So I was going through my old newsletters and found an article I wrote last year about the reveal. It has some great tips, so I thought I would share it again!
Please Note: If you have longer than an hour and 15 minutes after your wedding ceremony to do photos – you can pretty much ignore this article. If you have less than hour – definitely read. 🙂Â
Note to Brides: The reveal is where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony. I would recommend this for every wedding. It’s a bit non-traditional, but it’s definitely becoming the new norm.
We do this in a really cool way so you two don’t just run into each other in the hallway. We have had brides walk down the aisle just like they would a few hours later or some meet at a special spot. Your groom can really personalize this moment and make it so memorable.
Another thing that I love about seeing each other before the ceremony, is it’s just you and him. That’s your moment. No one else is in there but me and you two, and you won’t even notice me. When you wait to walk down the aisle, sometimes you can get so caught up by what’s going on, you don’t even realize what’s happening and before you know it, you are already down the aisle and have yet to make eye contact with your man!
Most of the time, unless the bride specifies otherwise, I’ll have the groom face me, when the bride walks down, so that way the first time he literally sees her walk down the aisle is during the ceremony. You walk down the aisle, tap him on the shoulder and as he turns around, you get to see his expression. The expression of pure amazement that he has the most beautiful bride to ever grace this universe and you get to see up close and personal.
When I’m shooting, if you guys wait to see each other of course I can get these moments but not in the same way. I stand in front of the groom when you do the reveal so I can get his reaction and yours at the same time. From there, I let you have a few mins to yourself.
I’ve had couples share some words that they wrote for each other, but most of the time they just hug and cry. Then the groom will usually just take a step back and say WOW, spinning his gorgeous bride, taking it all in. When you wait to do your photos, you don’t get the raw emotion of that moment. A moment you will never have ever again.
We’ve had some groom’s surprise the bride and play their song while she’s walking down, that really gets the water works flowing.
Not only is that a major pro to seeing each other before your ceremony, but you also get ALL your photos DONE, finished, OUT of the way! That means you do not have to waste any time and you can head right to the reception, which is awesome! You spent so much time, money and energy into planning the reception… you might as well enjoy every last bit of it!
This is also great because usually by the time we get around to the formal portraits after the wedding, the family is getting hungry, they are grouchy, and complaining about everything under the sun. Then you’re wanting to either shoot your mother in law or you’re asking why Aunt Sally brought your uncle who you can’t stand, and you’re sick of smiling and why can’t these photos  be over already!!! Yup, that’s pretty much those feelings in a nutshell. Your face will hurt from fake smiling so much.
After the wedding, if you wait to see each other, we do your family portraits then we do your bride and groom shots. Now remember, your face is going to be plastered from the fake smiles and it’s going to hurt, your feet are going to be killing you, because you just had to stand for your ceremony and your receiving line and now you have to deal with family members who aren’t listening; it can become quite chaotic.
By the time the family portraits are out of the way, you just want these photos to be done, you don’t really feel like being lovey dovey or anywhere close to your groom, because the dress is heavy and its hot outside and you forgot to eat and have a headache, your bridesmaids are being annoying and care more about what they look like than what you do and you’re all around ready to drink and party.
However, if these photos were done prior, your face wouldn’t hurt, your feet wouldn’t hurt and you wouldn’t want to punch Aunt Sally in the face by the time the family photos come around.
Sometimes people are opposed to this because they want the first time they walk down the aisle to be the first time they see each other, but TRUST me you will still feel the same emotions when you walk down or see him for the second time. There will still be tears… and it will still be just as perfect.
Not seeing each other before the ceremony makes brides stressed out. Just think about it this way. You’ve got your dress on, you’re ready to go for photos.
You take one step into the sanctuary only to realize there IS YOUR GROOM, before you can make eye contact you rush back thru that door and start screaming at your maid of honor, “WHY IS HE IN THERE?! HE CAN’T SEE ME!” She tells you to go back into your dressing area and assures you that she will personally see to it that he stays where he belongs. You go back into your dressing area until she gives you the all clear to come out.
You walk back in the sanctuary and we start doing your photos. You’re a bit stressed, but everything seems to be working out, that is until your groom comes waltzing into the sanctuary. You start running out the other side, in a panic thinking, “What was he doing in there!?!”
Only later to find out, he went in there because his mom told him to put his flower on. By that point, you’re going to look like one angry bridezilla in your photos and you really don’t want to chance it anymore so you say, let’s do all the photos after the ceremony.
I think that’s for the best at this point, but remember, you only had 30-45 minutes afterward and now you have added at least another 1/2 hour of photos to that time. Now this was not a true story, although some parts of it happen a lot, actually almost every time the bride doesn’t see the groom beforehand.
I know you want tradition, but wouldn’t you rather enjoy your wedding day and not be stressed out and frustrated?
When we do the reveal before the ceremony, we always try to give you a 1/2-hour break before so that you can relax, take your dress off and eat or just rest your feet. You truly get to enjoy your day on a different level.