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Too see, or not too see

Background

This tradition dates back to the days of arranged marriages. Typically the groom would not have ever seen his future bride until she met him at the altar. Often times the groom would see the bride and leave her at the altar, deciding that she was not who he wanted to wed. This led to grooms trying to "sneak a peak" at their future bride before the ceremony so they could make the decision in advance and not have to go through the wedding only to leave her at the altar. To prevent this, it became "bad luck" for the groom to see his future bride before the wedding ceremony.

Of course today most brides and grooms know each other very well before they decide to wed. However, this tradition has continued and it is still considered "bad luck" for the groom to see his bride on the day of the wedding.

Benefits

We believe that the benefits to taking your formals photographs before the ceremony outweigh the tradition.

First, all those in the photographs will be fresher. The bride and bridal party's makeup and hair will be in better condition and the dresses and tuxedos will not be wrinkled.

Generally there is more time available before the ceremony than after. At most locations the site is open up until an hour before the ceremony when the guests begin to arrive. This gives you and your photographer time to set up and plan your pictures and make sure you get everything you want. While any professional photographer should be able to take high quality pictures quickly following the ceremony, it is more easily done when time is available.

Having your pictures taken before the ceremony also frees you to go to your reception immediately following the ceremony. Odds are that you have family and friends waiting at the reception to congratulate you.

But, possibly the best arguement for taking the formal photographs before the ceremony is that it can reduce the stress of the day. While your wedding day will be one of the most joyous days of your life, it will also be one of the most stressful. Having more time to have your photographs taken can reduce the stress that you will be feeling.

This final benefit applies mostly to the groom. While your future wife is getting ready with her bridal party, often you will find yourself waiting. While your fiance will spend hours getting her hair, makeup, and dress just right; you wake up, shave, shower, and put your tuxedo on. Taking the pictures with your groomsmen and family will give you something to do during this time.

Conclusion

Ultimately this is a decision that you and your finance will have to make. Honestly most couples decide to take formals after the ceremony. However, many couples are going against the tradition of the groom seeing the dress before the wedding day and taking their pictures days before the wedding. This has the added benefit of the two of you being more relaxed, and relaxation often leads to better pictures.

We have a suggestion for those of you who still would like to stay with tradition and not see each other before the ceremony. Many of the pictures can be taken before the ceremony and still keep the tradition. We can take the pictures of the bridal party with the bride and the groomsmen with the groom. This is also a good time to take pictures with the two of your families.

More Information

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