The Wedding Journey: The Pre-Wedding Photoshoot (Indoor & Outdoor)
Hey people!
The pre-wedding photoshoot is possibly one of the most exciting parts of wedding preparation for a lady.
It's a day where you can feel all princessy wearing beautiful gowns while experimenting with different makeup looks and hairstyles. For a person like me who values experiences and photo memories, it's a big deal and I wanted to savour the moment as much as possible.
Our package from French Wedding Couture entitled us to 5 gowns, 3 suits, accessories, makeup & hair styling and a full day photography service. Since French Wedding Couture had one of the cheapest bridal packages I have seen, I was surprised that they were so generous with the number of gown changes.
During my bridal studio hunt, the bridal studios I have approached allow for 3 gown changes, 2 of which have to be the same gowns that you are wearing for your big day. Thus, for French Wedding Couture to offer us 5 gown changes, in which the gowns could be different from the ones I would be wearing on my actual day, was definitely a bonus.
The first part of our photoshoot was makeup and hairstyling done by Chris. It was 2 hours of beautifying me while YX took a quick snooze. When I was done, it was YX's turn to apply base makeup and style his hair.
One good thing about doing a pre-wedding shoot was that you get to figure out the type of looks that would be suitable for you on your big day. I was generally very impressed by the makeup and hairstyle looks that Chris has created for me. She really knew how to make me look good. Thus, I chose her as my makeup artist for my big day.
Here's a tip: Do share some photos of your favourite bridal looks with your makeup artist so that she knows what you like. I really liked curls and braided hairstyles so I asked her if she could work her magic on me. You can also tell her your hair concerns. For example, I told her that I looked bald when all my hair was pulled back into a tight bun; so she made sure to avoid such hairstyles.
Another tip: Although the bridal studio has all sorts of props, you can bring your own too, particularly if they are meaningful items in your relationship. We brought a bouquet of dried flowers (one of YX's birthday gifts to me); a customised pillow (one of my V-day gifts to YX) and our wedding bands. Oh yes, for ladies, bring a NuBra.
Without further ado, here are my gowns:
1. The White Gown with the Long Lacey Train
For indoor photoshoot, there was a requirement for one of the gowns to be a white wedding dress. Thus, I chose a white gown that had a longgggg train. So glad that this shot was taken to show off its length and its lace details. I truly felt like a princess when I had a tiara and a veil on. Thank you for making me feel beautiful in white. :)
I did not wear such a long gown during my wedding as it was difficult to walk around with all that cloth, so photo memories were suffice for me.
2. The Cool, Black Gown
All right, so I did not actually looked as cool and edgy as I wanted.
Nonetheless, this gown was love at first sight for me and I did not have any regrets wearing this gown. Since I would never wear black on my wedding day, a photoshoot would be the only time I get to do so. Oh yes, I also really liked the fairylights in the backdrop.
3. The Fun, Aquamarine Gown
I wanted a gown that was 'Disney-princess-inspired' so I picked this and experimented with some fun shots. The photographer basically engineered our shots, giving us instructions on where to turn and tilt our heads and telling us how we should sit and stand. I love the turnout of the photos because we really looked like we were having loads of fun.
By now, you would have noticed that the gowns I have chosen were ballgowns with strapless or sweetheart necklines. I would encourage you to try gowns in different styles before deciding which ones look the best on you. I have tried all styles after visiting 9 bridal studios and only strapless and sweetheart ballgowns looked good on me. In order to have variety, I picked gowns that gave off a different vibe for my photos.
4. The Sweet, Pink & Peach Layered Gown
Time for outdoor photoshoot! I was VERY thankful that the weather was perfect and our time control was very good. We managed to cover 3 locations and returned to the bridal studio without surcharge. Our outdoor photos also turned out to be way better than our indoor photos.
If you do not mind paying entrance fees, you could choose outdoor locations that are significant to you and your partner. Since YX and I are pro-budget, we went for locations that were free of charge. We also recommend to choose locations that are relatively near your bridal studio as well as to one another so that you do not waste too much time travelling.
Hort Park was one of our choices because we wanted some garden shots. This was YX's favourite gown and I thought it made me look like a huge flower. That said, I was glad I chose this because it made me stand out from the greenery. We had to do some challenging shots at Hort Park but the photos were great in the end! At one point, I even had to lie down on a prickly grass patch for my photos. Thank God I was spared from insect bites!
Tip: Wear your slippers but bring along your bridal heels. You can slip into them when it's time for the shoot. Your feet will thank you.
5. The Chilli Red Gown
This gown was a wonderful choice because not only was it flattering on me, it stood out against the National Museum and the Double Helix Bridge.
I was inspired to wear red after seeing a photo of another bride in red at the staircase of National Museum. I thought her gown looked strikingly gorgeous so I wanted to have a similar shot in red against a clean, white Victorian setting. As it turned out, my National Museum shots were the best! My friends nicknamed me 'Lady in Red' after seeing my photos.
This was also the gown that attracted a lot of attention because there were so many people taking photos of us using their smartphones while we were shooting at our last location, the Double Helix bridge. Photos would have looked much better at night when the bridge was all lit up but we had to leave before the sky turned dark. Nonetheless, I was still pleased with my Helix photos.
Just to pre-empt you on the additional charges that you might have to pay during your photoshoot:
1. Ampoules for Bride and Groom ($25 each)
- If you sweat a lot and are worried that your makeup will melt during your outdoor shoot, do go for this. You can buy your own ampoules at your own risk but they may not complement the makeup that you will be using.
2. Fake eyelashes for Bride ($20)
- I did looked better with falsies in my photos so I went for this. You can save costs by buying your own falsies but you must know how to wear them yourself. The makeup artist will still charge you $20 if she has to help you to wear your falsies.
3. Outdoor transport ($120 for 4 hours)
- If you are doing an outdoor shoot, you will definitely need a car to travel around.You can save cost if you have your own car or have someone to drive you and your photographer around. If not, please opt for this.
4. Makeup artist to follow ($150)
- This was not necessary, but it was a cost we decided to bear. The benefit of having your makeup artist follow you for an outdoor shoot is that she will help you to change your makeup and hairstyle looks as well as change your gowns. Since all my gowns were corseted, I needed her help to tie my gowns for me. If you have a family member or friend to help you and you do not mind wearing the same makeup and hairstyle, you can save on this.
5. ERP and parking charges ($7)
- The couple would have to pay for the drivers' ERP and parking charges incurred during the outdoor shoot.
6. Entrance fees to outdoor locations (Price differs per location)
- Some locations charge an entrance fee so the couple has to bear the cost. Since we chose locations that are free of charge, we did not incur any cost for this.
Photo credits to Yihan.
Months after our prewedding shoot, we were given a wedding album, which we displayed as part of our table decor during the wedding. We also had a 3-piece photo frame that we did not use because it was heavy as hell, but we would be displaying it in our new house instead.
It is common for bridal studios to hard-sell additional photos to you during your photo selection, so it is up to you to be resilient and stick to the number of photos that are already part of your package. Each additional photo you purchase can cost $80 to $90 each, and some couples have chalked up at least a few hundred dollars because of additional photos. We traded our multiple wedding photo frames and albums of varying sizes for additional photos before we bought the package so we were happy to stick to what was already promised. Our bridal studio did not hard-sell too so it was all good. I like their service! :)
I hope you have a better idea of what a pre-wedding photoshoot will be like from my entry. Most importantly, just smile and enjoy the process like I did. Trust me, you will be a beautiful, blissful bride when you are living the moment to its fullest. Your glow radiates from within.
In my last entry for The Wedding Journey, I will be writing about my big day. Do let me know if you would like me to share other experiences that I might have missed out here!
Thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: This is a personal post, written based on personal experiences. Prices reflected in my post may differ among bridal studios. I am not sponsored for the photoshoot (even though I wish I am). Please also note that the package deal I have gotten from French Wedding Couture is based on a promotion at a wedding fair in 2018, and may differ from the promotions today.
The pre-wedding photoshoot is possibly one of the most exciting parts of wedding preparation for a lady.
It's a day where you can feel all princessy wearing beautiful gowns while experimenting with different makeup looks and hairstyles. For a person like me who values experiences and photo memories, it's a big deal and I wanted to savour the moment as much as possible.
Our package from French Wedding Couture entitled us to 5 gowns, 3 suits, accessories, makeup & hair styling and a full day photography service. Since French Wedding Couture had one of the cheapest bridal packages I have seen, I was surprised that they were so generous with the number of gown changes.
During my bridal studio hunt, the bridal studios I have approached allow for 3 gown changes, 2 of which have to be the same gowns that you are wearing for your big day. Thus, for French Wedding Couture to offer us 5 gown changes, in which the gowns could be different from the ones I would be wearing on my actual day, was definitely a bonus.
The first part of our photoshoot was makeup and hairstyling done by Chris. It was 2 hours of beautifying me while YX took a quick snooze. When I was done, it was YX's turn to apply base makeup and style his hair.
One good thing about doing a pre-wedding shoot was that you get to figure out the type of looks that would be suitable for you on your big day. I was generally very impressed by the makeup and hairstyle looks that Chris has created for me. She really knew how to make me look good. Thus, I chose her as my makeup artist for my big day.
Here's a tip: Do share some photos of your favourite bridal looks with your makeup artist so that she knows what you like. I really liked curls and braided hairstyles so I asked her if she could work her magic on me. You can also tell her your hair concerns. For example, I told her that I looked bald when all my hair was pulled back into a tight bun; so she made sure to avoid such hairstyles.
Another tip: Although the bridal studio has all sorts of props, you can bring your own too, particularly if they are meaningful items in your relationship. We brought a bouquet of dried flowers (one of YX's birthday gifts to me); a customised pillow (one of my V-day gifts to YX) and our wedding bands. Oh yes, for ladies, bring a NuBra.
Without further ado, here are my gowns:
1. The White Gown with the Long Lacey Train
For indoor photoshoot, there was a requirement for one of the gowns to be a white wedding dress. Thus, I chose a white gown that had a longgggg train. So glad that this shot was taken to show off its length and its lace details. I truly felt like a princess when I had a tiara and a veil on. Thank you for making me feel beautiful in white. :)
I did not wear such a long gown during my wedding as it was difficult to walk around with all that cloth, so photo memories were suffice for me.
2. The Cool, Black Gown
All right, so I did not actually looked as cool and edgy as I wanted.
Nonetheless, this gown was love at first sight for me and I did not have any regrets wearing this gown. Since I would never wear black on my wedding day, a photoshoot would be the only time I get to do so. Oh yes, I also really liked the fairylights in the backdrop.
3. The Fun, Aquamarine Gown
I wanted a gown that was 'Disney-princess-inspired' so I picked this and experimented with some fun shots. The photographer basically engineered our shots, giving us instructions on where to turn and tilt our heads and telling us how we should sit and stand. I love the turnout of the photos because we really looked like we were having loads of fun.
By now, you would have noticed that the gowns I have chosen were ballgowns with strapless or sweetheart necklines. I would encourage you to try gowns in different styles before deciding which ones look the best on you. I have tried all styles after visiting 9 bridal studios and only strapless and sweetheart ballgowns looked good on me. In order to have variety, I picked gowns that gave off a different vibe for my photos.
4. The Sweet, Pink & Peach Layered Gown
Time for outdoor photoshoot! I was VERY thankful that the weather was perfect and our time control was very good. We managed to cover 3 locations and returned to the bridal studio without surcharge. Our outdoor photos also turned out to be way better than our indoor photos.
If you do not mind paying entrance fees, you could choose outdoor locations that are significant to you and your partner. Since YX and I are pro-budget, we went for locations that were free of charge. We also recommend to choose locations that are relatively near your bridal studio as well as to one another so that you do not waste too much time travelling.
Hort Park was one of our choices because we wanted some garden shots. This was YX's favourite gown and I thought it made me look like a huge flower. That said, I was glad I chose this because it made me stand out from the greenery. We had to do some challenging shots at Hort Park but the photos were great in the end! At one point, I even had to lie down on a prickly grass patch for my photos. Thank God I was spared from insect bites!
Tip: Wear your slippers but bring along your bridal heels. You can slip into them when it's time for the shoot. Your feet will thank you.
5. The Chilli Red Gown
This gown was a wonderful choice because not only was it flattering on me, it stood out against the National Museum and the Double Helix Bridge.
I was inspired to wear red after seeing a photo of another bride in red at the staircase of National Museum. I thought her gown looked strikingly gorgeous so I wanted to have a similar shot in red against a clean, white Victorian setting. As it turned out, my National Museum shots were the best! My friends nicknamed me 'Lady in Red' after seeing my photos.
This was also the gown that attracted a lot of attention because there were so many people taking photos of us using their smartphones while we were shooting at our last location, the Double Helix bridge. Photos would have looked much better at night when the bridge was all lit up but we had to leave before the sky turned dark. Nonetheless, I was still pleased with my Helix photos.
Just to pre-empt you on the additional charges that you might have to pay during your photoshoot:
1. Ampoules for Bride and Groom ($25 each)
- If you sweat a lot and are worried that your makeup will melt during your outdoor shoot, do go for this. You can buy your own ampoules at your own risk but they may not complement the makeup that you will be using.
2. Fake eyelashes for Bride ($20)
- I did looked better with falsies in my photos so I went for this. You can save costs by buying your own falsies but you must know how to wear them yourself. The makeup artist will still charge you $20 if she has to help you to wear your falsies.
3. Outdoor transport ($120 for 4 hours)
- If you are doing an outdoor shoot, you will definitely need a car to travel around.You can save cost if you have your own car or have someone to drive you and your photographer around. If not, please opt for this.
4. Makeup artist to follow ($150)
- This was not necessary, but it was a cost we decided to bear. The benefit of having your makeup artist follow you for an outdoor shoot is that she will help you to change your makeup and hairstyle looks as well as change your gowns. Since all my gowns were corseted, I needed her help to tie my gowns for me. If you have a family member or friend to help you and you do not mind wearing the same makeup and hairstyle, you can save on this.
5. ERP and parking charges ($7)
- The couple would have to pay for the drivers' ERP and parking charges incurred during the outdoor shoot.
6. Entrance fees to outdoor locations (Price differs per location)
- Some locations charge an entrance fee so the couple has to bear the cost. Since we chose locations that are free of charge, we did not incur any cost for this.
Photo credits to Yihan.
Months after our prewedding shoot, we were given a wedding album, which we displayed as part of our table decor during the wedding. We also had a 3-piece photo frame that we did not use because it was heavy as hell, but we would be displaying it in our new house instead.
It is common for bridal studios to hard-sell additional photos to you during your photo selection, so it is up to you to be resilient and stick to the number of photos that are already part of your package. Each additional photo you purchase can cost $80 to $90 each, and some couples have chalked up at least a few hundred dollars because of additional photos. We traded our multiple wedding photo frames and albums of varying sizes for additional photos before we bought the package so we were happy to stick to what was already promised. Our bridal studio did not hard-sell too so it was all good. I like their service! :)
I hope you have a better idea of what a pre-wedding photoshoot will be like from my entry. Most importantly, just smile and enjoy the process like I did. Trust me, you will be a beautiful, blissful bride when you are living the moment to its fullest. Your glow radiates from within.
In my last entry for The Wedding Journey, I will be writing about my big day. Do let me know if you would like me to share other experiences that I might have missed out here!
Thank you for reading!
Disclaimer: This is a personal post, written based on personal experiences. Prices reflected in my post may differ among bridal studios. I am not sponsored for the photoshoot (even though I wish I am). Please also note that the package deal I have gotten from French Wedding Couture is based on a promotion at a wedding fair in 2018, and may differ from the promotions today.