New York-Hudson Valley

Pictures before/after? What did you do?

Hi all:



I am trying to figure out the timeline and when to do all of this. We are taking pictures right at our ceremony site, plan is set for after for about an hour or so. FI will do his grommsmen pics prior to. Did you do all pictures before the wedding ceremony of the wedding party, then family after? We really do not want to see each other until the actual ceremony and walk to each other. Any advice or share your experience?! Our ceremony is at 4:30, cocktail hour at 6:00, reception at 7. Gives us until 6p to take  pics and head to reception venue which is about a 20 mins drive.

TIA!!

Re: Pictures before/after? What did you do?

  • edited December 2011
    we did a first look,and every picture with our family and BP before and i am really glad we did it saved so much time.
  • tstegertsteger member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I am doing a first look for a few reasons.
    1 - it's going to be dark and I want to get some beautiful outdoor shots
    2 - i'm spending so much money on everything....i want to be around for the cocktail
    3 - i have a ton of out of towners who we dont see often, i want to hang out!
  • limocatlimocat member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We didn't want to see each other beforehand, so we did pictures after (but we had a gap). We did do pictures with out individual families beforehand and he did a bunch with his groomsmen (I didnt' have time to do many with my bridesmaids). You might think about doing some formal families during the reception-we did this during the cocktail hour and around some of the tables, which helped cut down on time needed directly after the ceremony.
  • edited December 2011
    We did them before but only because we had to due to some timing issues when we changed the date.  I would have really preferred to do them after.

    It is a minor thing but I don't have my wedding ring on in any of them and that bothers me but I never would have put it on before the ceremony.
  • kristinanddankristinanddan member
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    If you don't want to do a first look, your pictures will have to be after the ceremony. You'll finish them up while your guests are at the cocktail hour.
    imageimageimage
  • probablykateprobablykate member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    My FI really doesn't want to see me before the ceremony, so I think what we are going to do is this:

    Take individual pics beforehand like me with my parents, him with his groomsmen, etc.
    Then take group pics and pics of just me and FI together after the ceremony.

    That way we shouldn't have to miss more than half of the cocktail hour.  Definitely talk to your photographer and see what they recommend and how they work.  Also think about how many people you are having pictures with or how many different types of pictures you want.  I don't have a ton of people that I want pics with, so that helps too.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • edited December 2011

    This was our schedule:

    1pm - photog showed up at my parent's house where I was getting ready. My sisters and brothers were there as well.

    1 - 1:20 photog took pictures of details: rings, flowers, invite, car

    1:20 - 1:40 getting ready shots

    1:40 - 2:00 pics with entire family and me and my brothers

    2:00 guys went to the church

    2:00 - 2;15 - sister pictures and some of me alone (in the rain no less!)

    2:15 crazy rainstorm! everyone went for cover. I went to sit in the limo. Had bouquet, nothing else! (Photog left to head to church)

    2:20 sisters drove themselves, parents came with me to the church

    2;30 arrive at church. make a run for it to get inside. Photog already there taking pics of DH at church

    2:40 - 3:45ish ceremony

    3:45 receiving line.

    4:00 left church. headed to park.

    4:05 arrived at park. Photog took pics of me and Joe first, while waiting for bridal party and parents.

    by 4:20 everyone had arrived. We took the us with parents pics first, then Joe and his family shots. All the family shots. (My side, then his side) Parents were told the could leave first. Then it was bridal party pics. Then they left and it was Joe and myself for another 15 minutes or so.

    5:00 cocktail hour began (parents and bridal party had already arrived.

    5:15 we arrived.

    So we didn't really miss anything. We took a couple more pics towards the end of cocktail hour and went outside at some point during our reception to get golf pictures (the way people leave for sunset shots. We don't have sunset ones but we got some great golf shots).

    HTH! Ask your photog how much time they need and what they feel would be best. Good luck!


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