look BEFORE your ceremony:

You get ready with your bridesmaids, taking all the pictures and eating all the food, listening to music that will HYPE YOU UP, and then it’s time to see your groom! He is so excited and overcome with emotion! Tissues might be needed! Your day is finally here and you can share it together!

Because you’ve chosen to have your first look, you can take the biggest bulk of staged pictures before the ceremony and reception. If you’d like you can take your bridal party pictures, even family pictures, and bridal portraits and portraits with the groom.

After all of these pictures are done (usually taking about an hour and a half to two hours) you head off to your ceremony, with a little less nerves because you’ve seen each other already. You have a ceremony that describes you as a couple, and you are off to the reception! You can party to your heart's content with your photographers capturing the special moments of the day such as first dances, toasts, surprises and everyone getting DOWN on the dance floor. If possible, you can even go out during sunset hour when the lighting is at its most dreamiest (not a real word but should be) to take pictures with your now husband and get portraits that you’ll treasure for years to come!

That sounds nice and all, but what if you’ve dreamed of having your future husband see you for the first time AT THE CEREMONY??

That’s a great idea as well! To have your husband see you in your wedding dress with all your friends and family, at a special ceremony you have planned is such a special moment. There is no regretting that decision! How would your timeline look then in that case?

You’d still get ready with your best friends, close family, and wait in anticipation to see your future husband! It’s a rush of activity as everyone excitedly gets ready, reapplying makeup, getting their hair done, cracking jokes to make the bride laugh, photographers taking pictures of all those moments. The time for the ceremony has arrived! It happens exactly as you’ve hoped. There are laughs and tears as words of love are professed and promises are made.

Now that the ceremony is over, it’s time to take the bulk of your pictures. It will be a whirlwind of commotion. There are many moving pieces and different family dynamics, but once you get through it you’re home free!!!

Then what are the 5 tips that we recommend to keep in mind?

1) As previously mentioned, choosing the timing of the first look, whether before or during the ceremony, will help you establish the timeline for the wedding. If you would like to see each other for the first time before the ceremony, then family and bridal party portraits can be done right after. Or if you prefer your first look to be as you’re walking down the aisle, then the majority of the pictures will be taken after the ceremony. Deciding on this point will be a big help in figuring out how the day will go!

2) We recommend starting the bulk of your pictures with family pictures because, in our opinion, it can be the most stressful part of the day, but also because many families have older relatives that find it difficult to stand for long periods of time, and having the family pictures done first allows them time to rest after the ceremony. It can also be hard for children to stand at attention for long periods of time, so if your family portraits are done quickly and efficiently, it should make the day go more smoothly.

3) Making a list of family pictures you would like taken will make this time run more smoothly. Only you and your husband will know the family dynamics and those that you are closest to and who should be in the picture with whom. This way the photographer can just call out names and get it done as efficiently as possible.

4) Last part of the pictures is so special. You are FINALLY married, you’ve said I DO, and now as husband and wife you get to spend some much needed quality time together. These are some of the pictures you will treasure.

5) Being in front of a camera can feel intimidating, even awkward, but that can be seen on camera, so if possible, planning for an engagement session with your photographer beforehand will help with those nervous jitters and make the wedding day more comfortable. It helps you to know your photographer better, to build that relationship, so you will feel more comfortable all around on that day.

So which would you prefer?

Would you rather take almost all of your staged pictures before the ceremony to have time to party and spend time with guests afterwards? Or would you rather have a once in a lifetime moment during the ceremony, followed by pictures with friends and family afterwards?

Either way, you are going to have the greatest time at your wedding, and we would love to capture every minute of it!

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