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Should you do a first look or not on your wedding day???

First looks are such a hot topic in the wedding industry and the photo world right now so I thought it was time to share my perspective as a Ontario and Canada-Wide wedding photographer.


Wedding Day First Touch | Windsor, ON | Quinn Walsh Photography

Q: Should you do a first look or not on your wedding day???


I want to start by premising that there truly is no right or wrong answers when it comes to what you choose to include and exclude from your wedding day. The flow of your day will just look very different if you choose to do a first look or not.


Alright, so should we do a first look or shouldn't we???


If you you choose to include a first look...

  • The largest bonus to doing a first look, logistics wise, is the amount of time you will get back during the rest of the day. It takes tastes from mid-day and rearranges them meaning that you won't be rushed for time between your ceremony and your reception. Hello Cocktail Hour!!!

  • It allows for a very personal and intimate version of the grand reveal between you and your partner. You seeing each other for the first time all dressed up won't be in front of everyone like it would be if you wait until the aisle. Most of the time, first looks only include you, your spouse-to-be, and limited vendors like your photographer, videographer, and/or your content creator.

  • You are then able to see your spouse-to-be in advance and connect on all your emotions of the day. They are your person and nothing is normally more comforting than being with them.


If you choose to wait until that aisle moment...

  • It allows you to experience all the large emotions of your wedding day right there in the moment with all your friends and family present.

  • This option shifts your timeline so all family, wedding party, and couples photos happen after the ceremony and before the reception. Most of the time, this means that couples are unable to do other wedding aspects like a receiving line or mingle during cocktail hour.


My perspective as a wedding photographer...

Like I started this by saying that whatever the decision, it has to feel right to you and your spouse-to-be. I will 1000% stand behind any decision my couples make in this regard. There is never a timeline that can't be figured out. With all that being said though, I do recommend to all of my clients to do a first look prior to for the scheduling benefits. Some of the most intimate images captured on a wedding day can come from doing a first look.


But...

I want to also offer an alternative though if you're stuck on the fence about whether to do a first look or not. What about including a first touch in your day??? A first touch has all the benefits of a first look. It allows for some super intimate moments to be captured before the ceremony, it allows you to have that connection with your spouse-to-be to talk about what you are feeling in that moment. It gives you the ability to be present and in the moment. It also still keeps that extra level of surprise of the aisle moment. I am personally a HUGE fan of a first touch if a couple opts not to do a first look. One last bonus of a first touch is that it also makes for a private and romantic time to share any personal vows you have for each other that you might not want to say in front of everyone, but you want to make sure you tell your spouse-to-be.


Overall...

The only right answer is the one that you two decide on together. Your vendor team is here to help. They are like your own little group of superheros. Good vendors will do anything they can to help make your wedding vision come true. There is no timeline that can't be figured out.

Quinn Walsh Photography
Ontario, Canada-Wide, + Destination Wedding Photographer

Cambridge, ON
(226) 220-1693
quinn.walsh.photography@gmail.com
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