One of the big traditions with weddings is waiting to see one another until the bride walks the aisle. Not everyone follows this tradition, however, instead choosing to have a “reveal,” or a “moment” together some time prior to the ceremony. I’m not trying to sway anyone one way or the other, but for photo and video purposes, I must be honest and say that seeing each other beforehand does have some definite pro’s –

• it allows more time for fun, creative shots of the couple together, rather than just separately
• sometimes there’s a lack of time, or daylight, to get many good shots after the ceremony
• if you wait to see each other, you may be limited to only a few indoor, church-only shots of the couple together
• you don’t have to worry about a ton of photos after the ceremony — you can get on with the party! (no more fake smiles!)

And then there’s the reveal, or “the moment.” It’s always fun to have a couple see each other for the first time, and spend a few moments together before all the chaos begins. In one of our recent wedding films, for Abby + Dave, we captured their moment at Mt. Echo Park as Abby exited the bus and made her way up to her groom, who was waiting to see his bride for the first time that day. The video below is just a portion of their wedding film, starting from just prior to the reveal all the way up until the ceremony (including a song by the Dave Matthews band, selected by Abby + Dave Mathews!).

Photography for Abby + Dave provided by Masterworks Photography! Great work — check them out!