Sharing our experience - pre-wedding potrait

Since there were good feedbacks on the photos that I have shared from my pre-wedding portrait - I am happy to impart a few tips. First of all,you will have to do research - I have been googling photos, wedding gowns, hairstyles that I prefer on the web. By the time I am actually scouting for bridal studios and make up artistes I would already have an idea what I am looking for. The most important is still "Listen to your heart" coz you would know better what style you would like - it is only logical as you and your hubby would most likely be the ones who will look at the pictures most.

We started off by visiting the bridal fair held in 1 Utama. We saw a few bridal studios there and paid our bookings for one of them - coz it was almost impossible for us to get away without doing just that. The next step was to pay the said bridal studio a visit, we went unannounced i.e. the sales person who sold us the package were caught unawares. I didn't have a good experience - the gowns weren't really to my specifications i.e. simple, elegant and nice (and I do know I am no longer petite - there were just not enough cloth on the gowns to fit snugly). The package also includes 5-6 gowns(wedding gowns, evening gowns, QunKua etc. ) but the designs just do not meet my only requirement which is simple and nice. Sigh, so it was a total disaster and me and hubby started looking for others - basically I have in mind two others but was at first afraid to show hubby coz the cost and items included weren't as many as the conventional ones. We went to one (the link posted somewhere in this blog) and I fell in love instantly with the gowns and the photography style - simple, nice, elegant and I was just so happy.

There were occasions where we hear comments as to why we chose that particular one without much i.e. no multiple gowns, no costumes etc. but me being my natural self - I have listed down my reasons and shared with hubby so both of us is on the same page.

Then came the phase where we have to choose wedding gown for the pre-wedding photo shoot and meet up with the photographer - Nic. I shared with him my requirements - natural, candid, artistic and buildings as backgrounds, black and white/sephia tones - where would the suitable places to take in KL etc. We were considering Lake gardens, somewhere in TTDI, SJI building (my choice- sigh I am more patriotic to the school that I went for form 6, it may be spooky and the school is still on etc. thus not a suitable venue unless I want young boys to be in the background) - the photographer sort of got the gist of my requirements and explored with us going down to Port Dickson. I agreed almost immediately as I have always dreamed of walking along the beach in a wedding gown - picture perfect in my opinion. But of course last year, year 2006 - it just rains and rains all the time and if we were so unfortunate to be caught in rain - PD do not provide many alternatives. Nic then suggested Malacca coz if it does rain, we can take photos in buildings etc. Wow - eagerly agreed and made the necessary arrangements i.e. hotel, transport etc. The day of our photo shoot soon arrived, lady luck is on our side - we had a bright day and not too hot for a fully dressed and dolled up couple to be walking around Malacca. I also had the most wonderful make up artist - again my requirement was natural youthful make up and she did just that. I came prepared with photos of hairstyle that I particularly like and she recreated them with aplomb - thanks Remy.

To summarise - number 1. do go with your heart's desire, number 2. do not be discouraged my other's remarks/opinions, number 3. do research beforehand and let the photographer/make up artist know what you have in mind. Hubby and I had great fun during the photo shoot, photographer makes us laugh a lot coz Nic showed us some shots taken on and off - I look best when he makes us laugh uninhibited. To this day, I will still look at the photos now and then and am still as satisfied as ever. Let me share with you another unconventional choice of mine i.e. the large portrait that you get from wedding potrait packages - mine's showing not one but 8 pictures all in all (7 smaller pictures layered onto a large one). Those of you who were at my wedding banquet would know ;-).