Ask the Wedding Babe: Should I See Her Before the Wedding?
today, we welcome the wedding babe back to tackle another reader question. This week, she gives her thoughts on whether or not the bride and groom should see each other before the wedding.
(photo- joshua gene wedding photography)
Q – My fiancée doesn’t want me to see her before the wedding. She says it’s bad luck. What do you think?
Even if you’re not superstitious, you’ve probably heard that it’s considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before she walks down the aisle. Superstitions aside, keeping the bride’s dress a surprise until the big day can add some mystery and drama to an otherwise carefully planned and scripted day.
Most likely you and your bride-to-be have worked together to plan your wedding and you’re both aware of the majority of the details, so it’s nice to keep what the bride (and maybe even the groom) will be wearing a mystery until the day of the wedding. Depending on your wedding day schedule, keeping the bride and groom separate until the ceremony begins and the bride walks down the aisle could be the perfect setting for the big reveal. But if you’re planning to take some photos together before the ceremony, work with your photographer or videographer to schedule a private moment beforehand where the two of you can see each other dressed for the first time before the festivities begin.
How can you pull it off? Once the bride and groom are dressed and ready, have the men clear out of their dressing room, except for the groom, and the bride can then come in alone and show her fiancé what she’ll be wearing for the day. Even if the bride has seen the groom’s tux or suit, this may be the first time she’s seen him dressed in it. Because this will likely be a very emotional moment between the two of you, make sure it’s just the two of you (in addition to your photographer or videographer, so they can capture the moment). This will be a part of the day you’ll always remember, so it pays to make it special.
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Each week, The Wedding Babe answers a popular reader question. If you’d like to submit one for consideration, click here.
Are you and your fiancée planning on seeing each other before the wedding? Do you believe that it’s unlucky to do so? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Tags: Ask the Wedding Babe
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:17 am
Seeing my wife for the first time as she walked toward me is one of the memories that is so vivid and clear from our wedding day. It stole my breath, caused my heart to race and yeah brought a tear to my eye.
This is a moment you may not think you care if you have but if you wait you will be so very glad you did!
Great post! Thanks!
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:27 am
Am I allowed to reply as a bride? We are doing the first look. Mainly to get all the emotions out of both of us before the ceremony. Hopefully this will make the ceremony much more relaxed and fun for us. I left this decision up to the groom and this is what he picked!
February 23rd, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Not only is it bad luck, it’s a much better picture and video moment to capture the groom’s reaction in front of the entire wedding.
But seriously, it’s bad luck, there is no “acceptable way” to break a mirror.
The pictures can wait. A picture of the grooms face, tears or no tears is always a frame-able memory; and the reaction in a private moment is not as good as a true reaction in front of everyone.
The “tough guy” shedding tears in front of his and her family, goes a long way.
March 3rd, 2011 at 5:17 pm
I’ve photographed weddings both ways. I think the groom still shows the emotion when he sees the bride for the first time even though if thru a “First Look”. I caught some great images that way. However, if they don’t want to do that, as long as they schedule enough time for the photographer to have some alone time with them after the ceremony, that’s ok too. I usually will try to photograph all the girls, the bride and her family; then all the guys and the groom and his family before the ceremony if they don’t want to do the first look.