we have all heard it before…”its bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.” mom’s in particular are sticklers on this one. depending on your family and its love of tradition you may or may not believe in this old superstition. i didn’t see my husband before the wedding, but it was probably because i would have cried all my makeup off before i even walked down the isle!
i’m not sure how new this trend is, but more and more brides and grooms are seeing each other prior to the grand entrance. as a photographer, i love it! let me explain why.
1.) TIME – TIME – TIME … by seeing each other before the ceremony you are guaranteed a few minutes together. this always results in some fabulously awesome portraits.
2.) my personal opinion is that the ‘first sighting’ moment is just as special as it would be at the altar. plus you get to talk and laugh and just breathe without all your wedding guests staring at you.
3.) stealing time away after the ceremony is always harder than you imagine. most couples feel the need to make the rounds to greet everyone, cut the cake, dance, see the parents, etc. its all so hurried, that you can miss some fun picture moments.
4.) the earlier in the day, the more light you have. most ceremonies end in the evening and its more difficult to find balanced locations to help the process.
5.) if your going to cry when you see your groom or have your knees buckle with you witness your stunning bride, don’t you think you’d like a few minutes to recover?
we generally encourage our couples to see each other on their wedding day before the ceremony. we still have tons of weddings where this isn’t the case, but for the most part, the day runs smoother and the pictures turn out better when there is that special ‘first sighting’ moment.
i love the emotions below: anticipation, relief, awe, giddy, wonder, and star struck.
this couple actually didn’t “see” each other with their eyes. they stayed on either side of the door, held hands and talked for a few moments. they were trying to get the best of both worlds!
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