Pre-Ceremony Photography Session

Pre-Ceremony Photography Sessions by a West Hartford Wedding Photographer

Pre-ceremony photography allows your wedding to unfold like a storybook. Pre-ceremony photos begin that story and almost all couples opt for pre-ceremony photography sessions. The delicate details are laid out of tables and hung in closets waiting to be donned, tied, cinched, and steamed. The makeup artist and hairdresser arrives for one party perhaps, while flutes of champagne are clinked and across the way another party chooses to nurse wedding jitters with whiskey and country music twanging in the background. Laughter is heard in both locations while gathering with his or her chosen wedding parties.

Pre-ceremony photography sessions are probably the most quiet moments of a wedding day. Rings are tucked away in pockets for safe keeping and vows are rehearsed for the umpteenth time. Excitement jitters are felt but smiling and laughing overcasts any doubts and fears. At Amika Gair Photography, we love pre-ceremony photography sessions for this very reason. There are so many different emotions that need to held still and relished. These emotions can easily transfer over first look photographs. First looks photos are where a couple gets to view each other for the first time before the ceremony. Many couples opt for these photos because it helps alleviate any anxiety prior to the ceremony taking place.

We love pre-ceremony photography sessions photos because the story feels incomplete without knowing the beginning of the day. Creating a wedding album without the getting ready photos makes it feel like there are chapters missing from a wonderful love story. Getting ready photos are definitely the inching your way up the belt of the roller coaster before the ride begins. Anticipation all the way, and wanting that thrill of going down the other side.

Pre-Ceremony Photography Session FAQs

Questions I get asked most when trying to decide if a couple should include pre-ceremony photography sessions, is first and foremost most, should I?

I typically follow up with a question of my own…will you regret it if you don’t have photos of you both getting ready for the most important day of your lives? This isn’t always clear and cut. Some couples want to focus more on the reception and the celebration with family, friends and guests. This is most often true with second marriages. But if this is your first marriage, I highly recommend a pre-ceremony photography session. These sessions complete the story and are great fun.

Secondly, the most frequent question is what types of photos are taken in the getting ready portion of the day?

For a dress wearer, it may be steaming out any wrinkles appearing on the dress but also capturing the dress hanging before it’s put on. Photos of the shoes and the jewelry that will accompany the gown will also be captured. For a suite wearer, it’s capturing the tying of the tie, the idle chatter of buddies supporting their friend and the pinning of the boutonnière. Pre-ceremony photos encapsulate the beginning of the day and are the perfect way to begin a wedding album.

Every story has a beginning. To tell the story of your wedding day without a pre-ceremony photography session will most likely feel unfinished. You’ll want these photographs to complete your wedding day. These details are often forgotten as the years pass and anniversaries come on go. But when you open your wedding album, the pre-ceremony photographs will at your finger tips and you’ll be able to relive those emotions felt before the ceremony from the visual cues on the photos.

At Amika Gair Photography, we're here to guide you to make the best decisions that fit your needs on your wedding day. Is it the little details of your wedding day that you want to freeze in time or the guests, family and friends gathering together that you want to hold still? Or is it all of the above. There is a wedding collection that will fit your wants and needs and we'll assist you throughout the process. At Amika Gair Photography, we want to tell the entire story of your wedding day.

(See our FAQs for more answers to your questions.)