Meeting before wedding ceremony

Is it really bad luck to shave a meeting before the wedding ceremony? If so, then why are so many couples foregoing the tradition and opting for a first look instead?

Historically, the tradition of bride and groom not meeting before wedding ceremony came from arranged marriages where everything was decided by the families and the groom never saw his bride before the wedding. This was done to prevent the groom from changing his mind, if he did not find her “beautiful” enough. That is why it was believed to be “bad luck” to see each other before.

Today most of modern couples are flexible enough to see each other before the ceremony, especially if the ceremony is later in the day. Photographers come up with their own creative ways of photographing the couple and the family portrait session before the ceremony.

Scenarios for meeting before wedding ceremony

One possible scenario has our bride and groom separated by a door. The bride is standing inside the room or hall, while the groom stands outside with the door acting like a partition between the two – a perfect way to photograph our two love-birds as they reveal each other.

Another scenario of a meeting before wedding ceremony can have the groom standing in a beautiful open space facing away as the bride approaches quietly from the back. He is nervous and excited as she arrives and touches his shoulder, then he slowly turns and sees the love of his life in a beautiful white dress. The whole moment is pure romance!

These types of scenarios create intense and emotional moments on the wedding day that the couple can share without the presence of others. They can savour the moment, exchange comments about how they look, observe each other’s reactions without being rushed. There is no match for the awestruck look that appears on our groom’s face with the first glimpse of his bride, or the natural blush on our bride’s cheeks when she notices how the love of her life cannot seem to take his eyes off her. It’s a great opportunity for amazing photographs.

While the new tradition of the first look is a beautiful and romantic one, before you decide to do so, it would be wise to think of your family members and their expectations as well. Remember, even though the tradition of seeing the bride at the altar is an older one, it still is quite romantic in its own right and there’s nothing wrong with sticking to traditions. Here are some pros and cons to consider.