Let me say there is no wrong way to do your wedding day, but there are some things that you can do to help your day flow better and create less stress depending on the time of day that you're getting married.
If you're getting married early in the day, say a 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. wedding or earlier, then by all means, wait to see each other when you're walking down the aisle. If you're doing a late afternoon like 4 p.m. or after when there isn't much time between the ceremony and the reception then to save you, yes you, your photographer, wedding planner, and videographer undue stress, consider a first look.
Trying to do family portraits, the full wedding party, and then couples portraits in under an hour.... Please don't do that to yourself. We mean it in the most loving and kindest way, but it's going to be super fast, and super stressful and if the ceremony runs behind -- guess what gets cut? The photos of you two. Try getting all those wonderful photos in 5-10 minutes. Don't cheat yourself!
If you want to wait to see each other when walking down the aisle then plan for at least 1.5 hours between when the ceremony ends and the reception.
The First Look + Bride and Groom photos taken before the wedding ceremony
Pros:
The first time you see each other is private and shared just between you two
You will have time to process any feelings you're having, say anything you want, hug, kiss, and shed any tears, and process all of this without a million pairs of eyes on you
You both will look your freshest!
It saves time
It is less stressful for you
The nerves of seeing each other for the first time will be gone and then you can simply look forward to and enjoy your ceremony
Helps to ensure that there is enough time for the most important photos (the ones of you two!)
You can schedule all wedding party photos before the ceremony, so afterward all the formal images left to take are family photos and then you’ll be able to head to your reception quickly instead of having your guests wait for a longer period of time.
This is a great trial run of walking around and moving in your dress before you have to do it in front of everyone at your ceremony!
No couple has ever regretted doing a first look
Cons:
Seeing each other before the ceremony goes against tradition
Seeing Each Other at the Aisle + Bride & Groom Photos after the wedding ceremony
Pros:
You get to keep up with tradition
If you want to have a cocktail hour for guests between the ceremony and reception, taking the bulk of your images after the ceremony will allow your guests to mingle and enjoy drinks while you’re getting your pictures taken.
Cons:
If the ceremony begins late, or family photos run longer than expected, then it’s always the bride and groom photo time that gets cut short.
The photo time after the ceremony will take longer so guests will have approximately an hour and a half to two-hour break from when the ceremony ends to when the reception begins (this can be a pro or con depending on if you want to entertain your guests during this time or not!) Side note: Make sure if you're getting married during Fall/Winter you know when sunset is and plan your ceremony early enough so you're not taking couples photos in the dark if you're planning for outdoor ceremony/photos.
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