pics before the ceremony?

natandbri

I would like to get some opinoins on getting your pictures done before the ceremony. Did anyone do this or is going to? Our photographer suggested this being that we might be planning on having the ceremony and reception at the same location.

Jenni83

I did pictures before the ceremony,my hubby and i met at a secluded spot so we would still have that aww moment and it worked out great,pictures take alot of time so we were able to get most out of the way so we could enjoy our ceremony w/o always being pulled away for a picture(we did pictures before and we still missed most of cocktail hr,so if we had'nt taken them we would have missed out on alot of our ceremony to),it also takes alot of stress off of you bc you have already seen eachother before the ceremony so you may not be as nervous.

Bat937

We did it out of neccessity when we rescheduled the wedding.  Our photo spot was no longer available.  IMO it was lacking. We weren't married yet but there we were pretending we were for the photos. I'm not wearing a wedding ring in any of the photos.  It was odd.
If you can, do them after the ceremony.

manda26

I kinda want to but we are having the typical church ceremony then on to the reception with lots of time in between so it looks like we wont do them. I really just want to see him, have a little moment - our last before being husband and wife.

stapletond

We are taking photos before the ceremony.  We are getting married at our reception venue, and we don't want to miss our cocktail hour or feel rushed in taking photos.  Our photographer explained that he sets up a really sweet first viewing of one another to make it special.  I'm not at all concerned about the tradition of it all...I care more about not being rushed and getting really nice quality pics.  Plus we want to enjoy the party and not be pulled for pics.

Hope this helps!

karbar42

We are also doing it prior to the ceremony.  We are getting married at 6:30 p.m. in September and it would be dark after the ceremony, plus we wanted to be able to enjoy the cocktail hour.  FI was hesitant at first, but the benefits won him over (ie enjoying cocktail hour).

rblucy

We did pictures before too.  If you are having the ceremony and reception at the same place (which we did) it just makes it less rushed then trying to squeeze everything in during cocktail hour.  That also allowed us to talk with a lot of our guests during cocktail hour cutting down on the amound of time we had to spend doing that during the reception itself.  I will say, though, that I am Jewish and in Jewish tradition a couple always sees each other first so I don't think I grew up with this big imagine in my head of walking down the aisle and seeing my husband for the first time. 

ssage

We had the ceremony and reception at the same place but still did our pics b/w the cocktail hour...we also got the venue to extend our cocktail hour...and got rid of our appetizer course during the reception so that we could chat with people during the cocktail hour.  It worked out great and our photog even got to get pics outside (it was pouring that day) which I so desperately wanted.

I may be old fashioned but I feel the first time you see each other on that day should be when you walk down the aisle.

SandDD

I'm planning on doing pics before.  We're doing the ceremony & reception in the same place, in September as well, so it just makes sense.  I'm actually most looking forward towards seeing each other before--I'm excited to be able to take in the moment of us seeing each other without all of the other emotion of walking down the aisle, my dad "giving me away."  Plus, FI gets nervous and I think it'll help him enjoy the day too.

kristinanddan

We did our pictures before and I am so glad that we did. It made for some gorgeous photos and it definitely helped to reduce our nerves. If your ceremony and reception are at the same place, doing your photos before will let you relax and enjoy your cocktail hour if you want. You'll also have plenty of time for photos, as opposed to just the cocktail hour.

Doing your photos beforehand gives you photos like this:



And this gem:

Rachiemoo

Yes we did them before and I was so glad to get them out of the way.  Like Rblucy mentioned, I'm Jewish so it wasn't a big deal to see DH before the ceremony as this is the custom.

limpetfan

All our shots together will be taken after the ceremony.  We just feel the moment where we see each other as I walk down the aisle is something we've both thought about a lot, and we don't want to take anything away from that.  However, our photographer is going to take every other possible shot - family, me with the bridesmaids, him with the groomsmen, etc - before the ceremony, so we should be able to catch the tail end of our cocktail hour without rushing.

mocknine

We are not seeing each other before the wedding.  I am looking forward to seeing him for the first time walking down the aisle.  It's just one of those traditions we're not willing to give up.  

Do what feels right for you!

feuerrose2

I would love to do the lion's share of the photos before the ceremony, but the ceremony is at 11.  I am just not sure if we will have enough time to get ready.  I really don't want to miss the cocktail hour.  Maybe that sounds weird, but I chose all this stuff, because I like it.    I want my mini cheeseburgers!

I am going to talk to the photographer about it...I hope it is doable.

natandbri

Thanks for all the great feedback! I didn't really want to do the pics before cause I want to see him and him see me for the first time when I walk down the isle but I also don't want to miss the cocktail hour! So now I'm looking for another location for the ceremony. Decisions Decisions! LOL

Crissyo

I don't think missing the cocktail hour is that big of a deal...we did miss it...I do wish that I could have been a fly on the wall, but in all honesty...my husband and I sat in the bridal suite for a good half hour and the bridal attendant brought us great food an we enjoyed eachother for that half hour ( and the food and drinks)...Then, I think it was more exciting when we got formally announced. While I did definitely miss out on some of the cocktail hour food, I feel like if i was in the cocktail hour I would have been talking and not eating anyhow...so it worked out ok for us!

LaurelMcGovern

God yes, it let us enjoy our cocktail hour without any drama! Our photog went along with whatever we wanted, but we thought about it and I'm SO GLAD we did it. You don't have to do all of the family shots before the ceremony, but if you have old folks in your clan, it's easier on them. Message me personally if you want to see my wedding pictures. I think our photog also has some on her site http://www.angelacappetta.com

Remember, it can still be special if you plan the process of seeing each other before hand with a gentle touch.