I press to the side also, mainly because it's a PITA to press them all open and I don't like to burn my fingers in the process. I try to go the easiest way that the fabric wants to go, or to the dark side. I don't take my quilts to a long-armer, so I have not worries about the machine having trouble with any extra bulk. My domestic goes over the seams just fine and I don't notice a difference when it's all quilted.