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Taking Pictures Before Ceremony

kasabbykasabby
5000 Comments Sixth Anniversary Combo Breaker
in New Jersey
FI and I are going to do first look photos. I had originally planned to have FI and I do a lot of our pictures before hand to try to cut down on the time after the ceremony. We are getting married at our venue, so cocktail hour starts as soon as the ceremony is over and I don't want to miss the whole cocktail hour. I was thinking that maybe we could do some of the bridal party pics before hand too. 

Has anyone done BP pics before as well, or plan to do it? If so, how long did it take? Did it work out okay logistically? Or is this just a bad idea in general?
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Re: Taking Pictures Before Ceremony

  • jrgoogrljrgoogrl
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    FI and I are doing photos before our ceremony. We're getting married at our venue too. Our ceremony starts at 6:30pm, and our photographer wants FI and I ready for 3pm so we can do photos, then for the BP to be ready at 4pm and then we'll do the family after. Hope that helps!
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  • tstrayer27tstrayer27 member
    Third Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We are going to do the same thing. Probably will start taking photos about 3 1/2 hours before the ceremony. We are getting married at our venue as well. We will probably take a couple afterwards as everyone goes into cocktail hour, but want to miss as little as possible. All bridal party photos will be done before the ceremony.
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  • jchristeljchristel member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I don't think it's a bad idea at all.  We did pictures of the two of us together, bridal party pics and pics with MH's family before the ceremony.  The BP pics were very quick because we had already taken pictures with our BMs & GM on our own after getting ready.  It's really just a few group shots unless you want something more elaborate.  My parents are divorced and we had to do two sets of family pictures on my side after the ceremony so I tried to  get so many out of the way before the ceremony as possible.  My only suggestion is that whatever you decide, make sure your photographer and BP have a very clear plan, wrangling people can take a lot of time!  
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  • Danes983Danes983 member
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    DH and I met at 4:30 to do our first look private photos.  He said it was his most favorite part of the night. Just him and I spending time together. Then at 5:30 we all headed over in buses to the venue and we took all of the pictures before hand.  They probably took about an hour after all was said and done.  We did more of just us, then we did all the family pics and the bridal party pictures. Ceremony was at 7pm. We only had 2 other "scheduled pictures" to take after that which were each whole family picture.  This gave us ample time to chat with our guests and enjoy our night. I kept asking him what time it was expecting him to say 10pm, or and the first time is was only 8:30. LOL
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  • Danes983Danes983 member
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Oh, I also want to say that taking pics before did in no way take away from me walking down the aisle. We were both very very emotional throughout our ceremony.  It just made it more special.
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  • Denise91980Denise91980 member
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    We did first look photos as soon as I got to the venue...around 4:30ish. I wouldn't have it any other way. The photographer literally made it "just the 2 of us." He made everyone go inside and this was our private 40 minutes of the day before all the craziness began. 
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  • shoebieshoebie member
    Sixth Anniversary 1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    My friend is doing first looks for her wedding with the bridal party, I think its a great idea 
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  • altimat873altimat873 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I am also doing beforehand, my ceremony starts at 530pm so our photog said we should start around 3pm for first look, then family, then bridal party photos and he said it shouldnt be much more than 2 hours then of course we plan to take more in the beginning of cocktail hour with others etc.
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  • mchristian05mchristian05 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011

    So glad you asked this question.  I am in the same boat...my ceremony and reception are both at my venue as well.  I decided to do the first look phots, BP and family pics before as well too!  I was a little skeptical but after readinf this post I'm happy I'm going to do it this way.

    Quick question for you and all who have done this already.  Did you get dressed at your venue? Did you do casual shots with your BM's before getting dressed?  I'm thinking about doing this but not sure if this will be too hectic.

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  • Danes983Danes983 member
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I wasnt really into the getting ready pictures to be honest.  I knew I wouldnt have picked them for my album.  So I had the photographer arrive at the hotel right before I started putting my dress on.  So he got shots of my mom lacing me up.  So to answer your first question, no i didnt get ready at the venue. But I did do a shoe change as I wore snow boots/slippers for the pictures before hand bc some were outside.
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  • altimat873altimat873 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011

    I havent done yet but I am getting ready at my venue, my photog is coming at like 2PM so he said he will do the "staged" makeup, hair, putting on my dress etc but most of it he said will be done before I get there. I kind of think its your time, when you're getting ready, to be with your bridal party and your mom etc to kind of just get ready and not necessarily to take pix from 6am to 12am LOL

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  • jcg98jcg98 member
    1000 Comments Third Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    I really want to do first look pics, but my FI doesn't!  Sigh.  It would really help us get pix in daylight, move the (Friday) ceremony start time a little later, and avoid the dreaded "gap" (although our venue will open the bar early which is a plus.)  I'll keep working on him.  :)
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  • cutiepie12702cutiepie12702
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We are doing all of our pictures before the ceremony. I don't want to miss the cocktail hour (nor do I want the wedding party and our family to miss any of it). We are starting very early, but that's because we have a limo to go to Monmouth University to take pictures. Our ceremony is at 6, we are leaving the hotel at 1 to go to MU with the wedding party, and plan to be back at the hotel by 4 to take pics with our family.
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  • cindy91788cindy91788
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I am not doing this, but I have been a bridesmaid in a few weddings in this situation. They basically did all the photos with the bride and bridesmaids, and groom/groomsmen separately. Then, he came, they took their photos together, along with families. We then took the pics with the entire bridal party. This was all done before the ceremony. From the time the groom got there until the time we were done, it took just over an hour or so. (that's not including the time we spent taking pics with the bride/bridesmaids).
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  • WeLoveLilo05WeLoveLilo05 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We are at a disagreement as to what to do about pics. We are also having our ceremony at our reception site. So cocktail hour starts right after and I honestly don't care if I miss it, but fiance doesn't want to. So he wants the pics before.  We are doing pics at the beach (hopefully weather permitting), but its right down the block so not a big deal.

    Our photographer pointed out that (and this is what made me begin to rethink doing the pics before the ceremony with fiance) that she won't be getting his initial reaction of me walking down the aisle, and vice versa (we have 2 photographers). So I am a little bummed about that.
    We also have to think of how we'd transport everyone to and from, since we would be meeting up first w/o our wedding party.
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  • sgdc2011sgdc2011 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We are taking pictures before the ceremony as well.  RIght now- the plan is to start the firstl ook pictures around 2:30- take the bridal party to do some pictures at a local park and have the family meet us at the reception hall to take pictures there. 
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