Let’s chat through it!

PRO: Calm those nerves!

This is your person, after all – how fun & relaxing does it sound to have a private moment together before you’re in front of a big crowd of people? You can also say your vows privately at this time, to keep things personal and keep the tears & laughs between the two of you.

PRO: A better timeline (in my wedding vendor opinion, of course!)

Hear me out – you want some good photos of the two of you, right? And the two of you with your families? And the two of you with your wedding party? If you don’t do a first look, ALL of these photos will have to be after the ceremony. This means you’ll miss some or all of cocktail hour with your guests, because that time will be for photos. All wedding days are different – so no promises that a first look will guarantee that you get the complete cocktail hour to mingle, but it does help most of the time!

CON: You want the tradition.

If you love the old wedding tradition of the nearlyweds seeing each other for the first time while walking down the aisle, a first look is not for you. And that’s totally okay!

To sum it all up,

If the moment of seeing each other in the aisle at the start of the ceremony is something you’re looking forward to, then do it! Just know that you’ll have less time with guests during cocktail hour as you knock out all your photos. Don’t worry, though, you’ll have plenty of time to mingle and see your people during dinner and dancing!

If you’re looking for a more laid back day, and you & your partner aren’t necessarily tied to wedding traditions, consider a first look to have a private moment together and streamline your wedding day schedule.

And if you want the best of both, you could do a first touch. This is where you hold hands around a corner to get to chat with each other and calm those nerves, but not sneak a peek of each others’ outfits before the ceremony!