Tag Archives: wedding photos

Guests Wedding Etiquette

Be Subtle.

Wedding Fashion Wedding Favours

Wedding Favours: Sunglasses.

There’s something ultra cool about sunglasses aka shades or sunnies. Not only do they shield you from the glaring sun, they also hide all signs of a big night out. Tom Cruise made a name for himself wearing aviators in Top Gun and now Psy has done it dancing Gangnam style. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony, leave a pair of shades on the chair as a wedding favour and personalise it with your wedding date. Even if you’re having an indoor affair, nothing’s going to stop your guests from donning shades for the photo session or whilst their boogying on the dance floor. They’ll have a blast.

 

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): A Modern Suburbanites LifeIndigo Foto via Jet Fete Blog, Captiv8PromosMartha Stewart Weddings, Kim Fox Photography via Heavenly Blooms Blog

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Matthew Morgan Photography, Branco Prata via Green Wedding Shoes, Bobettes Blog, CMP Studios, Ulmer Studios via Wedding Chicks, Annamarie Stepney Photography via Plan Your Perfect Wedding, Kellie Coughlin Photographer via Delightfully Engaged

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’.

Entertainment Guests Wedding Photography

Wedding Photo Booths For Hire.

Photo credit: Signs by Diane via Etsy

Hong Kong is a city that loves all things trendy, so it comes as no surprise that the latest fad to hit town is the snap happy photo booth. Oh, never mind that we’re about 2 years late. It’s a fun way to entertain guests before the reception or rather, to amuse themselves posing with silly props (and you thought they were camera-shy). Mention the photo booth to guests to ensure they don’t arrive ‘HK wedding’ time. Now, say cheese.

Companies that hire out the ever-popular photo booths together with props are popping up everywhere so should you have the budget and want to be stress-free, here are the ones to contact.

Photobooth Hong Kong: minimum of 2 hours (from HKD6,000 up).

HK Photobox: shoot them an email or give them a call to enquire about rates.

VPhotobooth: minimum of 2 hours (from HKD7,000 up).

iCapture: shoot them an email or give them a call to enquire about rates.

Wedding Photography

Photo Checklist. A Must.

Photo credit: Shooting Hip

 

It is the most important day of your life (besides having your first kid) so no doubt, you’ll want to have beautiful photos to keep. Unless your photographer can read your mind, there may be parts of the day and certain details that you consider as vital but s/he will have missed out. In order to avoid disappointment and to ensure you’re on the same page, send your photographer a checklist of essential shots and examples of photos that you like. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’re a bridezilla. You’re just organised.

Before the ceremony:-
1. Wedding dress (hanging up)
2. Bride’s shoes
3. Bride and bridesmaid’s bouquets
4. Bride having hair and make-up done
5. Mother of the bride buttoning or zipping up the bride’s wedding dress
6. Bride in her wedding dress
7. Bride with her bridesmaids
8. Bride with her parents and sibilings
9.
Gift from Bride to Groom, parents or other members of the bridal party
10.
Groom getting ready with groomsmen
11.
Groom with best man
12. Groom with groomsmen
13. Groom with parents and siblings
14. Groom and groomsmen making their way to the ceremony
15. Close up shot of the wedding bands 

At the Ceremony:
1. Guests walking into ceremony room
2. Groomsmen escorting guests
3. Ceremony program cards (if any)
4. Groom and best man at the altar
5. Bride walking down with escort
6. Bride’s escort giving her away
7. Bride and groom exchanging vows
8. Ring ceremony
9. Close up of the couple’s kiss
10. Signing of the register
11. Candid shots of family members and other guests as they watch
12. Bride and groom walking up the aisle
13. Bridal party walking up the aisle
14. Newlyweds outside ceremony site

Photo session:
1. Formal photos with guests
2. Bride and groom only photos
3. Bouquet toss

At the Reception:
1. Photos of the interior before guests get seated
2. Seating plan
3. Guestbook and guests signing
4. Tables laid for dinner
5. Place/Name card on plates
6. Flowers or other details on table
7. 
Cake
8. Br
ide and groom entering for the reception
9. Bride and groom mingling with guests
10. Speeches with toasts
11. Bride and groom cutting the cake
12. Bride and groom’s first dance
13. Bride and father dancing
14. Guests dancing
15. Guests mingling

Freebies Wedding Photography

Sort Your Photos the Easy Way.

So you thought you can take a breath after months (or maybe years?!) of planning interspersed with bouts of stress, nervousness and euphoria? Think twice. There will be plenty of friends and family members constantly chasing you for photos and videos of your special day, as if you are a photo printing machine. All you want is to click a magic button for your memories to be captured in one place, stress-free.

Well, hello Mr. Kaptur. This amazing site somehow, through those geeky codes, miraculously gathers all yours, your photographer and guests’ photos and videos via social media platforms (so you’ve got Facebook, Flickr to name a few) to present one integrated online wedding album. You can even tag guests who attended, allow them to comment and share the link with as few or as many people you’d like. Oh and as a bonus, add your favourite tunes (using YouTube links) to the album to give it some extra personal touch and to stop those viewing from snoozing.

It’s as easy as a few clicks and best of all, it’s free. Go on, give it a try and Kaptur your memories in a jiffy!

Photo credit: Kaptur

p.s. Kaptur has collaborated with Beyonce, Vera Wang and WeddingWire to create an album with Beyonce’s “Love On Top” as the soundtrack.  Now, that’s one big partnership.

 

 

Wedding Photography

Searching for a photographer

Photo Credit: Paul Rowland Photography

Just over a year ago, Bridelicious had the challenging task to find a suitable photographer for both her UK wedding and HK banquet, without breaking the bank and who fitted our unfussy style. Where does one start when there are a gazillion photographers who claim they are ‘professional’? You’ll want to spend time researching as the photos are for-life (hopefully!) so here are a few tips to kick-start the process.

1. Ask…ask…ask! If you’re at the marriage age, there are bound to be a handful of friends who are also, like you, getting married or have already gotten hitched. They’ll also probably be organised (scream bridezilla!) and have a colour-coded excel spreadsheet listing all the photographers they’ve enquired about, so make use of their much-researched information. Don’t be shy.

2. If you’d rather do the research yourself, start with the list on the WPJA website so that at least you know they’re accredited.

3. Meet the photographer in person. They may have an amazing portfolio but if you don’t click and are not on the same page, no matter how talented he/she is, it’ll reflect in the photos. There’s no looking back after your big day.

4. Choose the photographer that matches your personal style. If you abhor posed wannabe artistic shots, there’s no point hiring one who’s job is to ask you to stand back-to-back with your arms folded. Geez, we don’t naturally stand with our backs facing another person, unless you hate each other, so why do that for your wedding snaps?

5. Shop around. Just because a ‘celebrity’ photographer is free on your wedding day doesn’t mean you should immediately say yes (!) without even asking about the price. More of than not, these are the ones who have a list of incomprehensible terms on their contract so calm down, and think it through rationally. Do you really want to pay someone HKD40k only to find out that they have all the rights to your photo and each photo that gets printed will cost you a bomb?

6. BUT, if you do find the ‘one’, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and hire him now!