Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
November 2019
Joyce and James’s Fiery Autumn Pre-Wedding Shoot in Tokyo
Joyce and James travelled to one of their favourite countries for a pre-wedding shoot with OneThreeOneFour.
Joyce and James first met on the job but it wasn’t until the second time they met that James took the initiative to reach out to her on Facebook. One message led to another and today, they are happily married. Before they said “I do”, the pair of lovebirds flew to Japan with OneThreeOneFour to capture their love against the fiery shades of autumn in one of their favourite countries.
How did the two of you meet?
James: We first met in 2013 when I was hosting an event at Red Dot Museum. Joyce was the lighting programmer on site and we just started chatting. There were good vibes all around, but we just left it at that. We lost contact for about six months before we met again. We crossed paths again when she was doing a gig at Hard Rock Cafe Coliseum and I just happened to be there after a meeting. We chatted briefly and then I realised that I wanted to speak to her more. So, I spent the next 30 minutes in my car searching for a “Grace” on Facebook, before I realised that her name was actually “Joyce”. We connected over Facebook, and things just unravelled from there.
What do you love most about your partner?
James: I love her eyes and how she makes me happy every day. She complements me in every way possible.
Joyce: I love his humour and wits. He spreads joy and laughter everywhere he goes and it melts my heart seeing him do that. His kindness and generosity to everyone around him reminds me to be a better person every day.
How did James propose?
Joyce: We were taking snowboarding lessons in Niseko, Hokkaido and on the last day of the class, James had to drop out because he wasn’t “feeling well”. At one point, our instructor Nika took me up on the slopes alone and when we were snowboarding down the slopes, one instructor from another class passed me a stalk of rose and I thought, “Is this some kind of graduation ceremony?” The next moment, before I knew it, there was a line of instructors down the slopes holding flowers in their hands and there was James, waiting at the bottom of the slopes and that’s when I knew. It was snowing when he popped the question, so it was a very magical moment for us.
Share with us what your pre-wedding shoot was like.
Joyce: My Chinese name has a “秋” in it as I was born in the season of autumn, so I thought an autumn-themed shoot would be perfect. We simply adore Japan and having experienced all seasons except autumn, we decided to head to Tokyo for the breathtaking Autumn scenery and finally get to dress up in kimonos.
James: We went on this trip truly with the intent on having fun and we really did. The weather was perfect and the photographer assigned to us made it really easy for us. His warmth, professionalism and humour went a long way.
Share with us any obstacles or funny moments you’ve encountered during the shoot.
Joyce: From the outfits we were wearing in Japan, we drew quite a bit of attention and we could tell from the reactions of passersby that they were genuinely happy for us (they knew we were doing a pre-wedding shoot). We would also pretend to be in character for the most part, as if we were in some Studio Ghibli movie, wearing kimonos and pretending to be owners of an izakaya, just for the fun of it.
James: From what I observed from the photographer, however, was him constantly asking Joyce to look into the camera and for me to look away. My friends suggested perhaps it was because Joyce looks a lot better than I do. Those friends are no longer on my Facebook.
What advice would you share with couples embarking on a destination pre-wedding shoot?
Joyce: It was pretty cold so I wore thermal leggings under the dresses which made the chilly autumn breeze more bearable. Since the dresses were long, I wore sneakers as well. Lastly, have fun and smile!!
What was the most memorable moment of your pre-wedding shoot?
Joyce: We got a lot of “kawaii!” and “kirei!” as well as blessings from the Japanese during the shoot, so we were really thankful for that!
The Pre-Wedding Venue: Tokyo, Japan
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Nham from OneThreeOneFour
The Wedding Gown: Bridefully Yours
The Bride’s Shoes: The White Atelier
The Groom’s Suit: Bridefully Yours and Suit Supply
The Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: Illuma Diamonds
The Hair and Makeup Artist: Miya from OneThreeOneFour
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