Singaporebrides | Photography
May 2021
Rachell and Sean’s Peranakan-Themed Pre-Wedding Shoot with OneThreeOneFour
Rachell and Sean head to Kim Choo Kueh Chang and a secret rooftop for a beautiful pre-wedding shoot with OneThreeOneFour.
Online store owners Rachell and Sean solemnised their wedding in March last year and was planning to celebrate their nuptials with their family and friends when COVID-19 struck and safety measures were put in place. The bubbly pair decided to embark on a fun-loving pre-wedding shoot at a unique venue with OneThreeOneFour when they were forced to put their wedding on hold, and the results of the shoot were simply gorgeous. Sneak a peek at their pre-wedding adventure here!
How did the two of you meet?
Rachell: The story of how we met is actually quite boring. We met at work and just worked well together. So far, the teamwork even after marriage is great even when it comes to working on our online store together and maintaining our home.
What drew you to each other?
We are quite like-minded and we know that it’s important to always communicate and be honest with each other even when we disagree with the other’s opinions so we can trash things out.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
I love Sean for being the confident and candid person that he is without any pretense in many situations. And whenever it comes to me making big decisions, he’s been a great emotional support because I’m always second-guessing myself, while he’s the encouraging one!
What was the proposal like?
Sean proposed to me one day after April Fool’s while we were on a work trip in Kagoshima, Japan. We were in Tadamoto Park, which had rows of Sakura trees in full bloom. In the midst of shooting a video for work, Sean wanted to do a scene where we would walk with our backs facing the camera along the Sakura trees, and being in total work mode, I complied without any hesitation! Little did I know that he had planned the proposal with our friend Kennard, who was with us on the work trip, all along!
So, there we were, walking along the trees and Sean suddenly got down on one knee. My initial reaction was “Huh? Is this an April Fool’s joke?”. In Kennard’s behind-the-scenes video of our proposal, you can hear Sean saying “Wah lao, your reaction sucks!” I think it’s quite telling of our relationship – it’s just very open and candid!
Tell us more about your pre-wedding shoot with OneThreeOneFour.
As mentioned, Sean and I are very no-fuss type of people who are very afraid of formalities. Before deciding on the shoot, I was again second-guessing myself and worrying about the preparations I would have to do for the shoot, such as bringing my hair extensions or whether the photographer would be able to capture our good angles, or what if the photos don’t turn out nice – just a lot of “what if’s”!
But Sean told me to just give it a go. In the end, it turned out all my worries were for nothing, because the makeup artist did a great job – she had the hair extensions I needed (I was really impressed!), the dresses looked amazing, and the venues and floral styling were impeccable. Overall, the shoot was really fun and the energy of the team involved was great! They made us feel very comfortable during the shoot so we tried many different poses without feeling awkward at all.
Was there a concept for your pre-wedding shoot?
The OneThreeOneFour team had everything planned out nicely for us so we didn’t have to stress over it, including coming up with the concept for the shoot. We had two concepts on the day of the shoot, a Peranakan-themed shoot at Kim Choo Kueh Chang to complement the beautiful cheongsam from Bridefully Yours, and a casual shoot at a secret rooftop that the team found, featuring us in a modern wedding gown and suit.
Our first set at Kim Choo Kueh Chang with the cheongsam was really eye-catching and definitely very unique as compared to many other traditional wedding shoots I’ve seen before. The venue styling with the props and flowers really helped to elevate the whole vibe of the space. When we posted behind-the-scenes posts on Instagram, I received a lot of messages asking me for the location and comments on how nice the set looked! We also sent some photos we took on our phones to my grandmother, and she loved them a lot!
For the secret rooftop shoot, I was most amazed by the set-up that changed the whole mood from “quiet carpark” vibes to MV-worthy romantic rooftop! The white bridal gown and navy-blue groom’s suit that Sean and I wore looked really grand, and I think they were nicely balanced with the fun shoot location, without looking too formal.
Did you have a hard time picking your dresses for the shoot? What was your wedding dress shopping experience like?
I had a hard time picking a dress because all the dresses at Bridefully Yours were so pretty! I never knew shopping for a wedding dress was so fun and it definitely makes you feel like a princess! Thankfully, we took plenty of behind-the-scenes photos for the memories! I was also initially worried about the sizing of the dresses, but I was amazed at how they can customise each bride’s favourite dress to fit them like a glove, just like how they did for the dresses I wore!
What was the shoot like on the actual day? Did you face any difficulties?
I think the only difficulty we faced that day was the heat while having the gowns and suit on, but then again, we were thankful for the sunny weather which made for great photos! It was totally worth it. Apart from that, everything was really smooth sailing! I’m really appreciative of the great team of vendors involved in the shoot because we just had to turn up for the shoot, and everything had already been planned and timed perfectly for us.
Were there any funny or memorable moments during the shoot? If yes, do share them with us!
I was wearing sneakers under my white bridal gown, and I was pulling the skirt up so I wouldn’t dirty it while walking around. Sean took a behind-the-scenes photo, and it looked really funny! Our photographer, Ryan, spontaneously suggested for us to try random , candid shots, such as sitting on a table while showing the sneakers under the skirt, and it was super fun! We had lots of laughter that day.
Share with us what you love most about your pre-wedding shoot?
I loved the fun energy and how fuss-free it was for us. But I know this was only possible because of the team’s effort beforehand! It’s totally different from what I had imagined wedding shoots to be – formal, intimidating and complicated. I’d highly recommend all couples to get their wedding shoots done with OneThreeOneFour!
Have you started planning for your big day? Do you have a wedding date in mind yet?
We haven’t started planning our big day yet because of the COVID-19 restrictions that came in right after our solemnisation. So, we’re thinking of doing a renewal-of-vows banquet in a few years’ time, maybe! It’ll give us some time to properly plan what we want for our big day, and also to save up in the meantime!
Do you have any advice for couples who are embarking on their pre-wedding shoots?
Pre-wedding shoots, getting married, getting a home together – all these are meant to strengthen a couple’s bond and should be a fun memory together, not add stress to a couple’s relationship. Choose a good team of vendors to do your shoot with and your pre-wedding shoot will be really smooth-sailing and fuss-free, so that you’ll only leave with good memories and amazing photos!
The Venue: Kim Choo Kueh Chang
The Bride’s Gown and Groom’s Suit: Bridefully Yours
The Wedding Jewellery: Gen.K Jewelry
The Wedding Photographer and Videographer: OneThreeOneFour
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Autelier Makeup
The Stylist: Lily & Co.
The Florist: SkinnyBlooms
The Couple: Rachell and Sean
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