Should we have a "first look"?
Question Asked: 16/04/2019
Wedding Date: 9/08/2018
Most Helpful Response
(12) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
Answered by: 19 Experts
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(107) · Tamworth NSW Based - Travelling Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Central Coast, Blue Mountains and beyond
Posted: 2/01/2023
YES! If you are thinking about it then YES, First looks create a safe, comfortable private space for you to see each other for the first time on your wedding day, so your ceremony isnt filled with too much anxiety and nerves! You go into the cermony like a solid TEAM ready to rock! Then you can have your photos early so that after you are married you can PARTY with your guests sooner! Just pop back out on sunset somewhere pretty for 15 mins PLEASE! best romantic shots are taken then! I shoot an even number of both First looks and seeing each other down the aisle for the first time. Both are great but I gotta say after shooting so many of each, the relaxed vibes after a first look for the rest of the day are the BEST!
Up to you, all ' looks ' are great. Its a photographers job to make all looks look amazing.
It's one of the most beautiful moments during wedding preparation. It's totally up to you whether you want to do that of course. Another fun one to do is a secret touch which is where bride and groom around opposite sides of a wall and without talking or maybe they touch hands just before the wedding to ease each other's nerves.
This can work really well for some couples. One of our couples chose to do this so that they could walk down the aisle together.
The benefit was that we could do the couple photos before the ceremony, which changed the flow of the day entirely. This meant they went straight from the ceremony to reception without having to leave their guests. This worked really well for our couple, as it allowed them some time to be together before the big celebration and more time with the guests at their reception.
Ooooh tricky question!
Firstly - if your a traditionalist - it probably just isn't for you...
There are some awesome benefits:
- You will have so much more time to spend with friends and fam after the ceremony as you can get all the bridal party shots out of the way.
- If you are a nervous or anxious person - chances are your partner is the person who centres you. Your wedding day is the most epic, emotional, stressful, busy day - chosing a first look means that you will have a chance to see your Lover and get yourself grounded and relaxed prior to the ceremony.
- As it is prior to the ceremony you can choose a completely different location to the ceremony... This is worth mentioning as lots of couples still feel pressure from family to get married at a particular place. Your wedding should reflect you, but sometimes it is impossible to keep everyone happy. This might be a good compromise.
- All of my couples who have chosen do have a first look have said it was an awesome experience - that it was so much for powerful and intimate than the traditional at the end of the isle in front of everyone experience.
- If you are getting married in Winter - it is a great way of getting the photos you want without running out of light!
Here are a couple of the negatives:
- It can make your day a bit longer - and your wedding day is a long one anyway!
- Some people worry that it will take away from the emotion at the ceremony - While that hasn't been my experience, it is definately something to think about.
- First looks are generally held in the middle of the day - where the light is harsh. This is your photographers problem - you don't have to worry about that!
Hope this helps!
Allie x
First looks make for really great photos but if the photographer knows what they're doing they'll position and ready themselves so that they can catch a few photos of the groom during the ceremony when the bride walks in. This is also a "first photo" that doesn't require additional time and keeps the surprise and loving looks for the guests to see as well.
Personally I love a first look. Some great expressions and emotions happen on a first look. I'm all for choosing your own style of wedding and loosening up the whole list of traditions. You want to do a first look - go for it.
(5) · Adelaide, Adeliade Hills, Barossa Valley and Surrounds
Posted: 23/08/2019
The "First Look"is becoming more popular. It's a good way to settle the nerves before the ceremony. I have done a lot of "First Looks with couples who were wanting a twilight wedding, So they did a "First Look followed with the "Photo Shoot. This works well as it stops the guests having to wait hours between the ceremony and reception, and I notice often guests leave before the reception is over which is very disappointing to the couple.
What I have found is that when it is done like this guests stay longer at the reception, because they ghavent been waiting around all afternoon. We did this for my sons wedding and it was a great success. First look and photoshoot, then a wedding ceremony at sunset and straight into the reception, after a few group photos.
This will ensure happier guests and a reception that has all your guests there til the end.
(10) · Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, North Coast
Posted: 11/06/2019
A first look is a personal preference for every couple. It all depends if you want tradition. I know a lot of grooms prefer to do it as it can be very emotional seeing their bride for the first time but others say they enjoy sharing that moments with family and friends
Easy Weddings Expert
Stealing a moment with your fiance before walking down the aisle in what is known as the first look is becoming more popular with couples. But there are both pros and cons of including a first look into your wedding day. Read more here: https://www.easyweddings.com.au/articles/pros-cons-first-look/
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The honest answer is that there's no wrong choice here, but let me give you the practical angle that often gets left out. A first look genuinely changes the shape of your whole day. If you do one, we can knock over a big chunk of your couple portraits and even some of the bridal party photos before the ceremony, which means you get to actually relax and enjoy your cocktail hour and reception instead of disappearing for an hour of photos while your guests wonder where you've gone.
The other thing nobody tells you is what it does for nerves. A lot of couples are surprised by how emotional that quiet moment is when it's just the two of you with no hundred sets of eyes watching. We hang back and shoot it long, so you get the real reaction, not a posed one. Then by the time you're at the ceremony, you're calmer and more present for the part that matters.
That said, the walk down the aisle is its own kind of magic, and plenty of couples want to save that first reaction for the moment everyone's gathered. If you're a tightly run afternoon ceremony in a Queensland summer, the timing of a first look can also help us dodge the harsh midday sun and shoot you in nicer light. So my real advice: pick the option that fits the day you actually want to have, and let your photographer build the run sheet around it. Whichever way you go, we'll capture it properly, and because everything is edited in-house by us, that moment comes back to you looking exactly how it felt.