Ideas for Elopement Receptions

If your wedding ceremony is just the two of you, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a reception. It’s your wedding day, and you still deserve to celebrate it!

Elopement Reception Ideas:

1. Have a meal catered for two at your ceremony site.

Some caterers will deliver and set it up, just like they would for a traditional reception. A local restaurant might offer this as well. Eat some good food, cut your cake, pop some champagne, and enjoy the rest of your wedding day!

2. Make a dinner reservation.

You can celebrate at one of your favorite places to eat together, or you can treat yourselves to a new restaurant that’s a higher-end dining experience than what you’d normally choose.

3. Bring your own food to have a picnic with a view.

Make your own food, order takeout, or use a picnic service! Yes, picnic services are a thing—check out one service based out of Greenville!

4. Have a big reception with your family and friends on a different day.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but there are three reasons that come to mind for why someone might want to do it this way:

1. You like the idea of celebrating with other people, but still want the privacy and intimacy of an elopement ceremony.

2. It’s hard to get both of your families together. For example, my cousin married someone whose family lived overseas, so they had one reception with her family and one reception with his.

3. I’ve seen some couples who have a smaller ceremony before their planned wedding date to accommodate extenuating circumstances, like military deployment or to include a relative who is terminally ill.

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 47 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

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Choosing a Trail for Your Photos

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My Favorite Spots in Upstate SC to Take Photos

How to Choose a Trail for Your Photos

I absolutely love going on hiking trails with couples! We can do this for an engagement session, or you could even have an intimate wedding ceremony out on a trail! I have some guidelines for trails so you can have a good time AND plenty of photos you love!

1. What is the scenery like along the trail?

Are there multiple spots along the trail that can look pretty in your photos, or is there only one tiny overlook? For example, this trail has plenty of variety before you get to the waterfall, like plant life, a pond, and a bridge over a stream.

2. How difficult is this trail?

I don’t want it to be too strenuous because I don’t want you to be red, sweaty, and exhausted in your photos. I also don’t want any of us to not feel well during/after the session. I know plenty of views here that overlook mountains and waterfalls, and won’t take a toll on your well-being or how you look in your photos.

3. How long is this trail?

It needs to be short enough for us to get good light on the trail and still get out before it gets dark or the parking lot closes. For example, getting to a scenic view for sunset on the Table Rock trail can take hours, and it could be completely dark and after the park’s operating hours by the time we get back to the trailhead.

4. Does it get crowded here?

The trail needs to not be too crowded so there aren’t a lot of people in the background. Also, your session is a lot more intimate if other people aren’t around. For example, any trail at Paris Mountain will probably have lots of hikers and mountain bikers on a Saturday. ⠀

5. Most importantly:

We need to be able to do this safely—I don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt to get good photos. A 3-mile scramble might not be worth the photos, and I need to be able to pose you safely. The Falls Creek Falls trail, for example, is mostly covered in rocks and tree roots, so it’s easy to trip or roll an ankle. There also aren’t a lot of places in front of the waterfall where I’m comfortable standing or telling someone else to stand.

Believe it or not, this photo was taken at a drive-up overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway. No hiking with that baby!

If you and your partner still want to head out on a trail for your session or elopement, awesome! I know plenty of trails in the upstate that meet most, if not all, of these bullet points. Also feel free to check out my blog post to give you ideas of what places in the upstate might fit your vision—you can check it out here!

Ready to start planning? Click here to fill out my contact form and start the planning process!

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Proposal at Caesars Head | Melanie and Karl

I was so excited when Karl told me he wanted to propose to Melanie at one of my favorite places in all of South Carolina: the overlook at Caesars Head State Park!

Melanie and Karl live on the coast and planned to come up to the upstate for a weekend to hike in the mountains. They had heard Caesars Head was beautiful, so they wanted to check it out. Karl and I talked on the phone a few weeks before and came up with a plan for the proposal. I helped him choose a pretty trail near the Caesars Head visitor center that wouldn’t wear them out too much or take too much time. Since it’s hard to get phone signal in that area, we had to make sure we were on the same page beforehand, so I sent him a photo with what I had in mind for where he should get down on one knee:

Note that this was from the first attempt at my very first engagement session. We got all the way up there and the clouds/fog covered EVERYTHING, so we decided to come back a different day. I just sent him this one because it was the widest shot I had of the overlook.

After Melanie and Karl hiked to the Raven Cliff Falls observation deck, they came to the overlook at Caesars Head. Since it was right before Thanksgiving, there were a ton of people on the overlook, so I just stood right there taking pictures like everyone else was. Melanie waited for some people to clear away from the railing so she could take a picture on her phone. When she turned around, Karl was on one knee! The amount of happiness radiating from them in these photos is contagious, and I was smiling so much while I was editing these.  

Karl remembered that Melanie had shown him her Pinterest at one point, and that there were rings on there. He looked her profile up and chose a ring that was similar to the ones she had pinned. I thought that was a pretty good idea! I also like the red box that it was in. 

I had so much fun with these two and I hope you love their photos! 

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Ready to be part of a gorgeous proposal like this one? Click here to get in touch!

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South Carolina Mountain Elopement | Heather and Scott

Lake Keowee Proposal | Connor and Jess

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South Carolina Waterfall Engagement Photos | Lauren and Christian

Elopement at Red Horse Inn | Heather and Scott

Heather and Scott were married in an intimate ceremony on a perfect fall day in front of the South Carolina mountains!

These days, there’s a lot of chaos and uncertainty that comes with planning a wedding with a large group of people, so Heather and Scott decided to embrace the idea of an intimate ceremony with just each other. Their ceremony took place on the veranda of the Red Horse Inn in Landrum—right off of Scenic Highway 11. I had seen photos of the inn on Instagram, but when I walked up to the ceremony site, I couldn’t believe how beautiful the view from the mountains was.  Their voices were the only sound breaking the silence around us. 

After they signed the marriage license, we got to meet Phinney, the venue’s mini pig. We were given Cheerios to feed him and his tail wagged just like a dog’s! After we took some photos around the venue, we went to their cabin, where they cut their beautiful cake. One of their cake flavors was almond, which is one of my favorites, and a flavor I never see anyone else have at their wedding. We had to take a few photos with their dogs, Brie and Beamer, who were waiting for them at the cabin. 

To finish, we drove about 5 minutes down the road to take some more of their wedding photos at Campbell’s Covered Bridge. This beautiful red bridge is the only remaining covered bridge in the state, and there’s some beautiful tall grass nearby. After we said goodbye, Heather and Scott had dinner together and enjoyed the rest of the perfect fall weather with each other and their dogs. 

Check out some of my favorite photos from this beautiful South Carolina mountain elopement! 

Vendors:

Venue and florals: Red Horse Inn

Officiant: Raya Jackson

Hair and Makeup: Kapelli Salon

Cake: All Good Things

Photo: Christine Scott Photography

Does this seem like the perfect way to spend a wedding day? Click here to get in touch so we can start planning a personalized and intimate ceremony!

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Planning Your Proposal

So you two are ready to start planning the rest of your lives together! Going from “dating” to “engaged” is a big step. How do you want to pop the question?

First of all, there’s no right way for everyone to propose. The only thing that matters is that it’s what you and your partner want. It can be as simple or complex of a plan as you want. These are just some steps to make it less stressful.

1. Pick a special place. Maybe it’s a place with a pretty view, and maybe it’s a place where you two share memories together. Think about how many people will be there and how easy it’ll be to access the spot you want.

Karl and Melanie had never been here before, but they heard how beautiful it was and made a weekend trip there. See More

2. Pick a time. The hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise are what we call “golden hour.” This gives us that pretty glow and is the most flattering on your faces. The exact time of golden hour will vary depending on where you are and what time of year it is, but I’m happy to coordinate that with you. Getting the sun behind you will be prettiest, but if that doesn’t work with your plan, we can find a spot in better light.

This proposal was midday because Tracy and Lawrence would be heading home later that day. I got there early and picked a place for Lawrence to stop that was in good lighting. I put a piece of tape on the ground and sent him a picture of my view. See More

3. Decide when your partner will know what’s going on. If you want it to be a total surprise the second you pop the question, then you’ll need to be in a place where I can easily hide. That could either mean finding a hiding place or blending in with a crowd.

For this proposal, there was not a safe place for me to be out of sight. Connor said that was okay because his plan involved Jess knowing earlier in the hike what would happen at the overlook. See More

4. Pick a spot you know you can easily get to. Let’s use the Table Rock summit as an example, because I’ve gotten this request before. And I get it—getting on one knee in front of that overlook would be so beautiful. Physically, it takes a lot for you, your partner, and your photographer (if you have one) to get there, especially in the warmer months, even if you’re experienced hikers. To quote another photographer who has been to this summit, “You will not be cute by the time you get to the top.” If one of us needs to turn around, or if the parking lot is full, we may not be able to communicate that to each other because cell service is so spotty there. It’s way easier if we simplify the plan, especially if your partner isn’t supposed to know I’ll be there.

For places in the upstate that are beautiful, easy to navigate to, and won’t wear you out before it’s time to take pictures, click here. If you were actually thinking about proposing at the Table Rock summit, that post will tell you about similar views and other pretty parts of the park.

The South Carolina Botanical Gardens have a variety of scenery that will change at different times of year. The trails are paved, there aren’t really steep parts, and you don’t have to go far to find beautiful places.

See More

5. Think about what to wear. If getting dressed up will tip off your partner, it’s up to you how to proceed, but keep in mind that they may want to wear something nicer for these photos. If you do choose to wear something nicer, make sure it won’t get messed up as you’re getting to the spot.

I helped Joe pick a restaurant in the area so that he could get Bree to the spot he wanted to propose. He told Bree she should wear something nice that day because they had a reservation at a nice restaurant. See More

6. Protect the ring. How you hide the ring depends on the situation, but some people have found that a ring box doesn’t sit well in their pockets. You could find a smaller box, a different container to protect it, or put the box deep in a bag you’re carrying so it doesn’t get moved.

Believe it or not, you can get desert scenery in the upstate! Click here to see!

7. Leave time to tell everyone. You might not know until after the proposal whether you’ll want to tell your family and friends ASAP or take some pictures first, so leave a little bit of time in case you decide to make a few phone calls.

AC wanted to call her family right away, but she didn’t know until later that Ben had planned to go by her parents’ house, and her whole extended family would be there. Read more

8. Consider the crowds. Are you and your partner okay with having onlookers as you get engaged? If not, consider proposing in a time and place where you might not encounter as many people. People tend to not be awake around sunrise on the weekends. There tends to be fewer people going downtown or to hiking trails on weekdays. Overall, not as many people go outside during the winter.

For this proposal, we got to the park right when it opened. Not only were we getting that just-after-sunrise light and those low morning clouds, we were also the only three people at the overlook when the actual engagement happened! See More

I hope this helps give you some peace of mind as you take the next step in your relationship! Read more about my engagement photo services, and check out some of the blog posts below to get some ideas!

Melanie and Karl’s Proposal at Caesars Head

Where to Take Engagement Photos in Upstate South Carolina

Connor and Jess’s Proposal at Lake Keowee

Bree and Joe’s Proposal in Downtown Greenville

Fill out the form below to tell me your plans so far for your engagement!

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Station Cove Falls | Lauren and Christian

Lauren and I connected through a local hiking group, where she saw pictures I took of a couple at Carrick Creek Falls. She said that she and her husband didn’t have photos taken on their wedding day and would love to have some done together. I asked her if she had anywhere in mind, and she told me the place that was at the top of my bucket list: Station Cove Falls! 

Lauren and Christian were married in front of the waterfall six months ago, with a few of their family members as witnesses. In the middle of an October with otherwise perfect fall weather, it poured the whole day.  A lot of the trail had flooded, and they had to choose a different rock to stand on for the ceremony itself.

A few days after their wedding, I took the trail for the first time and it went on my bucket list for places to take pictures. There are a few reasons why this stands out to me from other trails:

1. You can safely take a lot of different pictures with the main attraction.

2. It’s an easy trail, so it’s less likely that the couple would be sweaty or exhausted in their photos—or worse, you have to turn around before you get to the good part.

3. It’s a short trail, so we could plan to be at the falls when the lighting is optimal and still be off the trail by dark.

4. It’s not too crowded, especially on weekdays.

5. There’s enough of a variety of pictures we could take here—it’s not just three hours of hiking with one spot that’s pretty.

Eventually, we decided to move their session from the evening to the morning because there was a high chance of thunderstorms in the evening. It was so quiet, aside from some running water and birds singing. A dog ran up to us at the waterfall, shook water all over us, and dropped a giant piece of wood at our feet and waited for us to throw it. 

One thing I love about sessions with waterfalls is how loud the water is once we’re right up in front of it. We end up shouting to each other and making gestures, and it always makes us all laugh. We found the spot where Lauren and Christian stood where they said their vows, but we also made sure to get pictures at the spot they wanted to say their vows before they knew how much water would cover it. 

Enjoy the photos from Lauren and Christian’s session!

Are you looking for a photographer for your intimate and unique wedding? Click here to read more about me and what I do, or click here to get in touch!

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River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens Wedding | Madison and Clay

It was so fun to be part of Madison and Clay’s wedding day, nearly a year after we did their engagement photos with light sabers in Greenville!  This is the third wedding I’ve shot for someone in their family, so it was fun to catch up with everyone again!

Madison and Clay met through the art program at Shawnee State University, so between them, their family, and friends, there’s a lot of artistic talent.  Madison made the invitations and helped with the light saber bouquets.  Clay built different light sabers for himself, Madison, and each of the groomsmen.  Clay’s mom made Madison’s veil and comb, their brother-in-law made Star Wars masks for everyone, including Han and Leia for Clay and Madison, and the groomsmen did such a cool job painting the car!

This spring wedding was held at River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.  The whole day, they were surrounded by a garden with palmetto trees and flowers blooming.  Madison wore her great-grandmother’s pearl necklace, which was a beautiful and sentimental touch to her overall ensemble.  The boutonnières had the Rebel symbol on them and coordinated with the yellow flowers in Madison’s hair.   Madison walked down the aisle to Leia’s Theme, which made for such a beautiful moment during the ceremony.   Clay, of course, incorporated a quote from Anakin Skywalker into his vows: “Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi’s life.”

After the sun went down, we took some photos in the dark with the light sabers, like we did for their engagement session.  You don’t have to be into Star Wars to be impressed with the quality of these light sabers, but if you are, you might recognize some of the different Jedi’s hilts.  Madison wanted hers to be modeled after Leia’s in Episode IX.  (Check out the video Crissie and I took behind the scenes with the light sabers, and be sure to turn your sound on!)

Keep scrolling to see some of my favorite parts of this wonderful day! 

Venue: River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens

Dress: Azazie

Catering: River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens

Donuts: Duck Donuts

Video:  Matt Bowden

DJ:  DJ Krystyle

Officiant:  From This Day Forward

Hair and Makeup: Studio B at The Old Mill

Light Sabers:  The groom himself (Clayton’s Customs)

Assistant Photographer: Crissie Carpenter

Almost everything else you see here was a collaborative effort between the couple, their friends, and their families.

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Madison and Clay’s Engagement Photos

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Eloping in South Carolina

Overall, the word “elopement” still carries a negative connotation for lots of people. It’s become associated with tackiness, secrecy, haste, and being cheap.  Now, the meaning of the word is evolving, and so is our perception of what a wedding day should be.

However you choose to elope, you deserve the best photos from that day. Read more about what I do and to get in touch!

What is an elopement?

“Elopement” technically means “escaping,” so it became used as the word for running away together to get married.  I recently came across an episode of Fresh Prince where Will and Lisa secretly go to Vegas to elope instead of having a big wedding like they planned.  Even though they didn’t go through with the ceremony in Vegas, Lisa said that she felt she and Will had more of a choice in what their own wedding day looked like.  This still rings true today, even if eloping means something different.

Nowadays, an elopement is just a wedding without guests, and that looks different for everyone.  The thought became more popular in 2020 when large gatherings had to be postponed indefinitely, and people didn’t want to postpone actually being married.

Let’s address some of what you may have heard about elopements.

Elopements are cheap.

Yes and no.  If you have no guests, then you don’t have to pay for a big venue, tables, chairs, place settings, invitations, thank-you notes, favors, centerpieces, or whatever else you might provide for each person in attendance.  Lots of couples who elope still invest in quality wedding vendors, or they might budget for something else, like the dress they’ve always dreamed of, or airfare to get married somewhere scenic.  It’s all about paying for what you value, and that’s different for everyone.

Elopements are secretive.

It’s up to you whether to tell people about your wedding before or afterward.

Elopements are hasty.

Some people start planning elopements years in advance, just like they may for a more traditional wedding.  Others “make it official” after years of being together. Both are valid.

Elopements aren’t as special as bigger weddings.

The biggest pushback for elopements is probably the idea of not having your family and friends there to see you get married.  For a lot of couples, it’s not about excluding people, it’s just about having an intimate experience.  One couple said, “We loved the idea of just the two of us coming together before God in nature.” 

How beautiful is that? 

Some people prefer to exchange their vows without other people watching and listening.  It’s your decision whether or not to be surrounded by the people who are closest to you as you say your vows, and only you know who those people are. 

Logistics of Eloping

There’s a lot that’s possible when you’re not accounting for a large group of people. You may not need to reserve a space, depending on where you choose to have your ceremony and pictures.  Some couples have their ceremony on a mountain or in front of a waterfall, something that’s not easily accessible for other people.  Some choose to do it in a more public space, which is harder to organize with a group of people.  This elopement involved cutting their wedding cake right in front of Clemson’s Death Valley. It was on a whim and that would never work if there were more people than just the three of us.

No matter how you choose to get married, you will still need to sign a marriage license.  This process varies by state.  In South Carolina, you can either sign the papers at the courthouse or have a certified officiant come with you to where you want to have your ceremony.  South Carolina also does not require any witnesses to sign the forms.  North Carolina, however, requires two witnesses.  I can always serve as one.  The other could be your videographer if you have one, or even just someone who happens to be passing by.

For ideas on where to elope in South Carolina, check out this blog post!

What if I like the idea of both?

Maybe you love the idea of hiking to an overlook to say your vows, but you also love the idea of celebrating with your family and friends.  You have a few options:

1.  Split it into two days.  One day can be an intimate ceremony with just the two of you, and the other can be a celebration with your family and friends.

2. Take elopement-style pictures on a different day. Maybe you could get dressed up for an engagement session in a scenic place, or you could have an adventure session on your honeymoon in your wedding attire.

3. Invite a small group of people.  Covid popularized the term “microwedding,” which is pretty much the same thing as an intimate wedding, or a wedding with a small number of guests.  For some people, it’s just their parents, and for others, it’s around 25 people.

For more ideas for having a reception for your elopement, click here.

Just like any wedding, there aren’t really any rules for what you do and don’t need to have.  You can still have professional hair and makeup, a white dress, a catered meal, or a small cake, just like how you don’t necessarily have to include the typical wedding traditions in a bigger wedding.  In the end, your wedding day is up to you and your future spouse.  Maybe it’s a big party with a DJ and all your family and friends.  Maybe it’s a handful of people who are close to you in a pretty place.  Maybe it’s just the two of you at your house.  What does the perfect day look like to the two of you?  Start there.

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My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Elopement Planning Resources

Clemson Elopement | Katie and Matt

Katie and Matt knew they wanted their wedding day to be unique and intimate. A year and a half after I did Katie’s Clemson graduation portraits, she told me they were planning to elope and asked if I could do their wedding photos. Since so much of Matt and Katie’s story takes place around Clemson, it felt like a perfect fit for them. They said they shared a lot of memories at the amphitheater, so we made a plan for them to get married there on New Year’s Eve.

Katie, Matt, and I met up at the amphitheater with my friend Rebecca of A Different Officiant. Since it was New Year’s Eve, there weren’t hardly any people around, and only the bells of the clock tower broke the silence around them. Even though there was a high chance of rain for the whole day, none came down while we were together! We went through so much of campus that day, even through some of the botanical gardens. Since there were no guests, Katie and Matt could spend their wedding day wherever. They popped a bottle of champagne together on Bowman Field, which made for plenty of laughs as it sprayed everywhere. They even cut their wedding cake right in front of Death Valley!

Katie and Matt spent years walking this campus with no idea that they were passing by the place where they would someday get married. This was such a fun day that was totally centered around them and their story. Check out some of my favorite photos from Katie and Matt’s wedding!

Special thanks to Rebecca Inman of A Different Officiant for making it possible for Katie and Matt to get married in a place that was so special to them. Their cake came from Sugar Mama’s Cakes and Desserts in Seneca.

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Ready to have a wedding ceremony that’s super intimate and totally unique to you? I’d love to help you make that happen!

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Table Rock Engagement Photos | Jillian and Vincenzo

Vincenzo left Italy to come work at his uncle’s restaurant in Greenville.  That’s where he first met Jillian!  After they’d been dating a while, they visited Pretty Place Chapel, where Vincenzo proposed.  Even though he was so nervous that he opened the ring box upside down, Jillian said yes! 

Jillian saw my photos in a South Carolina hiking group on Facebook and reached out to me about her engagement photos. I saw she was also a Clemson alumna, so that’s always exciting! She told me she wanted her engagement photos to be in the mountains. I was so excited that someone around here was as excited about pictures in the mountains as I am! We discussed possible places, but we had to hold off on choosing a location and setting a date since a lot of places were closed with the stay-at-home order. We talked about going to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it would be hard to know what was open until we got there.  When the state parks opened back up, we decided to go to Table Rock on a Thursday to avoid the park reaching capacity.

I think there were more geese than people on the day we had our session!  We also found some ducks, a large snake, and the biggest snail I’ve ever seen.  Even though we couldn’t do the session in the spring, we still got cool weather for June!  The three of us took a trail where we found a few pretty waterfalls. We had so much fun talking about Italy, South Carolina, the mountains, and their wedding plans!  As the sun started to go down, we went towards the lodge, where there was a beautiful view of Table Rock right next to Pinnacle Lake.  The water even glowed orange from the colors in the sky!

Check out my photos of this awesome couple in one of my favorite places in the whole state! 

Looking for a wedding photographer who supports your non-traditional ideas? Click here to read more about me and what I do, and click here to get in touch!

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First Look or No First Look: What to Consider

The decision of whether or not to have a first look can have an impact on how you feel throughout your wedding day.  Almost every wedding vendor I know or follow insists that everyone should have a first look, but I think a lot needs to go into making that decision.

What is a first look?

A first look is when you and your almost-spouse have your pictures taken together before the wedding instead of not seeing each other until ceremony.  Traditionally, couples have their wedding pictures taken after the ceremony, which is often attributed to the idea that seeing each other beforehand is bad luck.  Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether this is a good fit for you and your wedding day.

What’s the timing for the day?

If your ceremony is close to when it gets dark, you might want to consider a first look so you can have natural light for your pictures.  If your ceremony and reception are at different venues, there may be a big gap between when you finish the ceremony and when the reception starts, so you might as well make use of that time!  If your ceremony is early in the day, having a first look means you’ll have to have your hair and makeup done earlier (and therefore wake up earlier).

Where do you want to go?

If you really want your pictures to be somewhere that’s not close to the venue, having a first look will give you more time to get there and back without missing your reception and time with your guests.  If you want to stick around the venue for your photos, your guests will still be nearby.

Are you already seeing each other that day?

Some couples see each other the day of the wedding, but they don’t want to see each other dressed up until the ceremony.  If you know you’ll wake up next to each other that day, is it worth it to be apart for so much of the day?  You decide!

How will you feel?

The moment you see each other across the aisle is one that you’ve probably waited for your whole life.  Many married couples say that having a first look did not change that moment for them.  If you think you might cry, think about whether you want that moment to be while everyone’s watching or while you two are alone.  A lot of people who think they’ll be nervous on their wedding day choose to do a first look so they can find comfort in each other and be more relaxed before the ceremony.  If you don’t do a first look, you’ll take your wedding pictures in those exciting and relieving first few minutes of finally being married!

What could happen before the ceremony?

Are you worried about getting your dress dirty before you walk down the aisle? Do you want to stay hidden from all your guests until they see you at the ceremony? Would you rather not risk being late to your own ceremony? It’s all up to you!

I hope this helps you make the decision that’s right for your wedding day! As always, I’m happy to help you decide—send me an email to tell me your thoughts so far!