Photos before the Ceremony

Verena09

I had never considered having a "reveal" moment before the ceremony and doing the photographs beforehand until one of the photographers we were meeting with suggested it.

I always thought the first time my groom (and family) would see me would be when I am walking down the aisle.

The photographer made some good points though.  I do like that it would allow us more time to get the photos we want and not to feel rush (don't want to keep people waiting too long if we did photos after the ceremony).  It would also allow us to spend more time with our guests since we wouldn't be missing out on the entire cocktail hour.  And hopefully it would also make us less nervous for the ceremony and me in particular, less emotional.

What are people's thoughts on doing the wedding photos before the ceremony?

kerbohl

I see the pros and cons of having the pictures before.  They say that there is less rush, but I think that is a matter of opinion.  There is a ton to do before the wedding ceremony, so whether you fit it in then or fit it in later really makes no difference.  For me, I am having a morning ceremony, so I would feel like having photos before the ceremony would make me more rushed.  Cocktail hour is there so that you can get the pictures you want done, and people have been having the wait inbetween for years, so I'm sure the guests aren't too put out for you taking a few hours to do photos, as long as you have something for them to do. 
Another pro, though, is that you can share the moment of seeing each other on the wedding day in a private setting, rather than surronded by a whole whack of people.  It is also easier for the photographer to get in and see your face and the face of the groom.
Then, of course, there is the whole tradition of not seeing the groom before the wedding ceremony, but people should have  more tact than to judge you for seeing each other beforehand. 
I personally am doing my photos after the ceremony, but that is because I have weighed the above pros and cons for my day, and having them afterwards would make me less stressed, just because of my morning ceremony and whatnot.   

LincolnElizabethH

I am having my photos done before the ceremony. We are having our ceremony and receiption at the same hall, just using different rooms. So we are going to do "First Look" (or Reveal as you said) photos in the early afternoon. Our cereomy isn't until 4pm so I have ample time to do photos. And I am getting married in November so it gets dark early. Also, I know I'm going to cry (which I hate doing!) and so I want to have the pressure taken off with having our photos done before we walk down the isle. It's all about personal preference and the timing of your day.

naomikb

A first look wasn't for us.  We both wanted to see each other for the "first time" walking down the aisle.

I do think they have a lot of advantages - primarily that you can avoid a gap between the ceremony and reception and spend cocktail hour with your guests.

souptin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_canada-toronto_photos-before-the-ceremony?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:613Discussion:65bce2ef-d3c6-4cf7-a06c-edad84999c33Post:90f4999c-7624-48e0-aaba-58ee2e094483">Re: Photos before the Ceremony</a>:
[QUOTE]I am having my photos done before the ceremony. We are having our ceremony and receiption at the same hall, just using different rooms. So we are going to do "First Look" (or Reveal as you said) photos in the early afternoon. Our cereomy isn't until 4pm so I have ample time to do photos. And I am getting married in November so it gets dark early. Also, I know I'm going to cry (which I hate doing!) and so I want to have the pressure taken off with having our photos done before we walk down the isle. It's all about personal preference and the timing of your day.
Posted by jennifervola[/QUOTE]

This is exactly why we did a first look, our wedding was also November with a 4:30pm start and both reception/service in the same space downtown.

The first look took a lot of the crazy nerves away-H and I both shed a little tear when we did the first look but the moment was perfect and having all the photos done aside from the family shots was such a blessing! I guarantee I got loads more photos because I didnt feel rushed to get back to the party.

Jewel224

We tried to do the first look done but we didn't have the time with the travel and all the other stuff in between.  While it was nice to have the whole look at each other as I walked down the aisle, there just wasn't enough time during cocktail hour to get all the photos I would have liked. 

Angelface225

I am planning a first look and photos before my ceremony. We're getting married on a Friday and FI didn't want ppl to have to take a full day off work, so our ceremony is at 6pm.

Verena09

Thanks for all the input!

I'm pretty sure we're going to go with the First Look.  I still have a little bit of time to decide.  My family isn't too keen on the idea because of the whole tradition of not seeing the bride before the ceremony.  For that reason we're likely only going to do the bridal party and bride and groom shots before the ceremony and we will spend a bit of the cocktail hour doing family photos.