To See or Not To See?

One of the most controversial debates I deal with at every wedding is whether or not the bride and groom will see each other before the wedding ceremony. I have met very few brides who are not passionate about either side of the debate. I may, rather - I will take some heat on this, but I am going to come out and say that I highly recommend seeing each other before the wedding. Now, hear me out, and I'll explain why - there are 2 main reasons in my opinion.

The first, of course, is the pictures. I am an advocate for getting to your reception on time, and it is simply an oxymoron to believe that you can get all the pictures you want of the two of you together, and still make it to your reception at a decent time. Yes, you can take all the pictures you want ahead of time - bride with her family, bride with bridesmaids, groom with his family, groom with groomsmen, etc. But think about it. Are you really going to want those pictures? Probably not. Everyone is going to want pictures with both of you in them.

If you ask any bride about her favorite wedding pictures, chances are she will tell you they are the romantic ones of just her and her groom, like these taken by Josh Merideth at Bella Grace Studios, of Katie and Craig who took my advice and saw each other before their summer wedding in downtown Lexington. Katie and Craig chose to meet each other on the front steps of the church instead of in the sanctuary.

The second reason is the encounter. Just imagine walking down the aisle for the first time, your hair and makeup all done perfectly, your dress bouncing, and tears in your groom's eyes. It's just the two of you in the entire sanctuary. To me, this is more romantic than the same encounter in front of hundreds of people. You and your groom have your own special moment before the festivities of the day begin, alone and heart-felt. Take time to pray with each other, tell each other how happy you are, how in love you are, how beautiful you look, and just have a private moment together before the chaos begins.

So, yes, you may completely disagree with me because of "tradition" and what you have been taught or dreaming of your whole life, but please, consider what you will get out of seeing each other before the ceremony. And, if you have an awesome wedding coordinator such as moi, we will ensure that your meeting is not a chance happening in the hallway, but a peaceful and romantic first embrace on your special day. If I still haven't convinced you, I wish you luck and my only advice is not just to make a timeline, but to have someone in charge of managing the photo session after the ceremony to ensure its timeliness.