Pictures: Before or After?

There are so  many traditions involving weddings, one of the oldest and most acknowledged is the bride and groom not seeing each other before the ceremony. This tradition goes back to the days of arranged marriages where they thought that it was bad luck for anyone to see the bride before the wedding, especially the groom, in case he got cold feet. As time goes by wedding traditions come and go and the industry is really starting to see a trend where couples are trying to make their weddings as unique as possible by steering away from traditions.

One of the common questions I ask early on in the planning process is if the couple is going to see each other before the ceremony. This decision is such a personal one for many couples and I always encourage them to talk it through and decide what is right for them. Timing is, of course, a huge part of the day for me and when they are doing pictures is a large part of how the rest of the day will flow.

My reasons for encouraging The First Look:

1. Seeing each other for the first time is a very intimate and emotional moment. Instead of having the moment in front of 150 people, why not just have the two of you to share it?

2. This special moment creates some wonderful candid photography opportunities. Your photographer will be there but will stay out of the way so you can have your privacy. It can be scary standing in front of an audience and you don't want pictures of either of you looking shell shocked or stiff. You want natural, emotional pictures that you will treasure.

3. It relieves a ton of stress! Who can calm your nerves better than your future spouse? Having a few private moments to hold each others hand, whisper "I love you" and "I can't wait to marry you", can go along way in helping you to relax before walking down the aisle.

4. Your guests will love you for it! It is so difficult as a guest to have to find something to do in between a ceremony and reception if there is a gap in timing. With all of your pictures (or most of them) out of the way before the ceremony everyone can just head over to the party to celebrate, including you!

5. Friday night weddings are becoming a lot more popular lately. Due to some of your guests coming straight from work you may be having a later ceremony start time. If this is the case, doing pictures ahead of time will save you from not having dinner until 9 o'clock at night.

Okay, so I understand that doing a First Look is not for everyone. So if you decide to wait on pictures, here are a few tips I have to keep your guests comfortable and happy.

1. Do as many individual or group pictures beforehand as possible, (ex. bridesmaids, groomsman, bride, groom). This will cut down on the amount of time you need in between.

2. Have appetizers and beverages available and waiting for your guests to arrive at the reception venue. Have a cocktail hour scheduled so that your guests can go straight to the reception and not have to mingle around in between.

3. Include activities for the guests to do while they wait, such as photo booths, caricature artists or yard games, if there is an outdoor area and the weather permits. If either your ceremony or reception venue has tourist attractions, arrange tours for your guests or provide maps for gardens or trails.

(Image from [JG] Wedding Photography)

3. If your timing does not allow your guests to go right to the reception include a list of popular local attractions that they can tour and check out in the area. Include this on the program or as an additional handout at the ceremony. This can be included in the invitation but make sure you have copies available to hand out at the ceremony, not many people will think to take this along with them from home.

In the end, do whatever if right for you while keeping your guests in mind. If you need help planning out the timing of your wedding or event please give me a shout, I would love to help you!