Joined: This month
Posts: 614
My opinion....
6/10/2015 at 1:10 PM
I'm a wedding photographer, and I've done both. Here's what I've learned.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Staging the "First Look" just to get a couple pictures makes the moment feel forced, and puts pressure on the couple to make it look good, instead of just enjoying the moment. In fact, most staged "First Looks" that I've seen end up looking and feeling underwhelming. And most ACTUAL first looks (during the ceremony) are breathtaking.
If you want to do a first look for your own peice of mind - perhaps you and your spouse would feel better having that private moment before all the excitement, or maybe someone suffers from anxiety that only their spouse can relieve - then go for it.
If all you want is some extra time and you have two photographers at your disposal, try photographing the bride & her girls, and the groom & his men before the ceremony.
But don't do it just for the pic.
Edited by JanetAnne, 2015-06-10 13:12:54