Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

Future Mulligan Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:27 AM

Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

This is for the brides who will be seeing their FH before the ceremony to take pictures (and the brides who have done this already!!).....

FH and I as well as our bridal party and family will be getting ready at a hotel (most likely the Garden City Hotel) the day of our wedding. The girls and I will have the bridal suite and FH and his buddies will probably hang out in his room. I definitley want pictures of us both getting ready so the photographer has to be there early......

Our photographer suggested that we take pictures before the ceremony. I DID NOT want to go that route BUT it doesn't seem like a bad idea, especially the more I think about it.....we will get better pictures and we can enjoy our cocktail hour - which are both things that we are paying alot of money for and I think we deserve to enjoy them!

The photographer suggested Old Westbury Gardens. I'm checking with them to see if they allow December weddings. We need to go there early because the sunset will be at 4:30 that day.

Our ceremony starts at 6pm at JT

My questions are: Do we go straight from picture taking at OWG to JT for the ceremony? Or do we have time to go back to the hotel?(I wanted to arrive at the ceremony with just my Dad in a Rolls Royce, is this still possible?) Do FH and I take a limo to OWG for our pictures? Is it okay if just FH and I go? Should we bring our Bridal Party?

OWG says sessions are 1 hr 30 min.....If we went at 2:30 and left by 4 does that leave enough time to get back to the hotel to freshen up and make it to our 6pm ceremony at JT??? I'm not from the area so I have no idea how far away these places are from eachother.....

I really didn't want to do anything like this but JT isn't the greatest for picture taking (its not my preference) and our photographer said that if we go somewhere else we can get amazing pictures.....

Supposing we left at 2:30 for pictures what time should the photographer get to the hotel to take pictures of us getting ready? We have her for 10 hours - our reception ends at 12.

Girls I need your ideas/advice!!! I don't know why I am stressing about this! Help!!

*edited for terrible grammar & spelling, lol*

Espo22 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:34 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

its up to you about how you want to work out the limo situation, any of those are ok...Usually the BP does go with you to take pics, they aren't in all the pics obviously but usually theres a few bp pics. If you want to go back to the hotel then make sure to schedule the pics early enough so that youll be done, enough time to get back to the hotel and then go to JT...basically this is just up to you and how you schedule it...how long your pics will take, well none of us will know...you are better off asking your photographer and asking how long he usually takes pics for. My photographer helped me with my timeline and told me what time would be ideal to start the ceremony

Sugaplum08 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:38 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

Your photographer will give you a schedule of where you will be so you can plan things accordingly. If you want to go back to the hotel then just give your self enough time in case there is traffic or what not.

Future Mulligan Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:48 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

its hard because i'm not from the area so i really don't know where places are - especially in relation to eachother lol......

i liked the idea of OWG b/c you can take pics inside and outside......and it will probably be freezing in December!!!

i guess i have to really work it out with the photographer - we weren't positive if we would do the pics before the ceremony but now that the decision is finalized we can start coming up with ideas....

i think its just one of those days where my mind is going a mile a minute and i am freaking out for no reason lol

Sugaplum08 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:51 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

we are taking pics at the OWG as well. Its November so they are giving us the option for indoor and outdoor. But to be honest the Garden City Hotel and OWG isnt close but isnt to far either. I would just plan accordingly to make sure you arent late to any place. is it absoluely necessary to go back to the hotel? i mean can you birng everything with you and then freshen up at the church?

Espo22 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:56 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

Posted by Future Mulligan

its hard because i'm not from the area so i really don't know where places are - especially in relation to eachother lol......

i liked the idea of OWG b/c you can take pics inside and outside......and it will probably be freezing in December!!!

i guess i have to really work it out with the photographer - we weren't positive if we would do the pics before the ceremony but now that the decision is finalized we can start coming up with ideas....

i think its just one of those days where my mind is going a mile a minute and i am freaking out for no reason lol

im not from LI either...you can always take a day and go out to time these things and see how far they are from eachother. Ask your photographer he should have most of these answers...he most likely has been to JT and OWG and will know this

Snowflake08 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:56 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

good question
i am also getting ready with MOH, mom and aunt at a hotel, but FH is getting ready at home

we're taking pics before the ceremony; but at RH since it's Feb

sorry i dont have any answers
if you have the photographer for 10 hours, im sure hes done this before and knows how to schedule everything
however, you should think about OWG in the winter
if you only have a set # of hours, you may be able to get just as nice pics at JT

Espo22 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 11:56 AM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

yeah is it necessary to go back to the hotel

Future Mulligan Posted: Aug 14, 2007 06:04 PM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

Hmmmm I don't know.....I just wanted to arrive at JT after everyone else - and with only my father - just as if it were a Church ceremony. We aren't really doing anything traditional and that was the one thing that I wanted to do with my Dad......We weren't sure if we wanted the BP at OWG - I don't want to be dragging people around and we can take pictures with them at JT after the ceremony.....I guess FH and I could go to OWG then have the limo with the bridal party and our parents come pick him up as well as drop off my Dad to me and Dad and I can have the Rolls pick us up at OWG and bring us to JT. Did anyone follow that?

I really wanted to get some pics of me and my Dad chillen in the Rolls - he would LOVE every second of it!!

This is all depending on if OWG even allows photos in December. I heard that they don't but I contacted someone there and am trying.....anyone know of any other places that have indoor/outdoor areas near JT??

Espo22 Posted: Aug 14, 2007 06:07 PM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

Posted by Future Mulligan

Hmmmm I don't know.....I just wanted to arrive at JT after everyone else - and with only my father - just as if it were a Church ceremony. We aren't really doing anything traditional and that was the one thing that I wanted to do with my Dad......We weren't sure if we wanted the BP at OWG - I don't want to be dragging people around and we can take pictures with them at JT after the ceremony.....I guess FH and I could go to OWG then have the limo with the bridal party and our parents come pick him up as well as drop off my Dad to me and Dad and I can have the Rolls pick us up at OWG and bring us to JT. Did anyone follow that?

I really wanted to get some pics of me and my Dad chillen in the Rolls - he would LOVE every second of it!!

This is all depending on if OWG even allows photos in December. I heard that they don't but I contacted someone there and am trying.....anyone know of any other places that have indoor/outdoor areas near JT??

you can go in the bridal suite if you get there early and hang out there for a bit with your fh and bp so its not a problem, not like you'll be hanging around while guests show up.

Future Mulligan Posted: Aug 14, 2007 06:09 PM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

thats true espo! and i can always freshen up in there lol

emcheung Posted: Aug 14, 2007 06:09 PM

Re: Picture Taking Before Ceremony - Need Help!

you could always have a stretch limo take you and your wedding party to the gardens and tell the limo company to send another limo just for you and your dad to take you both to the reception hall. you can freshen up at the reception hall instead of going all the way back to the hotel. if you google map it, i think it's almost a 30 min ride from OWG to jericho terrace. give or take depending on traffic.