So while I am looking forward to a great big reception, the first and probably last time our families will be together, I really wanted a ceremony. To me, that IS the wedding. However, due to our different faiths, we decided we wanted to have an interfaith ceremony. Both of us were really, really excited about it, actually. Long story short, his family refused to attend if we did, so "we" decided, much to my extreme disappointment, to nix the ceremony and get married by a judge in private, and later have the big reception. (We didn't get married yet).
Anyways, so we are just having a formal reception. I still want there to be that "surprise," like, when my fiance sees me the first time in my dress. I won't be coming down any aisle, so I am upset about that. But perhaps there's still something we can do? I thought about having him wait on the dance floor, and then I enter, with my brother essentially "giving me away" even though we'll already be married. Then we just have our first dance. But logistically, I don't really understand how it will work.
For example, how will we take pics? We had planned on it during cocktail hour, after the ceremony. I am still willing to have a cocktail hour, of course, but then obviously my fiance and I will have to see each other before the big dance. Is there another way to have a surprise introduction? To make it somewhat meaningful?