Wedding Tips for brides the Couples Portrait.
Previously we talked about selecting your wedding photographer and why it is important to look at more than just the photos they have on their website. 
Today, I want to talk about the “Couples Portrait” and allowing time to have them taken. This is not your engagement portrait we are talking about. Alot of photographers may call this something else but I am talking about a portrait that is taken of the couple in their wedding attire. One of our favorites is the portrait of Kari & James in front of Augusta Pines Golf Club. Another photo we like is with Dana & Will in front of the First Baptist Church in Rosenberg.
At Caffrey’s Photography, we consider the Couples Portrait a photo session with the Bride and Groom when they are still looking their best. That means when the groom still has his jacket on, his shirt is still buttoned up with his tie and the bride still looks fresh and her dress has not been bustled. How do you go about getting something like this? Typically, there are 2 times during your wedding day that you will still be looking your best. The most obvious is the time just after the wedding and formal photos have been taken and before the reception begins. The other is before the wedding starts.
We will take a look at both, starting with the time after the wedding and give you some things to consider for each one. For most weddings the formal photos will be done after the wedding. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on how many photos and different groups there are. After that we like to do some creative shots with the entire wedding party. Once those photos are done is the time that is available to do something special with the bride and groom. The more time you can allow for this the more creative your photographer can be. The benefit to doing these photos at this time is that you have both just committed yourselves to each other and the shots just after your wedding tend to show that passion that you have for each other. The downside is it takes time to do these photos and alot of wedding coordinators just dont allow that time in the schedule. The shot with Kari & James is just one of the photos that we got from their session that lasted about 45 minutes. Dana & Will allowed about 30 minutes for us to work with them. In order to get shots like these at this time of the day you have to allow some time to work with your photographer.
The other way to get these shots is to see each other before the wedding. We call this time the “First Look”. Some couples dont have a big problem with seeing each other before the ceremony. 
If you dont mind seeing each other ahead of time, this can be the BEST time to get, not only your “Couples Portrait” session in, but also a “First Look” set of photos. We will set up a time several hours before the wedding and have the two of you see each other in a more relaxed and private time. We step back and take shots of the first moment you see each other. After that we go and do the Couples Session with you. The benefit of doing this is that you tend to have alot more freedom with your time to allow not only the Couples Portraits to be done but you get the First Look photos as well. Also, you can get all your formal photos done before the wedding leaving nothing to be done after the ceremony except head to your reception and start the party! The downside is that you are breaking tradition by seeing your fiance before the actual ceremony. I did a search to find out why we have a tradition such as this and found the following. It’s based on an ancient Roman practice of arranged marriages. Weddings were often arranged by the families of the bride and groom for financial or political gain. The couple was rarely involved in the planning of the wedding, and would often not even know one another. Since both families had a great deal to loose, the groom was not allowed to see the bride before the marriage for fear that he would refuse to marry if he didn’t like how the bride looked. The bride was veiled from head to toe on her wedding day, and only after the wedding ceremony was complete was the groom allowed to see her for the first time. As time passed, this practice turned into tradition, and superstition crept into the mix. Now, many consider it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Considering this ancient tradition, I would guess that 100% of our couples already know what each other look like and most of you have no plans to refuse to marry each other on their wedding day. You will have to make that decision to go with tradition or break away from the pack and do something different.
As you can see, there are 2 different times that we can work with you to get amazing images like the ones we have shown you. As a photographer, our preference is to do the First Look and the Couples Portrait before the wedding. Yes it is non-traditional but it tends to reduce the stress during the day by freeing up time for all of your photos. If you would prefer to stick with tradition and you want to have some photos of your new spouse, then you need to allow time for you and your photographer to work together before the reception starts.
Check back with us next week as we post another helpful tip for you to consider.
Cheerfully,
Becca & Scott
Caffrey’s Photography, A Houston Wedding Photographer
Contact us to see how Caffreys Photography can help make your dream wedding come true.
Engagement Photos
Wedding Photography
Caffrey’s Photography, A Houston Wedding Photographer
Wedding Tips for Brides
Wedding couples portrait
