Singaporebrides | Photography
July 2015
Dramatic Coastal Pre-Wedding Photography at Cape Town
An icebreaker game sparkedthe romantic flame between Olive and Lenith, and it’s burned brightly ever since. The two lovebirds flew all the way to Cape Town for their beautiful pre-wedding photography session with gowns from Yvonne Creative and photographer John from John Lim Photography, documenting their story against dramatic cliffs, incredible sunsets, and colourful seaside towns.
Olive Hsien, 28, Engineer & Lenith Cheng, 29, Doctor
6 September 2014
The Gown: Yvonne Creative
The Bride’s Shoes: Brian Atwood
The Suit: Q Menswear
The Groom’s Shoes: Sodashoes Premium
The Engagement Ring: Brian Gavin Diamonds
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Kirsten Murphy
The Photographer: John Lim Photography
How did the two of you meet?
Olive: Lenith and I met in Hwa Chong Junior College. He was in my senior class and for two months, we interacted anonymously through the ice-breaking game “Angels and Mortals.” There was enough natural chemistry between us that we continued writing to each other long after the game had ended. He asked me to be his girlfriend via an unromantic SMS. He has always been, and still is, better with pen and paper than words.
Was there a point during your relationship where you realised that this was the person you wanted to marry?
Olive: For me, it was some years ago when Lenith was out with his friends and came home in a stupor. He was mostly incoherent, but continually mumbled, “Call Olive… she will take care of me.” At that moment, I realised that this man trusted me with his life.
Lenith: I don’t see a single point or specific events that led me to realise she is the one. It was more of a gradual realisation. In any man’s life, when a woman is able to predict everything you say or do, see through your every bluff, support you in everything you do, laugh at your every joke whether good or bad, enjoy spending time with you doing absolutely nothing at all, love you whether you’re fat or thin, there can only be two possibilities. She is either your mom, or your wife.
What was the proposal like?
Olive: Lenith got my friend to invite me to a “girls’ night out” in Fullerton Hotel. He lined a route through the hotel room with some of our photographs chronicling our 10 years of dating and waited at the end to ask me to marry him. It was a private and simple, but meaningful proposal.
Your engagement session is stunning. Where did you go?
Lenith: We went to Cape Town, South Africa. We wanted to shoot at a unique destination, somewhere not many other couples would have considered going, yet iconic enough that others will recognise the place from the photos. Cape Town was the perfect fit for all our criteria. Between its miles of pristine coastline, the iconic Table Mountain, and our shared love for the beach, we fell in love in Cape Town as soon as we saw pictures of it. Besides, The New York Times named Cape Town as the number one destination in 2014.
Did you enjoy your time in Cape Town?
Olive: We were fortunate that we were the only couple that John had for the shoot in Cape Town. In fact, it was also John’s first time in Cape Town. Determined not to let our lack of first-hand experience deter us, we set aside two days of recceing with John before we even attempted the shoot. Most of it felt like a road trip with a mutual friend and it was stress-free for us. We trusted John’s artistic direction and it didn’t disappoint!
Lenith: One memorable event was when we had a flat tire out on shoot. Faced with the daunting prospect of attempting a car tyre change dressed in tuxedos and gowns, we thankfully could count on our photographer cum handyman John Lim, who did the dirty work of replacing the tyre with a carjack that was too short for our vehicle! We even made it in time for our planned sunset shoot location despite the delay.
For all who are considering an overseas shoot: rather than just basing your choice on the photographer’s portfolio, do take the time to get to know him or her better as a friend. In our case, the friendship we forged with John made Cape Town a special memory in our journey as a couple.
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Credits: Images by John Lim Photography, feature image cropped from original.
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