I need your help/opinions/advice

dianaday06

So I would like to start our photography before the wedding in order to get family pictures and wedding party shots over with so that after the ceremony there will be minimal time wasted on pictures and more time having fun with our guests.  I don't want to miss any wonderful part of this day I'm working so hard to plan.  My sister did it so that she and her husband had a private "first look" of seeing eachother before pictures started.  My fh does NOT like this idea, he thinks we should see eachother for the first time when I am walking down the aisle.  Has anyone dont this or have an inside take on how it goes? I want to know what you and your husbands thought of it, if you're already married, or your perspective if you know someone else who did!

Thank you!!

I <3 Seabass

This post has quotes from real brides about whether they did the first look shot and how they felt about it. 

http://www.soulfulengagements.com/1/post/2009/11/seeing-each-other-before-the-ceremony.html

We didn't do it. The first time we saw each other was when I walked down the aisle. If I had it to do over I wouldn't do it any differently. But it's really about personal preference. Also, we had a really small BP (4 total) so the pictures afterwards didn't take very long at all. 

photosbyorion

We did a combination because our families felt strongly about us not seeing each other before walking down the aisle ( didn't really care so i went with it). We did all of the photos that did not require us to be together and we were escorted to and from the photo site by a couple of family members who were coordinating us not getting close. Then, after the ceremony we did the shots with us together (took no more than half an hour) while our guests settled. It worked well and I would highly recommend it for a summer wedding as the shots before the ceremony were during a cooler time of day. We happened to get married on the hottest day of the year so that was important at the time.

jesslv74

How long did you have your photographer stay? Did you do "getting ready" photos? I want to have those, some at the site before the ceremony of setup, groomsent and such,  then of course ceremony and recpetion. We are are doing our photos (us and family) during the cockail hour...we don't want to see each other b/f the wedding I would also like to have photos taken when we're getting our "send off." Plus, the site for the ceremony/reception (at the same place) is about 20 mins away from the hotel in which we'd be staying. The ceremony starts at 2pm and reception will go until 7pm (if we go after 7pm we pay extra so we HAVE to leave before 7pm). So my main conundrum is figuring out how early to have the photographer arrive at the hotel and so that she is able to take some of us and then at the ceremony site before we arrive. My BP is very small too.