Bridal couple exchanging letters before their ceremony.

A Message To Each Other Before Your Ceremony

Your wedding day has finally arrived!  The stress from all your planning, the anxieties, the hopes and dreams for your future together will come together to inspire once in a lifetime emotions that usually come across well on camera.  The wedding video with these moments will help you savor the memories for years to come.

Choose a way to exchange your messages that fit your personal preference and situation of the day.

  • A few spoken words from the heart

  • Exchange letters to read individually

  • Exchange letters to read together

 Saying something to each other prior to the ceremony is becoming popular with more couples than just those having a service with standard vows.  Your message to each other will be in a different setting and time than your wedding ceremony vows.  Sharing the feelings of this time makes a nice complement to even custom wedding vows.  I only recommend doing this exchange on video if both of you feel comfortable and relaxed on talking on camera.  As in all parts of your day, this is about you and your choices, and your enjoyment. 

A few words spoken from the heart

Time is often tight before the ceremony despite your plans and intentions.  Spending only a couple of minutes or less on camera with your message may be your best option. This is usually done without notes and comes directly from your feelings of the moment.  Getting a bit of privacy off to the side away from the activity will help you relax.  For whatever reason, getting away from the wedding party seems most important for grooms to feel unpressured.   If this does not seem reasonable because of the schedule situation,  a few words recorded on video will still carry your feelings to your intended.

Exchange letters to read individually

When letters are exchanged individually they are often delivered by the best man to the bride and the maid of honor to the groom to make for a more memorable photo and video opportunity.  If the couple chooses a gift exchange this is a good time for letter exchanges.  When reasonable I try to record the groom reading the letter he has written and the bride reading the letter that she has written out loud on camera as well.  Doing this makes for a nice voice over effect on your wedding video when the letters are actually being read by the intended recipient.

Exchange letters to read  together

Combining your letter exchange with the reveal helps build anticipation for the first look in a fun way.   The moment is already special and being filmed for photo and video.  The simultaneous reading is generally done silently.  Your own voices reading your written words have already been recorded.  The time is special.  This is time for you to appreciate each other.