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Make It A
Private Party
Nearly
every bridal couple faces the decision of
scheduling their formal wedding photography
before or after the nuptials. Implicit in
the question is whether or not the couple
should see each other before the ceremony.
While both approaches have pros and cons,
most brides in the 90’s vote for
practicality.
More than 15 years ago, most weddings had
the group compositions photographed after
the wedding or in a fashion called “split
formals.” This method allowed the
photographer to take as many images as
possible without the bride and groom seeing
each other before the vows, and completing
the session after the ceremony. While
split-formals reduced the time guests had to
wait, they hardly eliminated it.
Today, very few bridal couples have all of
the formals photographed after the wedding,
and a large portion elect to have all of the
group photography prior to the ceremony.
Newlyweds are electing not to miss any part
of the festivities for photographic
sessions. After all, this is usually the
biggest party of their lives!
Savoring the Anticipation
But what about savoring the anticipation
that is part of not seeing your betrothed
before the wedding? Consider an idea that
many photographers call “private time.”
Set the stage in the sanctuary, or any place
of your choosing, for the bride to meet the
groom prior to the ceremony and the photo
session. Post groomsmen at all entrances,
allowing no one to enter. |
Then
have the groom stand with his back turned,
nervously waiting. Yes, he can hear it now
– the rustle, swish, rustle of her gown.
“You can turn around now,” are the first
words he’ll hear as he turns to behold his
beautiful bride. Then they can cry, kiss,
hug, pray, exchange gifts in private. This
is probably the only uninterrupted time
they’ll have together until the end of the
day.
But what about the grand entrance to the
ceremony? Won’t this nouveau notion kill
the thrill, relegating it to anti-climatic
afterthought? Hardly! Nothing can steal the
thunder of that moment, as the music sounds
its call, when the beautiful bride
dramatically appears at the doorway. All
rise in her honor as she elegantly glides
down the aisle to her handsome groom. Amidst
a gushing of nearly overwhelming emotions,
the beautiful vision many brides dream about
is left intact.
In contrast, many brides who wait until the
ceremony to see their groom for the first
time are on sensory overload. Stage freight
is rampant in the reign of formality, and
when she arrives at the altar, he can’t
kiss her, tell her how beautiful she is, or
give her a reassuring hug.
Scheduling the photographs before the
wedding isn’t just a good suggestion,
it’s a valuable investment tip to maximize
your time to enjoy your party and to
optimize your experience on “your day.”
It makes a difference not only in the
photographs, but in the whole wedding
experience. It’s been said hindsight is
20/20: here’s a chance to include a bit of
high quality hindsight into your foresight. |
