A “first look” has become a big trend in today’s weddings. During a first look, we capture a couple’s romantic shots, bridal party shots and family pictures. That way, by the time the ceremony has finished, everyone can go directly to the reception including the bride and groom. Wedding guests, family, and friends never miss a moment with the bride and groom. Over half of my brides this year are opting to do a “first look”. It’s funny because out of all these brides, I never once presented the idea to them, they came to me with the idea. I’ll give a few reasons why its also good for a photographer if a couple chooses to do a first look.  First of all, I only recommend doing a first look for couples planning an evening wedding.  1) Photographers like as little restraint as possible regarding the amount of natural light there is to work with.  It’s much more fun to do outside pictures when the sun’s still up!  2) Being “weekend warriors” as they call us, weddings can be hectic (that is unless you’re working with good wedding planner).  There are many big moments going on in a short period of time, and its our job to document all of it.  Choosing the first look option makes things run smoothly (for everyone), since you’re getting lots of important shots prior to the ceremony when there’s great lighting available to work with.  3) First looks allow us photographers to get more creative with our shots, since we’re less pressed for time and good natural light.  In summary, first looks allow for better lighting situations, help to alleviate stress, keep things organized and running on time – allowing for more creative shots for the bride and groom. For destination weddings, I always recommend doing a first look, since we as photographers can’t usually do a “dry run” to scout out good locations for pictures like we can for local weddings.