Tag Archives: pre-wedding photos

Wedding Photography Wedding Venues

Want to Say ‘I Do’ in 2013?

Calling all couples looking to get hitched and throw a bash in 2013. I’ve just been contacted by a reader who had to call off his wedding (due to some unfortunate circumstances) and non-refundable deposits were paid to vendors. The fact is, he’d like to recoup some of the deposit he’s forked out. The vendors have kindly offered to transfer the deposit to another couple who’d like to take up the same wedding package so the deal is, if you’re interested, you’ll get a considerable discount. Here are the deets….

Wedding Venue: Aberdeen Marina Club (AMC)
HK$35,000 off the total package (minimum F&B consumption of HK$280,000 + 10% service charge). You will need to pay HK$35k to the said reader directly and AMC will arrange for a revised contract (with same terms and conditions as the said reader) to be signed, treating the HK$70k deposit as paid. The package must be used before 31st December 2013 and any outstanding deposits and balances will be borne by you.
***Deadline for transfer of deposit is 21st May 2013.

Pre-Wedding Photo: Chris Tang Studio
HK$4,500 off the total package (total package price HK$18,050). You will need to pay HK$4,500 to the said reader directly. The pre-wedding photography session must be used on 1st April 2013,
***Deadline for transfer of deposit is 1st March 2013 as the balance of the package price must be paid by then.

Disclaimer: Please note that the above figures and information were provided by the said reader and may not be final. For details of the terms and conditions of the respective packages and settlement of any payments, please email directly. This post is merely to help spread the word to any interested couples.

Real Weddings Wedding Photography

Real Engagement Session: Alice & Anson (London) by Kathy Li.

As you can tell by now, I’m all for engagement photos that are candid and engaging; ones that reflect who the couple are when they’re together, rather than the ones which focus too much on the background and the posing. I may have questioned before why couples like to have the obligatory photo taken in the middle of a zebra crossing but somehow, the set of photos you’re about to see with Alice & Anson holding hands crossing a quiet London road works. They’re relaxed, bubbly, in love and as their photographer Kathy Li describes it, “they look like they’re on a fun date”. You can almost feel the butterflies in their stomach.

Photo credits: Kathy Li @ KayEllePhoto.com

Freebies Wedding Photography

Photo Competition Void.

We would like to apologise to all those who genuinely entered the photo competition last week to win a free pre-wedding photo session with Sherri Barber and Kurt Vinion. Due to several dishonest entries, we have had to null and void the competition. Thank you for your understanding and we will endeavour to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Wedding Photography

Beyond the Aesthetics: Isa Photography

There are tonnes of photographers in town these days (they usually stick out like a sore thumb with their ginormous cameras or carrying their smartphones and snapping at everything they see) but it’s not often you get to come across a talented individual who manages to bring a photo to life. Isa of Isa Photography, another ex-professional who ditched the legal world (can you hear the cheers?) has done just that. Her fresh take on engagement shoots focuses on the couple’s genuine happiness and love story whilst giving off a playful vibe at the same time.

Before the couples go in front of the camera, Isa talks to them at length to get the know them and plan the photo session, from styling to clothes and props. Sometimes couples are shy (c’mon, not everyone dreams to be a celeb or model) and Isa’s trick “is just to make them feel like I’m not there and let them sit, chat and laugh”. The relaxed nature of Isa’s photos have been inspired by Jose Villa and Jonathan Canlas, two film photographers (not many do that nowadays!) who have, in Isa’s words “the ability to go beyond the aesthetics of a photo and really unwrap and present a relationship as it really is”. Bravo, because Isa has got it right. One of my favourites is her capture of young love, Michelle & Andy, whose affection for each other just shines from their eyes and their smiles. It goes to show that you don’t need a dramatic background in order to achieve beautiful photos. When you’re in love, nothing else in the world matters.

 

p.s. Isa Photography can now be found at Localiiz, the Hong Kong directory for all your lifestyle needs!

Photo credits: Isa Photography

Bride Groom Personal touches Wedding Photography

Engagement Shoots: Natural is Best.

Photo credit: La Belle Bride 

I’ve never been a big fan of engagement shoots/pre-wedding photos because in this city, photographers concentrate on overly styled photos that are more editorial than portraying a couple in love. You’ll often see girls traipsing round the streets of Central in a long rental wedding dress or evening gown with full-on make up, whilst her other half is sweating like a pig in his shimmery silver tux trying to please his princess. Oh pu-lease. Unless you want to get run over by a double-decker bus, why would you take a photo in the middle of a zebra-crossing? Not to mention that ordinary people don’t walk around wearing a white wedding dress except for on their wedding day.

Save yourself the stress of hiring outfits that you’re scared of damaging and the embarrassment of wondering around the busy crowds (no, when a stranger stops and stares, they’re not admiring you as a loved up couple, they’re thinking ‘you fools hahaha’) by going natural. It simply means wear casual clothes, go for minimal make up, act like how you normally do and smile like you mean it. The photos are meant to be a reflection of your love, your commitment, so go to places that hold a special meaning to you; be it a quiet street where you first held hands, your favourite cafe or the place you first laid eyes on each other. Tell your photographer what you want, the style you’re looking for and let them do the work to bring the photos to life. They may add props to show who you are, what you like; a tennis racquet for tennis aficionados, books for bookworms, tv controller for the movie buffs. 

In the next week, I’ll be introducing two very talented up-and-coming photographers that all couples should keep a lookout for (as you know, natural isn’t exactly HK’s forte). Both ex-lawyers, both girls and both believe that ‘natural is best’.

Bride Groom Tradition Wedding Photography

Breaking From Tradition: The First Look.

Photo credits: Simply Bloom Photography

The reveal. The first look. The special moment when the bride and groom see each other before they legally tie the knot. The groom in a dapper suit waiting patiently for the beautiful bride to appear before his eyes. More and more couples are now defying tradition and making the most of the time before the ceremony to share their loving thoughts with each other, to hug and to cry and simply to spend some quality alone time before celebrating with friends and family and forgetting all the details leading up to the big day.

You can get your photographer to capture this magical moment or you can tell them to bugger off so that you can both soak in the emotions with no one in sight. You’ll probably feel a lot calmer and stress free when you do eventually walk down that aisle because you’ve expressed your love in private or had time to be left speechless and cried enough (remember to allow some time for your make up touch up!), so that all you care about is appreciating the moment.

An extra perk is that this way, you’ll have all the couple shots  out of the way, leaving the post-ceremony time to take photos and party with guests! Just make sure whatever you decide on, to follow tradition or not, is one that’ll make you both happy. It is your day. It only happens once. 

Excitement, tears + laughter.

Photo credits: Kevin Weinstein

Anxiety, awe-struck, love.

Photo credits: Heather Kincaid

 Thrill, happiness.

Photo Credits: Kevin Weinstein

Bride Groom Tradition

The Tradition: See No Bride. See No Groom.

Ever wondered why grooms are not allowed to see the bride before the wedding ceremony? Traditionally, most marriages were arranged and by banning the couple from seeing each other before they exchange their vows, there was absolutely no room for either of them to run away based on looks. If they were ugly, they had to live with it. Ouch. This tradition has passed onto the 21st Century: many believe it’s bad luck and the anticipation of seeing one another at the altar creates even more excitement when the couple eventually lock eyes.

If you’re a traditionalist, ask your photographer to capture romantic shots of you and your soon-to-be-hubby holding hands between doors or as one couple did, blindfold yourselves and whisper sweet nothings without actually seeing each other. Awwwwwww. My heart is racing for them.

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Brandon Werth via Emmaline Bride, Amy Karp via Grooms Sold Separately, Gina Leigh via PB Fingers, Leigh Webber Photography, Theo Civitello @ Theo Graphic, Melissa Young Photography

Bride Bridesmaids Groom Groomsmen Guests Personal touches Wedding Fashion Wedding Photography Wedding Venues

10 Simple Ways to Save on Your Wedding.

We’re in a recession after all. It may not seem like it when you still see scores of people (ok, they’re all from the Motherland) queuing up to buy Chanel handbags or when restaurants are fully booked more than a month in advance, but we have to face the fact. You cannot afford to celebrate like it’s 2006. Sorry to hit you with the hard truth. Having said that, it doesn’t mean your wedding has to be a non-event because there are so many ways to save and still make it memorable. Hey, the most important thing is you’re getting married to your true love, not whether your table flowers are the perfect colour, right? So, here’s how to cut costs.

Photo credit: Sarah Der Photography

1. Hold your ceremony and reception at the same location. Not only will you save money on hiring two venues and on transport, you’ll also save on the stress of figuring out how to get everyone from Venue A to B. One extra tip, if the ceremony is right before the reception, you’ll also make sure that the dinner can start on time as most of your guests will have attended the ceremony. You know, HK people love to arrive fashionably late.

2. Hold your wedding on a weekday, in the Summer or during the day. Some guests might moan about having to attend a wedding on a school night but it’s impossible to keep everyone happy. HK Summers are hot and humid so fewer couples choose this season to get hitched but if you’re going to have it in the ballroom anyways, who cares what the weather is like outside?

3. Re-use the flowers from your ceremony and the bridesmaids’ bouquets for your reception. You may want to keep your own bouquet for sentimental reasons. Honestly, who will remember what your flowers looked like?

4. Skip having a wedding band during the reception and use your iPod to play music or hire a DJ who is a lot cheaper (you’re paying one person as opposed to five member of a band. When guests are eating and talking, they’re not going to care what the background music is. Just make sure you’ve chosen neutral songs, not some heavy metal music that’ll send the older guests’ hearts racing or opera music that’ll send the young ones to sleep.

5. If the venue (in HK, it’s most likely a hotel) includes table flowers in their package, use it. If not, be imaginative with your table centre-pieces. Skip the flowers and decorate with plants that guests can take home as wedding favours, mini-dessert table bar so guests can indulge however and whenever they like or old ‘empty’ wine bottles if you’re a wine aficionado. Remember, there is no right or wrong way.

6. Many production houses encourage the couple to set up a photo backdrop or stage even in the reception room. Tell them no and use the money you saved on the lighting instead. It’ll instantly transform the mood.

7. Leave out the pre-wedding photos. Why would you want to trape around in a rental wedding outfit in the whole of Hong Kong or even worse, in the middle of the piazzas in Europe with a forced, exhausted smile whilst strangers stare at you, just so you can tell others how much money you can spend?! Shouldn’t the most important and special photos be ones that are taken on your wedding day, candid shots that truly portray your happiness?

8. Have just one Maid of Honour and one Best Man and skip having any bridesmaids or groomsmen. That doesn’t necessarily mean you only have one best friend and if they’re really your friends, they’ll understand. Less outfits to pay for is a good thing. Get your friends to do some readings at the ceremony or plan your hen night or stag do. That way, no one will feel left out.

9. Save costs and save the environment. Send paperless save the dates and invitations. You can use online sites such as Cocodot or Paperless Post or even create your own video. Be creative.

10. Buy your dress on sample sales or online. Most often than not, you’ll shed a few pounds and the dress will need to be tucked in anyways so whether the dress fits at the time of purchase doesn’t make much difference.