unpopular opinion that should not be unpopular
I have now had multiple inquiry calls with couples who are getting married
and they have told me about this trend with wedding vendors um
that I was not aware of uh
and that I am frankly like
very bothered by if you ask me as a wedding photographer
I would tell you that yes
doing a first look where a couple sees each other before the ceremony
does help with the overall flow of the day
the overall timeline of the day
but what you’ll hear me say immediately after that
is that the convenience of the timeline for the vendors
should have no bearing on whether a couple decides to do a first look or not
as your wedding photographer
it is my job to make sure the day goes smoothly and stays on track
and then we get all of the photos that you are wanting
and that means taking into consideration your preference
for whether or not you are going to see your partner before the ceremony
and if your preference is to not see each other
until the moment of the ceremony arise
then it’s my job to make sure the timeline reflects that
and that we make adjustments as necessary
that just means that it’s my job between the reception and the ceremony
to be as efficient as possible
so I’m not keeping you from your cocktail hour or your reception
I’m not keeping your guests waiting
but we’re still getting all of the family portraits
or couple portraits or wedding party portraits that you’re wanting
so it’s my job to have a list of all of those photos
have a list of all the family portraits
have a point person
who is making sure everyone is rounded up and ready for their photos
and then I put on my teacher voice to say hey
Uncle Bob you’re not getting that drink right now
you’re in the next picture
you can get that drink after over here
but what I have now heard from multiple couples is that there are vendors
not just photographers but several photographers uh
who are telling their couples
I understand you don’t wanna do a first look
you want that special moment
like to happen at the ceremony
um but that’s really inconvenient
I will say this again
the convenience of your vendors should not matter one lick to you
your wedding vendors are there to make sure your day
looks exactly how you pictured your day going
and if you start to get pushed back from any vendor
that maybe their vision of your day doesn’t align with yours
probably a sign that they’re not gonna be the best friend of you