September 2014 Weddings

Pictures before or after ceremony?

What do you guys want to do and why? I don't know what to do! Part of me wants to be traditional and wait till after the ceremony and another part wants to get my nerves settled and take our couple pictures before. I spoke to a girl today who just got married in November and she said taking her pictures before the wedding was a great idea and it really calmed her down, and she said it was still very emotional at the alter. Any thoughts or comments? 

Re: Pictures before or after ceremony?

  • We are going to do me with the girls and him with his guys and the bridal party before the wedding, but him and i won't see each other and will finish the photos with us and the bridal party and our families after the ceremony.


  • Our case is a bit different; we'll be signing our ketubah prior to the ceremony and we have to see each other for that. While we're still working out details we'll take at least some photos then. However, it will only be about a half hour before the ceremony starts so we are planning to take photos in the ceremony space afterward.
  • We are doing them before so that way during cocktail hour we have time to sign the marriage certificate and spend a few minutes alone before we go down and either get announced or start mingling with guests. I'm sure we will do some pictures after but, the majority will be before the ceremony including the first look. Just seems the least stressful for us.
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers

    image
  • Ditto what @jco619 is doing, separate pics before the ceremony and just together afterward. Don't want to keep our guests waiting too long (and I'm gonna want to get after those appetizers)! As convenient as it sounds to get them all out of the way before, I just can't help wanting that "big moment" when I walk down the aisle. Hopeless romantic over here. Plus I think the lighting will be far more flattering after our ceremony than before. Indirect sunlight FTW!

    image
    image
  • I really wanted to do them after because I wanted him to see me walking down the aisle as his first glimpse of my dress BUT I'm thinking twice. We may do a first look photo then as many group pics before as we can. Our ceremony is outdoors and late - 6:30pm. Dusk is around 7:20 so we really wouldn't have much time.
  • We have decided to do all the pictures before hand. We are going to do a first look capture, so we have that moment. We wanted to be kind to the out of town guests and just roll from the Ceremony to the Reception right away.
  • We are doing a first look so we can squeeze in all our pictures before the ceremony and cocktail hour. We want to be able to greet our guests and eat some food before the reception. It also allows us a bit of time during our hour and 1/2 cocktail hour to take a few pictures with extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) if that's something they want...and knowing them, they will.

    I honestly have yet to hear someone say they regretting doing their pictures before hand.

    Good luck!
  • We are doing pictures with the flower girls, ring bearer and DS who will be 12mo the morning before so the kids are in good moods, but we will be doing our couples photos during cocktail hour.
  • I was against pictures together & a staged first look.  I really wanted him to see me walking down the aisle to be the first time he saw me.  However, when we met with our photographers, they pointed out that because of the time of our ceremony, 6:30, there won't be much light left to work with outside.  So I'm in the same situation as @meechellebelle.  I picked the venue for the outside picture possibilities....it is a golf course, with gorgeous fountains.  So that pretty much made me rethink my original plan.  Hopefully we'll be able to stage the first look photos outside in the ceremony space.  Our photographers also said doing it before helps to ease the nerves.  Gives us some time together before everything.  Then we can relax a little together after the ceremony before we do extended family pictures.
    image
  • We are doing a first look because I am very emotional. If the first time I see FI is on the way down the aisle, I'll be a blubbering mess through the whole ceremony. I'd rather get the tears out of the way so my guests can understand what I'm saying during the vows!
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
    eyeroll
  • We're doing first look photos mainly due to the timing of our ceremony. We're having a 6:30 pm ceremony outside and the sun will be setting at 6:45. I've alway wanted to do our photos outdoors so the only practical way is to do that before the ceremony. The venue that we're using has this lakefront cottage with a wrap around porch over the water that they let the couple getting married that weekend rent out and we'll most likely use that for a lot of the pictures. Plus this way we can enjoy the majority of our cocktail hour before dinner starts!
  • We're doing it after. We're having a 1pm ceremony and it's at our church, 45 minutes away from our house. If my hall has an event the night before, we won't be able to walk through or touch up the reception venue until Saturday morning...leaving me to do that, hair, make-up, and everything else before 1pm! No way could I throw in photos too.

    I'm with PPs, I want our photos to capture the emotion in seeing one another for the first time down the aisle. Also, we paid a shitload of $$$ for that dress and he better cry his eyes out when he sees it. ;)


  • We're doing it before the ceremony- hair/makeup will be fresh and it honestly seems to make more sense for us time-wise!
  • After ceremony, we have a long break between ceremony and reception it just makes sense for us. Church only does weddings at 2pm.
  • After the ceremony during cocktail hour.
     
    As our ceremony and reception are all on the same site  (a conservation area) we will be doing it during the cocktail hour.
     
    My FI is a stickler for some traditions (not seeing me until I walk down the aisle being one) there won' t be any negotiation with this one. I am hoping to get some of my family shots done prior to the ceremony as MOST of my family will be on site helping set up (and I am getting ready on site with my girls as well)
  • We're going to do them between the ceremony and reception, mostly because I'm just worried about how much time we'll have before hand and I don't want to make people who are driving from farther away wait longer than they have to to get things started. Plus, the one traditional thing I'm clinging on to is waiting for him to see me.
  • Originally we were going to do them after the ceremony but after meeting with the venue and thinking about make-up etc… figured ti would be best to do so that we can relax during our cocktail hour and drink… we are doing a first look, I'm very excited about that.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards