Pre-wedding photography …behind the scenes

Pre-wedding photography, or as some might know it an engagement photo shoot, is much more popular at the moment in Asia than in the UK.  Typically when a couple gets engaged, one of the first things they do is book a pre-wedding photo shoot, either with a bridal boutique or an independent photographer.  Most of the bridal boutiques in Asia including China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore provide a package that includes the hire of a wedding gown (or gowns), a make-up and hair artist (or artists) and a photographer (plus assistants) for a pre-wedding photo shoot.  This will normally take place a few months before the wedding reception and depending on the package they have chosen, the shoot might last a whole day (or two) in which the team and the couple will travel to a few locations for their portraits.  The bride and groom-to-be might change into different out-fits, change make-up and have a variety of hair styles!  There are increasingly competitive and imaginative  companies offering photo shoots to outdo, astound, and go to impressive lengths to get something unique. One such business venture in the large surroundings to Shanghai even has an underwater studio set up! For the more restrained photo shoots, when the images are ready, the couple can then post them on social media as an announcement of their forthcoming wedding.  They can also compile a slideshow to be shown on a projector or order an album/ frames/ posters to be displayed at the wedding reception.

During our stay in Shanghai, we couldn’t stop noticing so many couples wandering around the famous landmarks with their photographers, and dressed up in their wedding gowns and suits.  Here are some highlights of the many photo shoots we stumbled across in our travels for a behind the scenes look…enjoy!