should we do a first look?
i get this question all of the time and as a wedding photographer, i definitely have a biased answer, and it is - YES!!!!! and here is why:
your first look is basically designed to help you enjoy your reception to its fullest! the formal portrait section of the day includes 3 items:
your couples portraits
your wedding party portraits
your family portraits
if you choose to wait until after your ceremony to see each other, ALL THREE portions cannot be fully complete until after your ceremony and during cocktail hour. we can also try and schedule some sunset couples portraits too, which i do recommend, but again this is only about 15 minutes of your time pulled away from your party.
ideal scheduling times for portraits looks like this:
45 minutes for couple, including first look. an additional 15 minutes for sunset photos as well.
30 minutes for wedding party. sometimes less, if your wedding parry is very small.
30 minutes for family. 45 minutes if your family is large.
add that up, up there and you will see why you’ve been to so many weddings where the couple and family were late to their own event!
another advantage of the first look is the intimacy factor. the first look will just be the two of you, and your photographer and videographer. it can be one of the sweetest moments of the day! PLUS you will have time to get your make-up refreshed before your ceremony and guest arrival.
after the first look is complete, we go right into couples portraits. after that we can complete the wedding party. we can even complete the family portraits too and then give you a 15-30 minute break before your ceremony while guests arrive. other options are to do the family portraits directly after the signing of your paperwork, during cocktail hour.
now, if your heart is ABSOLUTELY set upon waiting to see your partner during the ceremony we will oblige! but just know you will very busy post ceremony and what often suffers is your couples portrait time being cut very short unless you have an extended break between ceremony and reception or an extended cocktail hour of 90-120 minutes. .
i hope this answers any questions you have as you plan your amazing wedding day!!!!
tips for family & wedding party portraits!
In my opinion, one of the most challenging parts of the day is gathering family, friends, wedding parties for the formal portraits. Yes, it can sometimes be like herding cats! This is always why I ask very detailed shot-list of this portion of the day! I can shoot very efficiently if we are organized, and we can move forward with all the most fun things for your special day asap.
Here are some of my biggest tips to prepare for your day and PLEASE feel free to pass this info along to family and friends:
PRESS UPON YOUR GUESTS HOW IMPORTANT THESE ARE TO YOU AND TO BE WHERE YOU ASK ON TIME. If you have a very organized family member to assist making sure all people are where they are supposed to be, it is so very helpful.
EMPTY YOUR FRONT POCKETS in advance of shooting. Cells phone, keys? Please move them to hidden pockets in jackets or in back pockets.
Learn to tie ties in advance of wedding day! I cannot tell you how often I walk into the groomsmen room and everyone has youtube videos on their phones and no one can tie their tie. While it always amuses me, it can throw our portrait timeline off! Take the time to kindly remind your wedding party to practice bow ties and regular ties BEFORE your wedding day! :)
BOUQUETS in hand and BOUTONNIERES should be on by scheduled portrait time. It can really slow us down when everyone shows up unprepared to the allotted formal portrait time. hopefully, I have already shot the pinning of boutonnieres at this point, but it’s good try and advise all members of family and wedding party to come prepared: front pockets empty, boutonnieres on, and bouquets in hand!
LOOK AT YOUR LEAD SHOOTER ONLY. People behind me will inevitably have their cell phones out grabbing photos. I have got no problem with this as long as they give me space to move about while I shoot. That said, multiple cell phones out, has led to group photos where people are all looking in different directions! I do shoot fast, so I promise only a few minutes of concentration is needed. Also, no need to look directly at video shooter if you have one, unless they ask. Keep your eyes on the lead photographer as best as everyone can.
TAKE OFF TRANSITIONAL GLASSES - AKA SUNGLASSES - I wear transitional glasses myself and totally forget they have turned into sunglasses while outside. While I am busy getting everyone posed, checking camera specs and the like, focusing on the couples attire, even I have missed that someone was wearing transitional glasses. It is super helpful to me to remind people to take them off in advance.
STICK WITH APPROVED SHOTLIST -until the end. I always take requests for photos that didn’t make it to the shotlist as time allows, but switching things up on the fly can be confusing and make us run late.
PICK A LOVED ONE TO BE DRESS FLUFFER. Sometimes my second shooter or assistant is busy and during times of COVID we do not touch you or your clothing. Having a designated loved one to keep an eye on the details of the dress is suggested. Fanning the train in front is best for group photos.
WAIT TO GRAB ME FOR FORMAL PORTRAITS until AFTER that time is allotted. A lot of times during the getting ready phase, which is photojournalistic shooting, your guests who don’t understand we have that time already scheduled, and they will asks for “quick” formal portraits. We will run behind if this happens, and trust me - it will. Please kindly remind them we will get to those later. During the reception is another good time to grab me for those types of photos *you want. I generally say no to anyone other than the couple for special request photos until the reception and even then I prefer your approval. We can always speak in advance of wedding day about this for clarification.
Lastly, in general, remind your family and friends that you chose me based on my photojournalistic style. This means pretending I am not there and allowing me to grab natural photos with natural emotion. I will ask your guests to look at the camera when we are taking formal portraits. I will always take special request spontaneous portraits that you want at the reception, but the rest of the day I ask that folks understand to relax, have a great time and IGNORE ME. :)
hope this helps!!!