why you should definitely do a first look

I swear I will die on this hill!

if you’ve been researching wedding planning in Australia, you’ve probably seen both sides. as someone who got married and did not do a first look, i can tell you i wish i had. and as someone who sees a lot of weddings, i can tell you that a hefty percentage of couple feel the same way.

there is literally only one reason not to do a first look: “but i want the big aisle moment!” ok, and what if i told you that a first look is exactly like the big aisle moment, but even sweeter?

when you have that moment publicly, with potentially hundreds of people watching, the pressure is on. you better cry! otherwise what kind of evil, heartless person are you? and then everything is so overwhelming you miss half of the ceremony trying to calm down and lock in - and trust me, you want to be paying attention if I’m your celebrant, that’s some quality content you should be listening to.

so now that this one single reason not to have a first look doesn’t seem to be as convincing, let’s cover the may reasons why a first look is one of the best choices you can make in your wedding planning…

you will be more present with each other during a first look than you would be if you first laid eyes on each other at the ceremony. take it in, soak it up, the day is here and you both look stunning!

you will be more present for the ceremony. having already seen each other and made space for some huge emotions, you’re now able to fully enjoy the ceremony and take all of it in.

you can smash out a bunch of photos earlier in the day. it might just be some shots of the two of you, or you might also be able to include your wedding party and even your family in this shoot, either way it frees up time for later. without a first look, the first thing you have to do after the ceremony is hours of photos, but with a first look you’re able to enjoy cocktail hour mingling with your guests.

in the hundreds of weddings i’ve been part of, the difference is clear. Not in a loud, dramatic way, but in a calm and grounded way. couples are more centred and able to full immerse themselves in enjoying the greatest day of their lives that they’ve been planning for months, or even years.

you gain everything from doing a first look, while actually losing nothing. this one simple choice can exponentially elevate your wedding to that next level, and it’s something I’m so passionate about that I will continue to preach it for as long as i’m a celebrant (maybe even longer)!