First Look, Family Portraits, and Bridal Portraits – What You Need to Know

I know I’m supposed to tell you that the single most important purchase you make for all of your wedding vendors is your wedding planner, but it’s not. It’s photography. Photography is the most important purchase you’re going to make. It is the thing that will have the long lasting memories that you will cherish. It’s also the thing that shows the work that the rest of us did. So it’s really important for your wedding vendors as well. So you should definitely always make sure to choose a good photographer for your wedding day. Here is some advice about wedding day portraits that I often get a lot of questions on and there are often a lot of misconceptions around.

First Look

To do a First Look or not do a First Look: this is a common question that we are often asked. If you are very adamant about not doing a First Look and not seeing each other until you walk down the aisle and you have the time and the logistical ability to do this on your wedding day, then it’s totally fine. Your photographers can work with it. They can make sure you don’t see each other, etc. I am definitely a fan of the First Look though for many reasons. Number One: It helps relieve a lot of the pressure and the stress of keeping everyone away from each other before the ceremony. I think also for a couple getting to see each other at the beginning of the day and initially before all those pictures, it’s just a special moment for them and it helps them kind of take a deep breath and relax. Also, it’s one of the few very personal and private moments you get to have on your wedding day. If you’re an introverted person or someone that’s not super comfortable with a lot of PDA, then this is great because you can go ahead and have your true emotions show. You don’t have to worry about everybody judging you or looking at you, and you get to have a truly private moment. Another thing to think about is the timing of things on your wedding day. If you’re at a venue that gives you very little time, like a church for example that gives you very little time in between ceremony and reception, like you have to get out of there immediately after ceremony, it makes it very hard to not do a First Look because you have to immediately get going and get everyone to the reception. This can cause a lot of stress, especially when you still have to do your extended family portraits after the ceremony. Therefore, doing first look ahead of time can also help alleviate a lot of that. I promise also it doesn’t ruin the big moment. Brides, I promise that if your groom sees you prior to the wedding during a first look when you walk down the aisle and he sees you coming towards him about to become his wife, he’s not going to be like, “Meh, already seen it. Old news.” He’s still going to be super happy and excited and emotional because now it’s finally becoming real. So, if you are on the fence about doing a First Look, I would do it because it helps relieve a lot of stress and it makes the day go a lot smoother. However,  if you are adamant against doing it, that’s okay, too.

Family Portraits

I will say until the end of my career that the only Portraits that should be done prior to your ceremony are wedding party, bride and groom (if you’ve done a First Look), parents, and siblings. That’s it. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, flower girl, ring bearer – all of those should happen after the ceremony. I know your family’s tight. I know everybody gets along. I know you think it’s going to be super fun to have all those people there at the ceremony. But prior to ceremony taking pictures, it’s not fun, I promise. No matter how much you love your family, it’s too stressful. Everybody wants to hug you. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone’s trying to organize. This person’s not paying attention. Grandma needs a break. Kids needs to go to the bathroom. All of that prior to ceremony, gives you a little bit of anxiety. Once you’re married and you’ve done that, then it’s fine. You can relax and then we can kind of go through those Family Portraits really quickly in a way that expedites getting everyone to the reception. To that note, it is really important for you to tell your family prior to the wedding, “Hey, when the minister or the officiant says immediate family stay for photos, that means you stay in place. Send them an email before the wedding. Tell them at rehearsal dinner. So many times I have seen the officiant forget to make this announcement. But if your family knows they’re supposed to stay, then they typically will. Once your family heads into cocktail hour, it is very difficult to find them and wrangle them back. Thus, it’s really helpful to give them a heads up and to give your photographer a very detailed portrait list of these family members so we can get through those photos quickly because, no matter what, these photos are the most annoying part of the day. Sorry!

Bridal Portraits

Should you do them? In this part of the country (Texas), we have a lot of people that like to do Bridal Portraits. It’s not a must. If you want pictures just of you as the bride at the wedding, then obviously you need to do Bridal Portraits. There will always be plenty of time on the wedding day, however, to get portraits just of you. So, don’t do bridal portraits for that reason. There are many things to think about when choosing to do Bridal Portraits that many brides do not think about, rather they just think about the cost of the actual photography, which typically ranges between $450 to $750. However, do you want a bouquet made for that bridal portrait session? That’s another $300. Do you want your hair and makeup done for that bridal portrait session? That’s another $300. Is your session going to be outside where your dress might get dirty and you’re going to have to get it cleaned before the wedding? That’s typically another $200. If you’re wanting to do this at a location that’s not your wedding location and it’s an indoor location, you’re going to have to pay a fee to take photos in that location, which usually is somewhere from $300 to $600. So now that session that you thought was going to be $400 or $500 is a $2,000 experience. Make sure you’re aware of that, and only choose to do bridal portraits if you really want those portraits of you on display at the wedding. Pro Tip, brides, if you do want bridal portraits displayed at the wedding, you should also have portraits of you and your fiancee, as a couple. I’ve had many weddings where it’s just Bridal Portraits, there’s not a picture of the guy in sight, and it feels a little weird. So, include pictures of him, too, please.

Photography is so super important. If you are looking to save money in any way, don’t save on photography. Go with the best photographer that you can afford. Even if it means you can’t get an album immediately and have to get it later, you won’t regret it. You’ll be glad that you chose a photographer that can do a great job. You’re going to need 8 to 10 hours of coverage on the wedding day at a minimum. Don’t do the thing where you pay for 6 hours and they do a fake send-off and come back in for the rest of the party. This kills the party, and some of the greatest moments of the night happen in like  2 hours of the wedding. People are the drunkest, so they’re having the most fun on the dance floor. You do private last dance. You do a sendoff. Don’t send your photographer home early. Have them there for a little bit of getting ready all the way to the end. You won’t regret it. It’s the most important thing you’re paying for on your wedding day.