How do you feel about seeing your bride/groom before the wedding ceremony?
Seeing each other before the ceremony – Pros:
– You get an awesome big reveal moment with just the two of you or with your friends and family (you can customize how intimate you want it).
– It makes for a great photo op.
– You will be more relaxed during the ceremony and there’s less risk that make up will be running down your face in front of hundreds of people.
– You can finish most pictures before the ceremony so you won’t have to step away from the cocktail/reception for a long period of time to take formals. Less rushed and less stressful.
Cons:
– Goes against tradition
That’s all I can think of in terms of cons. Haha. Although, not seeing each other before the ceremony can produce a spectacular moment too. I love seeing the look on a groom’s face when he sees the bride walk down the aisle for the first time. With everyone standing around, there are a zillion more nerves and everyone is extra emotional. Plus I am hugely entertained when the groom tries to hold back tears. Muahaha.
From the weddings I have attended or photographed, the day seems to go smoother when the couple sees each other before the ceremony. It’s more relaxed and you have more opportunity to enjoy your day. What do you guys think? Please post your personal experience in the comment section below!
I’ve always believed that I would wait until I walked down the aisle for my future husband to see me, all dolled up… it’s something I’ve been struggling with, now that I’m engaged, because I’m afraid of what my family/friends/guests will think if we see each other beforehand.
However, I’ve been obsessed with looking at wedding photos for the past couple years (yes, I admit it) and it just seems CRAZY to not see each other beforehand and get all those awesome photos! I have a few reasons…
(1) The “first look” moment seems priceless, and much better suited for an intimate audience.
(2) Your makeup and hair are FRESH, so all the better for the photos!
(3) It’s true, you get a lot of photos out of the way before the wedding, so you have more time to spend relaxing and talking with your guests in between ceremony and reception…
OR (4) you can take even MORE awesome photos with your spouse and bridal party (or whoever) Cause we all LOVE photos!
and lastly (5) Does anyone know why “waiting” was tradition to begin with??? Perhaps knowing that could change my mind….
the top two photos are great… but they’re obviously set up and although i see all the reasons why you would want to get the “big reveal” out of the way, i’m like you – where i find the best moments to capture in the candids… i mean – come on, look at that last picture. nothing beats that once-in-a-lifetime moment when the guy is staring at his future wife down at the end of the aisle… thinking to himself, “well damn, i’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
you can have a list of a hundred pros for something new, but tradition is tradition.
I’ve always believed that I would wait until I walked down the aisle for my future husband to see me, all dolled up… it’s something I’ve been struggling with, now that I’m engaged, because I’m afraid of what my family/friends/guests will think if we see each other beforehand.
However, I’ve been obsessed with looking at wedding photos for the past couple years (yes, I admit it) and it just seems CRAZY to not see each other beforehand and get all those awesome photos! I have a few reasons…
(1) The “first look” moment seems priceless, and much better suited for an intimate audience.
(2) Your makeup and hair are FRESH, so all the better for the photos!
(3) It’s true, you get a lot of photos out of the way before the wedding, so you have more time to spend relaxing and talking with your guests in between ceremony and reception…
OR (4) you can take even MORE awesome photos with your spouse and bridal party (or whoever) Cause we all LOVE photos!
and lastly (5) Does anyone know why “waiting” was tradition to begin with??? Perhaps knowing that could change my mind….