Hello future brides!! First looks are something I talk A LOT about, and for good reason. I believe they are one of the best choices you can make for your wedding day! There are so many benefits, to reducing nerves, more portraits in your final gallery, a more relaxed wedding day, more time together, and a timeline that is logistically amazing!

So maybe you’ve already decided that a first look sounds ahh-mazing and you want to do one on your own wedding day! FANTASTIC!! If you’ve never seen one done before, you might be wondering what it’s going to be like, and what you can do to prepare yourself so it runs really smoothly.

Today I’m sharing my top tips for having an amazing first look:

1. Take your time. There is seriously no rush! If you want to take a good 10-15, or even 20 minutes to chat with each other, I think that is perfectly fine! Take the time to embrace each other, kiss, hug, tell each other how amazing you look, tell each other how your days have been… Seriously, take your time with it! It’s such a sweet, sweet moment, and there’s a good chance you won’t have another opportunity the WHOLE rest of the day with just the two of you. :)
2. Don’t wear your veil. There is nothing worse than your groom giving you a big hug and having your veil come flying off! If you really want it for the portraits afterward, have a bridesmaid bring it after your first look is complete. But I typically recommend waiting to put on your veil later, then sneaking out for just married or sunset pictures later for some creative portraits with your veil (these are my FAV and totally worth it!!). Leave the veil off for your first look so that it doesn’t get pulled on and become a distraction from the moment! :)
3. Trust your photographer on location. Even if you have a specific spot in mind, trust your photographer if they gently recommend somewhere else instead. Lighting for first looks are so hard, because you have to think about lighting for TWO different angles… which is really challenging! Also, I typically look for spots that are more secluded, so you don’t feel like everyone is watching you. Trust me, it will be worth it! :) It’s much easier to react to each other when there aren’t a lot of eyes watching!

Stephanie Kase is a wedding photographer serving Columbus, Ohio and beyond. She loves hanging out with her hubby and drinking vanilla chai lattes, as well as educating other creative business owners. Learn more about the wedding experience here!