Information on First Looks

In this blog, our owner Jamie is discussing the options and limitations on doing a first look at our elopement locations in Las Vegas including little white chapel, red rock, valley of fire, and sure thing chapel.

Video Transcript:

Hi everybody! Jamie here with JamieY photography and Rock N Romance Elopements. I wanted to talk to people about doing first looks. 

We do a lot of weddings at some of the chapels in town, and specifically, Little White Chapel in Vegas, they do not allow for you to do a first look at the location. 

You do have to arrive at the Chapel 30 minutes before your ceremony time. Both of you have to go together and sign the paperwork, so there’s no way to do a first look at that chapel. They just do not allow it. So if you’re getting married at Little White Chapel and you want to do a first look, you would have to arrange to do it either at your hotel before you leave, or you could go and do it at a separate location. Another option, sometimes people will go to Little White Chapel early and do a first look outside. Sometimes, depending on when you get married, there might be a lot of people there. You may not be able to get, like, the perfect, ideal spot. There may be a lot of people in the background. So you just have to keep that in mind. If that is something you want to do there, you would have to arrive more than 30 minutes before your ceremony, and have your photographer come that early as well to do the first look. And you may not be able to do it in a location that you would like. So just something to keep in mind. You could always go somewhere else. 

I find it’s usually easiest to do it at your hotel, because you can do it in your room, or if there’s a quiet place somewhere at the hotel. I have done some outside of the chapel, like if you’re more concerned with how much time and the investment that you’re spending with photography, you could have the photographer meet you like 45 minutes before the ceremony, do a first look outside, and then do some photos during the 30 minute time where you’re waiting for your ceremony to take place. They do bring you in to do your final paperwork a few minutes before. So even getting there 30 minutes early, you don’t get all that time to do photos, but you can get some photos in the waiting room or whatever. I just like people to be aware of this. 

If you really want to do a first look, it isn’t necessarily easy or possible at all locations, but if you want that captured and you’re okay spending a little bit more money, we can definitely help make that work for you. 

At Sure Thing chapel, you know, I’m not entirely sure. I think it could be kind of set up, but the way the chapel is, it might be hard for one of the partners to not see the other one when they come in. I believe that they would allow it. It’s just easier to do beforehand. With Sure Thing chapel, they only let you in a couple minutes before or right at the time of your booking. So technically you could arrive 10 minutes early, do a first look outside and then go in for your ceremony. 

Places like Red Rock Valley of Fire, Neon Museum, or some of the other places that we do elopements, there is a lot more flexibility. We could set a first look up for you in a semi private or private area right before the ceremony, or if you wanted to have the first look be the traditional method when you’re walking down the aisle. A lot of those locations, we can make that happen. Such as the Neon Museum, there is a back aisle where the bride can enter separately, so the groom or the other partner, if it’s same sex couple, whoever is going to be surprised, can wait to see the person enter right before the ceremony. For Red Rock, Valley of Fire, places like that, we can also arrange (kind of hide) the bride or whichever partner wants it to be a surprise in a vehicle, and then have them exit the vehicle and do the first walk down the aisle so it’s a surprise. 

I know some people, this is very important to you. And if it is, if you want to do it in advance, or you want it to happen during the ceremony, keep in mind that a Little White Chapel, it is not going to work out there. And even at Sure thing chapel, it would be tricky. (Well, I think we can make it happen) It’s just not as seamless as some of the other locations. 

Hopefully this is helpful for you when making decisions. Those are the two main chapels that we do partner with. We’re not necessarily partnered with, but we book them for you, and we know they allow outside photographers. We’re familiar with the locations and the practice. Currently, there are no other chapels that we work directly with, but I do know some that are opening, and some newer ones that may be allowing outside photographers. Pretty much those are the only places that we offer, because otherwise we can’t provide a photographer and we’re not able to provide a full service for you. 

So hopefully this information is helpful. As you know, you can always contact us with questions, and we can help determine whether or not something is possible or not. And that’s pretty much all I have for you today, but I did want to share that, because it does get confusing, and we do get a lot of requests for first looks, and sometimes we just cannot make it happen unless you add time on with the photographer and time for the rest of your day. So thank you for watching bye!