Since COVID, we have seen wedding trends popping up left and right – and with good reason! Everyone has a newfound sense of embracing the present & wanting to make the most of every moment. And that’s especially true on your wedding day! One of the biggest stressors on wedding days is sticking to a timeline – there are sooo many important things to capture. But what if you could make it a little less stressful so that you can be a little more in the moment on this incredible day in your life? Enter: the first look session!

What is a first look session? The day before your wedding, you and your fiance get all dressed up in your wedding attire (or if you’re feeling “extra” you could always have a completely different outfit!) and do a private first look, just the two of you and your photographer.

What’s so great about a first look session??? I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED! Here’s why it’s my new favorite trend:

1. GOLDEN HOUR! On a typical wedding day, the first look is early on in the afternoon, right after getting hair and makeup done but before the bridal party portraits. This means midday light, which is not the ideal lighting for pictures. As professionals, photographers know how to use the light to their advantage and find ways to still make you guys look gorgeous, but I’d pick golden hour light over midday light every time!

Reason numero dos!

SAVES TIME!!! I can see on brides’ faces when they’re stressing about staying on schedule and I get it! I work closely with couples and wedding coordinators to make the timeline as stress-free as possible, but there’s only so much you can do if you’re sticking to the typical wedding day traditions. By doing the first look the day before, you’re giving yourself room to breathe and time to soak in all of the the special moments that you might otherwise overlook during the hustle of the day.

And my final reason for being head over heels for this trend:

It’s a time for you & your fiance to completely focus on each other. Wedding planning involves so many different factors and little details that need to come together that sometimes, we lose sight of what the day is really about. But this is a time that you can make sacred. Maybe you decide to say your own private vows, just the two of you. Or you bring a bottle of champagne to cheers to this new season of life! The first look session can be whatever you want it to be, but most importantly it’s a time to be just the two of you.