Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
February 2020
Janice and Glenn’s Stunning Pre-Wedding Shoot in Cappadocia, Turkey
Janice said yes to Glenn in front of the stunning view of the hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey, and they could not say no to having their pre-wedding shoot with that same view.
Janice, 29, Assistant Marketing Manager, and Glenn, 30, Branch Manager, met in Polytechnic – Glenn was in the dragonboat team while Janice was in the track team. Their romance grew and it was on a trip to Cappadocia, Turkey, that Glenn popped the question in front of a million hot air balloons flying up in the air. The pair decided to also have their pre-wedding shoot in Cappadocia to capture this stunning scene, and had another shoot back in Singapore with White Grandeur closer to their wedding day.
How did the two of you meet?
Together: We met in Polytechnic when Glenn was in the dragonboat team and Janice was in track team. Glenn’s teammate eye-candied Janice at that time and vice versa. That’s how we knew of each other’s existence and added each other on MSN messenger.
What drew you to each other? What’s one of the things you love most about your partner?
Together: We have similar hobbies and love the outdoors.
Janice: His passion and drive towards life and his optimism.
Glenn: Her dimples and her ability to make me laugh.
What was the proposal like?
Glenn: It took me five months to prepare for it. We were travelling in Santorini before I surprised her with an extended trip to Cappadocia. Before that, I was googling “Wedding Proposal Ideas” and a picture of hot air balloons at Sultan Cave Suites came up. It was so captivating that I knew that was it.
She thought we were going to Athens after Santorini and I even made up a fake itinerary with hotels and attraction details. She had this thing about proposal: she wanted her family and friends with her. She didn’t expect the proposal to happen then while we were travelling. To make up for that, I created a video of her friends’ well-wishes and secretly flew her parents over to Cappadocia to witness it.
On that early morning, the hotel had our private balcony set up with breakfast. She thought we were watching the hot air balloons and the photographer-videographer I had hired pretended to be the hotel staff and took pictures of her (she thought it was for their hotel’s Instagram post) while I sneaked off to get prepared. I came back with the video of her friends and the ring was flown into the balcony by a drone. That’s when her parents made the surprise entry, I got down on my knees, and she said yes!
Tell us about your pre-wedding photoshoot in Cappadocia? Why did you choose to travel all the way to Turkey for your pre-wedding photoshoot?
Together: Our initial plan was to take our pre-wedding shoot in Santorini with a local photographer, but we loved the view with the countless hot air balloons in the background too much. It captured our hearts and made us change our shoot location to Turkey.
Janice sourced for her made-to-measure gown from Taobao before the trip. The videographer-photographer (Kursat) is based locally, so he knew all the right places to go. We even managed to have a scene with the hot air balloons really up-close – the photo looks like it is from a green screen! He was also kind enough to extend his service out of goodwill for a sunset scene at Love Valley. It was an unforgettable experience!
Where in Cappadocia did you go for your shoot, and why did you choose them?
Together: We did not shortlist any location, it was all recommended by our local photographer. We went to Love Valley, Red Valley, and a couple of other locations our photographer drove us to. It was definitely a good idea to engage a local photographer if you are going on an overseas pre-wedding shoot.
Walk us through your pre-wedding shoot. What was it like that day and did you have fun?
Glenn: We got up extremely early in the morning for the shoot to catch the hot air balloons’ take-off. Janice did her own make-up and her mum assisted with her hair. As we did not have a make-up artist with us, it was a blessing that Janice’s mum was around to help. Kursat had an English-speaking assistant to help with the lighting and translation. He was good in directing angles but most of the time, we initiated our own poses. Janice did some research on wedding shoot poses on Pinterest and briefed me before the shoot. That really helped when we ran out of kissing poses!
As Janice only had one gown, she also came prepared with a different look using hair accessories. I recommend brides to bring along multiple accessories during photoshoots as it can easily change the whole look.
The shoot was so fun as we also got to travel around Cappadocia’s best spots with our local photographer. Our most memorable scene would definitely be the additional sunset shots. It was at the Red Valley and there was no one else but the few of us. For this particular shot, we had to run to the end of the rocks. Although it looked seamless and easy on the video, it was actually super dangerous with the uneven ground since Janice was in three-inch heels! But it was all worth it.
Tell us about your pre-wedding photoshoot with White Grandeur. What was the concept behind the shoot, and why did you choose it?
Glenn: Because our pre-wedding shoot in Cappadocia was actually shot a year before, together with the proposal, there was this huge time gap in between before the wedding. As we approached closer to our wedding date, Janice met Katelyn at work.
Katelyn manages White Grandeur and Janice loved her work so much that we decided to have another pre-wedding shoot in Singapore! It was for this particular shoot that Janice came up with a reverse surprise proposal concept. Aside from that surprise proposal, we discussed on the looks and concepts we wanted to have. We shortlisted three eventually: a formal shoot, a casual outdoor shoot, and another indoor one in the comfort of our new home with our fluffy cat.
Most importantly, share with us your proposal shoot with Glenn! What made you do one and what was the concept/theme for the shoot?
Janice: I think Glenn really deserves a surprise proposal for all his hard work from his proposal in Turkey one year ago. He has always been the one surprising me and I thought, why not, I do it this time round. I ordered a money bouquet because he is such a “money-face” and simply because it is more practical – he even collected our wedding rings secretly in advance. Special thanks to Katelyn and her assistant for being such a great sport in doing this. They even helped me to collect the bouquet and recce the place beforehand so it will be a successful surprise!
Was it difficult keeping the proposal shoot a secret from Glenn?
Janice: Not at all, because he thought that it was just another shoot. I did have to lie to him and collect and hide the rings in our home though, since we are staying together.
How did Glenn react when he found out it was a proposal shoot for him?
Janice: His first reaction was super epic! He was happily posing, doing his solo shot as directed by Katelyn while I prepared everything behind him and walked towards him. When I was ready, Katelyn got him to look back and shot this scene that was exactly like a “first look” concept videos, only a guy version. I got down on my knee and asked, “Will you say yes to me too?” He was dumbfounded for a good five seconds before he said yes.
What was your favourite moment from the proposal shoot?
Together: Definitely the reverse proposal in Singapore and the sunset scene from Cappadocia!
Share with us any obstacles or funny moments you’ve encountered during the different shoots.
Together: For Cappadocia, the biggest obstacle is definitely the language barrier. We will suggest for couples to check if there will be a translator on site to help out during the shoot. Overall, we really enjoyed both our pre-wedding shoots! We are so glad to find photographers that were able to make us feel comfortable and Katelyn from White Grandeur was really good at directing us on the different poses.
If you could share three pieces of advice about pre-wedding shoots with couples who will be embarking on theirs, what would it be?
Janice: If you are facing budget constraints to fly a photographer, I suggest researching on local photographers as they are more familiar with the location and tend to be more pocket-friendly.
Another tip will be to research on pre-wedding shoot poses by looking on wedding photographers’ portfolios or on Pinterest and to brief your partner before the shoot. You should also think about the look and hairstyles to match the outfits. Research, plan, and coordinate each other’s outfits (for example, if you want them to be colour coordinated) to ensure it is in theme and don’t forget to take the look and colours of the shoot location into consideration.
The Venue: Cappadocia (Turkey) and Lakeside Garden at Jurong Lake Gardens (Singapore)
The Gown/Outfits: Taobao (Gowns), Uniqlo (Checkered Top), Cotton On (White Top)
The Bride’s Shoes: Christy Ng Shoes
The Suit/Outfits: Ron Tailor
The Groom’s Shoes: Benjamin Barker
The Engagement Ring: Michael Trio
The Wedding Bands: Ling Jewellery
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Wendy MUA & Team (May) (Singapore Photoshoot)
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Kursat Acar (Turkey) & Katelyn (White Grandeur)
The Pre-Wedding Videographer: Kursat Acar (Turkey)
Credits: Images by Kursat Acar (Turkey) and White Grandeur (Singapore)
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