Gone are the days of your typical or traditional wedding shoots. These days, couples are eager to explore quirky ideas to immortalise their love story. Even pre-wedding shots are given creative consideration and shot differently.

How would you tell a love story visually? That is the premise behind every wedding or pre-wedding visual and your duty as the wedding photographer is to make your couple’s visions come to life. Let’s discuss things to consider before you plan where to shoot.

Image by Rawandi Rahman

Location, Location, Location

More and more couples are heading overseas for their pre-wedding or wedding shoots as the exotic locales provide stunning backdrops. If your couple prefers something closer to home, there are plenty of lush nature spots and cool cityscapes to pick. Tip: Choose a location that holds fond memories for your couple to make it more meaningful.

Jeremy Lim of Avenue 8 Studios doesn’t rely on a certain location for his shoots. “Anywhere can be a nice place to shoot a pre-wedding; there is no special place or a must-go destination. What is most important would be the connection that the couple has to that particular place, for example, where they had their first date, the first place they met or a place they frequent together,” he elaborates.

Sometimes, it’s not the location but the details that can make all the difference. Look out for places with elements that stand out. For example, a majestic tree in a middle of an open field, or eclectic buildings.

“I love places with rustic décor. Therefore, I prefer shooting outdoor or garden weddings because I get to capture amazing details that go very well with the location,” says Rawandi Rahman of The Fotorika.

Shooting Overseas

Heading overseas for a couple’s pre-wedding shoot? Planning ahead is everything. This ensures better time management so you can execute your shots properly and maximise the trip you’ve made.

For Rawandi, research is crucial: “I will do my research on the best locations of the country I’m heading to. I will plan my shots and try to picture the situation even before I arrive at the location so that when I’m there, I know what to expect.”

When Jeremy shoots weddings overseas, he would check “the country’s seasons and the weather as that would determine the type of look and feel of the photographs.”

One of his more memorable overseas wedding shoot locations was at a villa in Bali as it was his first visit to the breathtaking island. “That made the whole wedding experience even more special not just for the couple, but for the guests and myself.”

Image by Jeremy Lim

One of his more memorable overseas wedding shoot locations was at a villa in Bali as it was his first visit to the breathtaking island. “That made the whole wedding experience even more special not just for the couple, but for the guests and myself.”

Rawandi loves shooting wedding and pre-wedding photography overseas and recalls his favourite one. “The most interesting pre-wedding overseas shoot was the one I did in Bali with a couple who loves custom-made motorbikes. They had brought the bike along and it made a great prop for the shoot!”

What’s Trending

Are there rising trends that wedding photographers should look out for?

Jeremy has noticed couples favouring outdoor wedding photography versus the traditional studio set-ups. “They are also looking to more candid photography, not so much posed images. Photo booths at weddings have also risen in popularity these days.”

Rawandi, however, sees things differently. “I wouldn’t call them trends because I believe that all photographers showcase their own creativity in every photo shot. And it’s always nice to see how I’ve applied my creativity to the photos.”

At the end of the day, whichever concept that has been decided for the shoot, it’s important that you fulfill the couple’s demands. After all, they will be enjoying the wedding album years down the road. 

Image by Rawandi Rahman

 

Azmin Zainal Profile of writer Azmin Zainal has been in love with the written word ever since she could well, read. Relatively new to all things digital, so show her some love. Still searching for the meaning of life, whatever that is. Loves coffee, good conversations, fried chicken and Roger Federer. Not necessarily in that order.