We met with the event coordinator at the RH yesterday and she asked us if we were going to see eachother before the ceremony to take pictures. Im not a very traditional person but I wanted my FH to see me for the first time when I walk down the aisle. The coordinator said we really should consider taking pictures before everything so we dont cut time out of our reception. She said we'd miss cocktail hour (Which Im fine with) but as far as the reception goes, I wouldnt want be take time out of that. Now I dont know what to do. How many of you are going to see eachother beforehand to take pictures and how many are going to wait? My FH said we should just get the pics over with before but I had my heart set on surprising him during the ceremony!
MJDoc12
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
this is one of those issues that pops up a LOT on the boards! in the end, its about what YOU and FH want to do.
i was like you--no way no how, can't see each other before. but since we were having a daytime wedding and marrying at the RH---in the end i changed my mine. and for US, it was the best decision we could have made. our 'reveal' moment was much more private and intimate and caught on film, and we had 2 hrs. to take pics. i was so happy to be relaxed and just with him that morning--and it wound up calming us down soooooo much. i think i would have BALLED like a little girl during the ceremony if we hadn't already seen each other for 2 hrs. ahead of time.
but like i said...its all about what YOU want to do. ask your FH what he thinks!
jessica08bride
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
I struggled with the same thing but decided to see each other before the ceremony. Our photographer will set up a private meeting for us to befreohand so it will still be special. I do want to get the photos over with so I can enjoy cocktail hour and mingle with guests (which will cut down on the time i have to do this during the reception). I also want to see him beforehand bc I feel ike if I dont, I will be bawling down the aisle and I dont want to do that! Its totally up to you though...i think him seeing you walking down the aisle for the first time is a beautiful thing.. i also asked a photographer what percentage of brides these days see each other beforehand and they said 95%!
bigrd37
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
i always thought i'd want to wait to see each other when i walk down the aisle, but that has changed. we are getting married at the RH, so if we waited until after to take pics, that would take away from the cocktail hour and maybe even reception time. we don't have the time in between a church and reception to do all of that. so we decided to take pics before hand, which will also relieve some of the nerves that lead up to that moment (so i've been told!). HTH!!
MJDoc12
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
to see the more private reveal moments of seeing each other beforehand...check out this thread:
FH and I are taking pictures before the cermony so that we can enjoy our CH with our guests.
I am setting up with my photographer a special way of FH seeing me for the first time. I would like to be in the middle of the dance floor in the reception room, and have FH walk in to see me. Or, if the weather is nice, me outside on the grounds.
Butterfly123
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
Oh wow! Thanks for the replies. I didnt know the photographers would set up a first time moment. I was picturing me just walking up to my FH like Hey whats up lets take pics...lol. I just spoke to FH and told him I changed my mind about seeing eachother. Screw it, Id rather have more time to party with loved ones than to be pulled out of reception to take more pics. We might look annoyed in the pics if we do it that way! lol
SusiBtoM
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
We are planning 1-1/2 hours of pics before the ceremony. That should get a lot of the posed ones out of the way. Since we are getting married at the RH, once the ceremony is over, the CH begins, so we don't have that traditional 3-4 hour break.
MJDoc12
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
Posted by Songstress1212
Oh wow! Thanks for the replies. I didnt know the photographers would set up a first time moment. I was picturing me just walking up to my FH like Hey whats up lets take pics...lol. I just spoke to FH and told him I changed my mind about seeing eachother. Screw it, Id rather have more time to party with loved ones than to be pulled out of reception to take more pics. We might look annoyed in the pics if we do it that way! lol
that would be funny....tapping on the shoulder 'um, like hi.....sooooo wanna like go take some pics or something? yeah i'm in a wedding dress, whaddya think?'
glad you made a decision!
kittythestray
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
I HATE when I see photographers and other people 'talk' a bride into doing what they want for their own 'practicality' reasons instead of what the bride wants. I am super UN traditional, but we did not want to see each other before. We had a daytime wedding and were married at the RH. I LOVED that the first time he saw me was walking down the aisle. It was the best moment EVER. It was so intense, he said he'll never get that image of me out of his mind. Do whatever YOU want. It CAN be done, we missed out CH (which I didn't want to go to) but did all our pics and then did some after the wedding ended at 5pm. Do what is best for you and be strong anddon't let people talk you out of what you want.
AMGBride2008
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
We're seeing each other and taking pictures BEFORE the ceremony for a list of reasons.
1) We barely have an hour between the church and the CH.
3) FH will be the only one who will be able to calm my nerves that day and I want to be as cool calm and collected as I can be during the ceremony so that I can remember it all (for us that's the most important part).
4)**** This is the #1 reason why we're seeing each other before... it will be the only time throughout the whole day where we'll have uninterupted time together and we won't be pulled in every direction. I can't wait!!!!
LB and DC
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
Posted by bigrd37
i always thought i'd want to wait to see each other when i walk down the aisle, but that has changed. we are getting married at the RH, so if we waited until after to take pics, that would take away from the cocktail hour and maybe even reception time. we don't have the time in between a church and reception to do all of that. so we decided to take pics before hand, which will also relieve some of the nerves that lead up to that moment (so i've been told!). HTH!!
i could have written that! definitely go with your gut - IMO, it's more important for me to have a fun, relaxed time at my wedding than to not see each other beforehand, and my photographer promised to get a shot of FH seeing me for the first time anyway.
kateretak2
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
We didn't see each other beforehand and the moment I saw him as I was walking down the aisle was amazing, exactly what I dreamed of. We had a huge bridal party, got married at the reception hall, made it to part of our cocktail hour, had time in our bridal suite to ourselves, and got over 400 amazing proofs (which I will be posting soon). Honestly, I was a little worried going into it that it would be tight but I personally wanted that moment more than cocktail hour and pictures and I can honestly say I feel like I got it all. It worked because my photographer was super fast, organized and got the job done. I made sure my family and bridal party knew exactly what was going on. We extended cocktail hour 15 minutes to give us a bit more time. And we each took pictures separately with our bridal party and family before the ceremony to get a lot of pictures out of the way. So after the ceremony it was a few quick shots of me and DH with family, and few quick bridal party shots, and then it was all us. Now if you were planning on going to Westbury Gardens and have a ton of special must take pictures, that may be a different story. I would say, decide what is most important to you and your FH and make your plans around it. People recommend seeing each other beforehand because it makes life easier, not because it can't be done the other way. Good luck!!
jtgarsik
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
it's totally a personel choice....i had a candlelit ceremony in december...so we had to chose - a)see each other before and get some outdoor photos - or b) see each other when i came down the aisle & take pictures indoors and some outdoor pics at the RH... .we decided seeing eachother for the first time at the church was what we wanted to do...and let me tell u - there was nothing like the feeling when those church doors swung open & i saw my future husband waiting for me at the end of that aisle :) he feels the same :) no regrets! my pictures came out beautiful anway!
TJ22908
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
I am having the same issue, im getting married at the RH & feel like there might not be enough time to get all the pictures done..but I want to have that moment of him seeing me for the 1st time walking down the aisle. SO I think I've decided to take all the pictures with the BM & GM before the wedding and just the pictures of us after the ceremony..It's a personal choice though
tinadansr
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
thats a toughy! i would want my FH to see me for the first time as i walk down the aisle also! I love your dress though you look amazing!
Kristen29
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Re: Seeing eachother before ceremony...
Our photographer said the same thing..that we wouldn't see any of our cocktail hour...but it meant alot to me to have fh see me for the first time coming down the aisle..just something I've always imagined!!! He said there are no posed shots during the reception only candids...so missing my cocktail hour isn't sucha big deal!!!
