Typically in Singapore, a couple would get a pre-wedding photoshoot done. They’d wear their wedding gown/suit and the album would then be on display during the reception – presumably because: 1) guests that didn’t attend the ceremony will get to see photos of the couple in their wedding attire and 2) doing a full shoot in your wedding clothes on your wedding day will probably give the couple a nervous breakdown 😛

Chris and I were in a bit of a predicament because we didn’t know where to get this pre-wedding photoshoot done in Shanghai, and Chris’ #1 wish was to see me for the first time in my wedding gown when I walk down the aisle. So any photoshoot that we did would have to be sans wedding gown. Not a big deal, considering my wedding gown isn’t even made yet, heh!

After much research, we settled on Barefoot Portraits. They’re an expat-friendly photography studio (owned by a very good looking Philippino guy!) that also do shoots for City Weekend, That’s Shanghai and all those publications out there. They often do family and couple photoshoots and also some bridal ones. We liked them and so decided to do the deed!

I got my qipao (traditional Chinese dress) made last week – a gorgeous silk number that’s deep blue with gold accents. I got the short version because I want it casual enough to be able to wear after the wedding. I’ll wear this in the morning during the Chinese Tea Ceremony, and so decided to also wear it for part of the photoshoot. It fits amazingly because it was made-to-measure, and now I really see the benefit of tailored clothing – want to make a whole bunch of tops and dresses now 😛

The photography session took 4 hours over the weekend, and we were (unfortunately) blessed with STINKING HOT WEATHER. It was a whopping 37 degrees with the sun beating down on us. It meant that Chris in his long clothes was sweaty and hot and bothered, and my hair and makeup all went down the crapper. Pffftttt!!! I know, I know, we should’ve gotten the shoot done 2 months ago when the weather was perfect…. but we were lazy 😛 So freakin’ steaming weather it was, which also meant both of us were kinda testy and grumpy, not to mention sweaty and ugly. D’oh!!

Afterwards, we sat in the studio to look through 600+ photos to select 36 for our album. Surprisingly, we didn’t actually look that angry or sweaty in the photos. Great photographer, I think 😉 In fact, we actually looked pretty calm, cool and collected. It’s quite funny looking at the photos and remembering what we were thinking (mostly along the lines of “Bloody hell!! It’s so hot!! ANGRY!!”) yet we look like such poised models in the photographs. Hahhahaha! Well, thank goodness for that.

The best part was when we went to the park opposite the apartment and brought the ferrets! They played around on the grass whilst being photographed. Was only for about 10 mins though, because it was SO hot they started looking like they were going to heatstroke, so we had to swiftly pop em back home in the airconditioning (yes, the air conditioner’s on 24/7 so that they don’t get too hot. They are VERY spoiled ferrets!)

It was awesome having the ferrets with us in the photos.. now we have gorgeous photographic memories of them. As Chris said, when we have kids, we can show them the photos of our other kids before we had them as kids. Heh!

It was an exhausting but really fun day. Very glad we did it. The photos are now being edited, then put into the album (with a champagne gold leather cover, so it suits our wedding theme!) and we’ll also get the CD of the pics later. Will blow up our favourite picture onto a canvas so we can stick it somewhere at the reception dinner entrance 🙂

So here’s a sneak preview of the un-edited version, hence why we look not-so-good 😛 The good versions and all the rest of ’em? You’ll just have to wait to see them at the wedding! 🙂

At Yuyuan Gardens

In my traditional Chinese ‘qipao’, designed and made-to-measure by Silk King

Wandering arouond the ritzy Xintiandi

Family photo 🙂

Misty

Star

Later on in the studio, picking 36 shots from over 600 took us almost 3 hours. Argh!
SO SICK of looking at our faces, so watched this adorable baby for a bit.

Beautiful Golden Retriever there, with the sweetest, most docile temperament. So cute!