Why Before the Wedding Day?
For non-religious weddings, it is considered taboo to see your fiance in their wedding attire before the actual wedding ceremony. That is because their traditional first look is when the bride walks down the aisle. However, LDS Temple weddings are quite different. The bride and groom wear different clothing in the temple, and then change into normal wedding attire before exiting the temple. They exit the temple together, with all their guests waiting outside. So it ruins any opportunity for a first look moment. UNLESS you do bridal photos before your sealing.
Photos on Wedding Day, But Before Sealing?
If taking bridal photos on a different day is not an option due to travel or waiting on dress alterations, that's okay! Instead of opting for bridal photos after family photos, I'd recommend taking them before your sealing. Most temples require you to arrive an hour before your sealing starts in order for you to have enough time to change clothes, sign marriage licenses, and receive instructions. So in order to do bridal photos before your sealing, you would have to arrive at the temple up to two hours before your actual sealing
PROS:
- You still get a break between bridal and family pictures
- Arrive at temple, smile for bridal pictures, sealing, smile for family pictures, leave temple
- First look happens on actual wedding day
- Only have to do hair and makeup once
CONS:
- Have to arrive at temple up at least two hours before your sealing starts (most temples require couples to enter temple an hour before sealing starts to provide instructions and sign marriage licenses)
- Unless your wedding attire is sealing appropriate, you will have to change in and out of your outfits twice instead of once
- Won't have edited pictures in time to print and display them at your reception
Photos on Completely Different Day?
My professional opinion is to do a first look and take majority your bridal photos not on your wedding day. Why?
PROS:
- More free time on wedding day
- Location of the photos expands past the temple grounds
- Think the beach or the mountains
- Perfect opportunity to trial run your hair, makeup, dress, etc.
- Helps you decide if you want any changes for your actual wedding day
- More emotionally present
- You're not drained from guests and high pressure)
- Energy for photos lasts longer
- Doing a one hour couples photoshoot on a singular day instead of having to stick around the temple for couple photos after a grueling 45 minutes of family photos. Jaw pain and discomfort from smiling is real!
- Bridal photos and first look can be a separate memory from your wedding day
- Your wedding day will fly by, and your mind will be overwhelmed trying to remember it all. But if you do bridal photos a different day, they are preserved in your mind without getting squished
- Reception decorations can include bridal photos because your photographer will have enough time to edit the photos and you'll have enough time to print them
CONS:
- Have to get "wedding ready" twice. Once for bridal photos, then again on actual wedding day
- Decide if you should purchase flowers for bridal photos and wedding day, or skip them for bridal photos (if you use fake flowers for your bouquet and boutonniere you don't have to pay for two flower sets, and get to have flowers for both days)
- Plan separate travel for bride and groom to ensure first look isn't spoiled
- My fiancé and I had to ride in the same car before our first look and bridal photos. So I put extra jackets and blankets on top of myself so he couldn't see the dress. But he obviously still saw my hair, makeup, and jewelry before our first look
Picking the Photo Location
Deciding on a spot for bridal photos can be overwhelming, but here's some questions you can ask yourself to help narrow down your options:
- How far am I willing to travel?
- What time of year is it? (photos in the mountains is a lot easier in the summer than the winter due to snowy roads and cold temperatures)
- Which color background do you gravitate more towards?
- Green trees? Red rocks? Blue water? etc.
- Will me and my fiancé contrast against this background? (if either of you have red hair, I wouldn't recommend bridal photos at Zions National Park)
- Would I be happy seeing this scenery in the background of my bridal photos on my living room wall for the next 50 years?
How to Keep Wedding Dress & Suit Clean During Photos
Unfortunately dry cleaning is expensive and time consuming. Here are some tips and tricks to help keep your wedding attire clean during photos:
- Have your fiancé (and maybe some friends) help carry your dress when walking around so its not dragging in grass and dirt
- For dresses, buy a shower curtain or bed sheet and cut a hole in the middle that you can put your legs through. Then carry the dress by holding onto the sides of the shower curtain. When it's time to take photos, you can step out of the curtain or push it under the dress. Here's a video of a bride on TikTok doing it https://www.tiktok.com/@isabel_downey (not my video)
The Planning Matters
There is one thing that no photographer can edit or fix from your bridal photos, and that's your authenticity. If you are overwhelmed or frustrated, your face will show it. The more time and effort you put into planning your bridal photos, the more prepared you will be, and therefore the more present you can be for this exciting documentary process of your love.
Overwhelmed? Let me help
Wedding planning is so difficult, especially when you feel like you're doing it alone. For all of my couples, I do personalized calls to assist in planning bridal photos and finalizing the details. If I can make your life easier, let me know :)
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Testimonials
If you need a photographer, Lilly is the girl to go with! We had our bridals and family photos taken with her, and from start to finish, she was so kind and incredibly easy to work with. She has an amazing eye for photography and posing, and she does a phenomenal job of bringing your vision to life while staying true to what you want. Her work is absolutely beautiful and her style is amazing. She's genuinely the kind of person you want hyping you up and making you feel amazing throughout the entire experience. Working with Lilly was truly our best experience with a photographer. We couldn't recommend her enough!
OCTOBER 2026
Grace s.
Testimonials
We needed a photographer to get photos of the people at the temple with my daughter’s wedding. She was wonderful. The grooms cousin took the bridal and engagement pictures, but wasn’t comfortable taking the big group family pictures because she was related. Lilly came in and got the job done. I would definitely use her again. Also, she informed me that our photos were her first wedding photos she had taken. I wouldn’t have known if she didn’t tell me. Thank you!
AUGUST 2024
Amber G.
Testimonials
I absolutely love Lilly and her photography style! She was both professional and personable, making the entire experience feel comfortable and enjoyable. She came prepared with creative pose ideas while also being open to any requests or ideas we had. She captured our family photos beautifully, and we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I highly recommend Lily Wade Photo for anyone looking for a talented, thoughtful, and professional photographer!
