First look/ bridal party photos before?

Our photographer told us not to have anyone else at the first look because it puts a lot of pressure on your reactions and makes it awkward. I feel like it also looses the point of that intimate moment together before the ceremony. Will lighting be an issue after the ceremony for pictures? I know some people do it just do they can rejoin the cocktail hour sooner, but it’s not up to your photographer it’s up to you.

Photographers always recommend it because it both makes their job easier and often adds to the numbers of hours you pay them for. It really comes down to how you and your future husband feel about it. Ask him. It’s surprising how many grooms are adamantly against seeing their brides before the ceremony. If neither of you has a strong preference, ask if there will be additional hours added to your bill. Decide if it’s worth the cost.

I am doing first look I want to attend my cocktail hour!

We arent doing a cocktail hour. Our reception is 20 mins away. I dont know if FH is against seeing me before, I like the idea of the group shots before the wedding. Im just not sure if I want to do first look.

We’re doing a first look and pictures before the ceremony. Mostly to be able to enjoy our cocktail hour with our guests.

We are doing first look (alone) then wedding party & family photos before the ceremony. We want to attend the cocktail hour & enjoy the reception that we’ve been planning for over a year.

View Quoted Comment If you aren’t having a cocktail hour, what are your guests doing while you’re taking pictures?

My FH and I don't want a first look and we want to be at our cocktail hour to mingle (a big request to have both) so our photographer is bringing someone with her for half the day (obviously cost extra for this). But this way one photographer follows the girls getting ready and does all of our pictures and the other photographer follows FH and the guys for their pics leaving just family shots after the ceremony and we will get to enjoy some cocktail hour.

We aren’t doing that. Where just doing then before

No first look for us. Before the wedding we'll take pictures with our bridesmaids/groomsmen. During cocktail hour we'll finish up with family and group shots.

We did a first look and I thought it was great! We didn’t feel rushed, and we had the first look off to the side by some trees so even though the bridal party was there, we had our own moment.

Which was great because family photos during cocktail hour took almost the entire time.

I'm doing everything before. My dress in the closet so my fiance has no reason for a first look, he knows what I'm wearing and hates that tradition anyway.

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That's part of it. We do have a 20 min travel time between the two venues. So if we don't do pictures between, it will just mean we will travel to the reception site. Pictures would add a little time. We are having a semi-dry wedding. Only an hour of bar. The wedding is mid-morning.

My sister did it at her wedding and she actually recommended it to me. I did it for my previous wedding and loved it. My photographer gave me a set fee she was charging for everything so for her, it wasn't about trying to make more money-she just said it made things easier and a lot less stressful. And I felt like it honestly was. We just had the wedding party with us. We got all our group, couple, and individual pics taken. I recommend it

Oh, my sister and I still made sure it was a special "first look" moment as well. It was at the church before guests showed up. My sister (her story is better lol) had her husband waiting at the alter, like he would for the actual wedding, then my sister walked down the isle to him and the pastor shut the doors and gave them a few moments of privacy to enjoy their first look of each other. The rest of us joined them after that for pictures. Then we relaxed and hung out until people were done showing up.

We're so looking forward to having a first look and taking majority of our photos prior to the ceremony. While we're doing our first look, we can have the other shooters take all wedding party and family photos that we don't need to be in then we'll join in afterwards.

After the ceremony, we'll go out for a few more pictures and come back to the venue. We'll either join the cocktail hour or hangout in the back with our wedding party. There will be an area (inside of a vault, venue is an old bank) where they'll have drinks and apps set up for us.

We did the group shots before the ceremony but did not do first look.. we both wanted that moment of seeing each other for the first time. We knew we would regret it later if we had seen each other before THAT first moment. I’m happy we waited. It was exactly how we pictured it and so worth the wait. Those are my favorite pictures out of the 3000 + pictures from that day/night.

We decided against a first look, but we are doing some photos before the ceremony. Me with my bridesmaids and me with my family, then FH with his groomsmen and FH with his family. Then after the ceremony it’ll be the whole wedding party, both of us with my family, and both of us with his family. Then family/friends can go to cocktail hour and we can get photos of the two of us. If there’s still time we’ll head to cocktail hour after that too.

We will be doing separate photos before the ceremony and the group/combined family photos after the ceremony. FH is insistent on not seeing me at all before the ceremony so no first look here. I will probably have one with my dad and son though. Our entire wedding weekend is taking place in one resort location so getting around from place to place for photo's and scheduling won't be an ordeal. Are you concerned with the timing of your photo's or the location the photographer has picked out?

In Judaism, the first look is basically traditional, as you sign the ketubah (marriage contract) before the ceremony.

We are doing all our individual shots, bridal party shots, and immediate family shots before hand at the hotel but we are not doing a first look. As traditional as I am not, it is really important to my mom that we don't see each other from midnight until the ceremony so that is what we are doing.

Each of us will take 30-40 minutes for pics before. Mine will be first, then Ill head to the venue. The guys will go second and once they are on their way they will let us know so I can hide.

Our ceremony and reception are at the same place with only cocktail hour between. While neither of us have large families, every photographer I spoke with voiced some concern about getting all of the shots in during that 60 minutes so this was the best compromise we came up with.