When will he see you for the first time?

B.dry

Just wanted to know what y'all had planned for the first time your groom will see you on your wedding day?

Many of my friends have had their groom wait with his back to the door in a special location before the start of the ceremony and turn around when his bride gives him the signal. Others have waited until they are walking down the aisle for their groom to see them.

I'm planning on waiting for him to see me until I am walking down the aisle. For me I think that's a really special moment and I want our family to share it with us. I know the picture taking is something to consider but we have discussed doing all pictures before hand EXCEPT for the ones of just us together and both of us with our bridal party.

Thoughts?

anissasimone

I was going to wait till the ceremony for that WOW moment but a lot of other ladies mentioned a good alternative.

Since I only have a few minutes before sunset after the ceremony  I think I may have the photographer do a big private reveal before the ceremony so we can take pics. 

The location is beautiful with so many photo ops.  I don't want to feel rushed.  Plus I think a big reveal with just immediate family and bridal party outside among the gorgeous surroundings will be more memorable. 

janedoe1113a

He wants to see me for the first time as I walk down the aisle.

vlevitt

we are having a traditional jewish wedding, so he will see me for the first time at the bedekken (veiling) which takes place before the ceremony itself.  our photographer suggested we do photos together before the ceremony to lessen the amount we'd have to do during the cocktail hour, but both of us agree we want to wait for the bedekken.  it's such a beautiful moment, i'd hate to ruin it just for the sake of photos.   

junelley

Right before the formal photos, which will be taken place before the ceremony.  It seems to work out the best time wise and I think it'd be more intimate to see each other for the first time in private setting.  We'll have our "first moments" session then.

danieliza1127

We both agreed we wanted to stay traditional.  We said goodbye to each other Friday night and didn't see each other again until I walked down the aisle.  I will always remember that moment.

Pirata13

We are staying traditional as well. He will probably stay at the hotel Friday night with his brothers or best man, and I will stay home. We will also do as many photos alone/with families, groomsmen/bridesmaids as we can beforehand then do the together/group photos after the ceremony. We want to have that moment when I walk down the aisle.

homediva

I haven't decided yet....on one hand I love the idea of him seeing me for the first time as I walk down the aisle. But, from a logistics perspective, we are getting married late in the day and it seems silly to dilly-dally about all day, and then have to rush the photos! The hotel we are getting married at has a big grand staircase, so I was thinking of having him wait for me at the bottom of the stairs (it is a winding staircase), and see me for the first time like that. Eeee, I don't know! 

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

We're doing a private reveal. It doesn't matter much to me if there's any sort of reveal, but the photographer said it works really well.

We're doing a nice photo shoot at an off-site location a few hours before the ceremony with our WP, then we'll probably do family photos right after the ceremony.

britne28

I think the first time will be going down the aisle.  I first said that's when I wanted it and he didn't seem to mind either way.  But then reading on these posts I mentioned doing a private reveal but now he's leaning towards the aisle!  So who knows. 

jenn.daniel

We both really want to wait until I walk down the aisle.

rosebleuange

He wanted it to be when I first walked down the isle. Then I asked him if he waned that first intimate moment shared with everyone, or if he wanted a "First Look" before everyone is crowded around us. So we're going to have our first moments before the ceremony.

ashleypastori

I love the idea of him seeing me for the first time as I walk down the isle.  On the other hand, I used to be a photographer's assistant when I was in high school, and I can tell from that experience that couples enjoy their wedding and reception a lot more when all of the pictures are taken beforehand.  I'm still trying to make up my own mind.  

 Homediva, I love the staircase idea!

handfast4me

For my first wedding, I waited until I came down the aisle till he saw me. 

For my current DH, we saw one another when we woke up that morning, because, of course, we were in the same hotel room on Key West.  Now THAT was a good moment. 

cukimerrydoll

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_will-see-first-time?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:c878de9f-70f4-42fb-87d4-4034165f6de8Post:a15aaf3d-ef8e-4a60-998c-7194a8db07c5">When will he see you for the first time?</a>:
[QUOTE]Many of my friends have had their groom wait with his back to the door in a special location before the start of the ceremony and turn around when his bride gives him the signal.
Posted by B.dry@hotmail.com[/QUOTE]

That's what we're doing.  We're doing all the pictures beforehand, and I know the "wow" factor will come from the guests too.  I don't want to overwhelm the situation too much, so that's the other reason we're doing it that way.

And I'm pretty sure we'll both cry.  I do want that to be private and tender just between us.  Then we can do a private gift exchange just the two of us.

BahamaBride1908

We both want to wait until  the church doors open and he sees me coming down the aisle.  Our photographer suggested photos before, but we really want that first moment to bein the church. :-)  I can't wait!

Chanel8174

We also want our first moment with me walking down the aisle. However , our ceremony will start at 7pm and if we wait to do our couple's shots until the cocktail hour it will be about 7:30 pm..... pretty dark. So , I'm not too sure now. Thanks for bringing this topic up because clearly we need to discuss our options.

Chanel8174

well. that was fast! just spoke with FI and we decided to have a private reveal shoot before the ceremony to avoid having to take pictures in the dark after the ceremony. LOL so there ya go.

awdamm

HE DECIDED TO know NOTHING ABOUT MY DRESS, SHORT LONG, BEADS, WHITE, IVORY, PURPLE WITH GREEN POLKA DOTS.. nothing

so the isle reveal will be our method.. but just to increase the suspense and what not... we're having our photos taken with a thick paper wall barrier between us... so that we can see each shadow but no details... have the angle of the photo be taken from both points of veiw and then a split scren both press up against the wall and what not... spunds super sexy and super HOT to me!

oh and PS my dress isn't purple with green polka dots.. but its most definitly ISNT white either!

kjane12

At the aisle!  I just find the anticipation to be extremely special.

ocprincess

Walking down the aisle.  We really want to have that magic moment.

cassie lea

when i'm walking down the aisle! we're both going to be a big weepy mess, but that's part of it, right? hehehe...i can't wait!

emh777

We are having a private reveal and doing all or most of the pics before the ceremony.  

lindseroo

I've ALWAYS dreamed of it being when I walk down the aisle, but he says that it's impractical and I know he's right.  We still have awhile to figure it out.  We'll see if I can somehow win out. 

vrangel6

Walking down the aisle.  In a week.  Can't wait!

liz745

I let my FI decide this one and he wants to wait until I walk down the asile so that is what we are going to do. We disussed a private revealing before the ceremony, but he really wanted to do it the traditional way.

welshpixie322

@ awdamm:

My FI is the same way.  I thought maybe we should do a First Look, but he does not want to know anything about my who ensemble.  When I was with my BM dress shopping, I told him later that their dresses are a similar style to mine (meaning A-Line, which means nothing to him anyway!!) and he said he didn't want to see my BM dresses.  He definitely wants it to be a surprise.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose it though when I see him waiting for me at the other end of the aisle.

SuMmErKuTiE

I originally wanted to have that big moment with him seeing me for the first time as I walk down the aisle.. but we're having the ceremony outside at the same venue as our reception. So if we didn't see each other until I came down the aisle we'd have to do all our pictures after the ceremony and then we'd miss cocktail hour. We really want to be at our cocktail hour since it'll be on the waterfront terrace at our venue which is one of the selling factors in picking the place. So we weighed our options, and our friends who are already married, photographer, and wedding coordinator all agree it works out a lot better for everyone to get the pictures out of the way before the ceremony. We're going to have the private reveal before we go take pictures, and our photographer will be there to capture the look on his face when he sees me for the first time. Plus we won't be anywhere near as nervous as we will when I'm walking down the aisle in front of everyone. And FI said this makes him much more comfortable and that's what is important to me not some silly tradition or what other people may think of us breaking it. 

Brianne09

My fiance and I have stayed pretty traditional in most aspects of the wedding, including this one. We are taking pictures with our immediate families and wedding party seperately before the ceremony but the first time he sees me will be when I walk down the aisle. Before then he doesn't want to know anything about my dress, shoes, jewelry, nothing. I'm also staying at my MOH's house for a couple nights before the wedding so that moment will be even more special.

LittleMissBear

FI is a huge traditionalist so we will have an aisle reveal most likely.

shelchristian

My future husband will see me for the first time when the church doors open and I walk down the aisle to him!!

So excited for my big day!

Future Mrs. Schaefer

July 31st, 2010

7 months and two weeks to go) :)