You may have family and friends who try to convince you stay hidden from one another until the moment you walk down the aisle. You may have fantasies about the flutter in his heart when he sees you for the first time, at your dad’s side and walking toward him while the Bridal Chorus plays. These are wonderful in the ideal…..but, you know, reality is different. Following is a list of some of the reasons you might consider seeing each other for the formal portrait session before the wedding.

• You could get something on your dress before the ceremony.
• A member of your wedding party could become lightheaded and may not be able to stand for post-ceremony photography.
• The ceremony schedule could go awry forcing you to leave the church before all post-ceremony photography is complete.

There are dozens of things that could go wrong. Don’t let yourself go without formal photographs because of a superstition. At the same time, don’t sacrifice your fantasy of his reaction upon seeing you for the first time.

Today’s brides are favoring logic. And, you can still have that moment with your groom.

Should you choose to pose together for pre-ceremony portraits,
will coordinate a beautiful reveal: perfectly pose the bride adorned with her accessories and elements of tradition, bring in the groom with his eyes closed, and face the groom from the bride. Then, we will leave the room and allow the groom to turn and see his beautiful bride for the first time. Instead of having to share that special moment with a few hundred guests and squeezed into quiet moments in the early part of your ceremony, you’ll get to keep that first moment with one another to yourselves. You’ll actually have the chance to tell one another how nice you look. He’ll really get to look at your dress–and maybe those beautiful earrings he gave you. After allowing you some time to enjoy one another, we will return a few moments later to begin photographs. These first few images of a couple at this moment in the day will be radiant.

There are many reasons to finish all formal photography before the wedding ceremony.

• You’ll be alone for your most romantic portraits.
• Portrait sessions will move more quickly; there will be no distractions from family or guests.
• Your hair and makeup will be fresh, perfectly styled, and without smudges from tears or kisses and hugs. Even your flowers will be at their freshest.
• Stress levels are higher in brides who try to stay “hidden” from the groom (or guests.)
• You can choose any nearby location to take pictures. (Beautiful locations are not always practical to visit after a ceremony, especially for a single-location event.)
• If there are any last changes to or information about the ceremony, you have a chance to talk about it with your groom.
• Even when the groom sees the bride before the wedding, he still has that flutter feeling in his hear when the ceremony begins and she walks down the aisle toward him.
• Since guests were not present for formal portraits, they may be seeing the bride for the first time, Images of the bride coming down the aisle are flanked by smiling guests who are still oooh-ing and aahhhh-ing over her gown, veil, hair, jewelry, etc.
• Ceremonies are emotional. People are sometimes crying. Guests all want to congratulate the bride and groom right away. This is especially true at a single-location events.
• When the ceremony is complete, no one (couple, family, attendants) will want to pose for all the formal photos necessary for a complete album. Even the couple will be anxious to get to the reception so they can greet their friends and relatives who have come a long distance.
• While the guests are fling from the ceremony to the reception, that leaves a small window of time for the bride and groom to be alone and enjoy their first few moments as a married couple. If this time is being spent on photographs, the bride and groom may never get a single moment alone together all day. This moment with your new spouse can be one of the most precious times of the entire day.
• With the most important portraits complete, you’ll be more relaxed and will enjoy your ceremony even more. You’ll even be able to head to the reception earlier, allowing your guests the chance to spend more time with you as a couple.
• The pace of the entire day is more even. If the reception vendors (caterer, DJ, etc.) know more accurately when the bride and groom will arrive, this makes them more efficient at their jobs. This will not only make for a better reception, it can also reduce your costs in several ways.

Having a formal portrait session before the ceremony does not diminish the magic felt in “that” moment at the beginning of the ceremony.