to-see-or-notbto see or not to see….that is the question!

as a wedding photographer I work together with my clients to come up with a feasible schedule for the day so that we can ensure that we get the photographs that everyone wants, often during these conversations the question comes up:

Should we see each other before the wedding ?

I’ll premise this as I do all my “advice” posts. This is your wedding, so the choice is ultimately up to you. Many people choose not to see each other before the ceremony because of the beauty of that moment of seeing your bride/groom at the other end of the isle (but I will remind you that that moment will still happen, even if you have already seen each other :)) or because they simply never thought about it, but here are some of the benefits that I see to seeing each other before the ceremony.

1.The first time you see your partner on your wedding day its an amazing moment, a real time of excitement and precious emotions. But when that moment is shared with all of your wedding guests you may not have the opportunity to express all of the feelings you have in that moment. I was so overcome with emotion on my wedding day that it drove me NUTS not being able to just wrap my arms around him! When I am there capturing a pre-cermony “reveal” its beautiful to see the couple share in that moment, capture it and let them just be them.

2. Having photographs taken before the ceremony allows for more time with your guests and allows for a different flow through the day. You don’t need as big of time stretch between the ceremony and the reception.

3. Wedding schedules can be difficult at best, so allowing for photos at the beginning of the day means it is less likely that the photography time will get cut due to other reasons.

4. Fresh as a daisy. When you see each other and take photos first thing, your makeup, hair and flowers are all at their best!

5. Variety. If you want family photos at one location, and a couple of locations with your bridal party or spouse…we can work a couple in before hand and a couple in between the ceremony & reception… just allows for some more variety.

Like I said before, the traditional way of doing things does work, but seeing each other before can be a good option too!

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i love the First Look. its a great time to capture incredibly raw emotions of love and excitement. Its also a great chance for the B+G to have 3 minutes alone on one of the greatest days of their lives.