Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

August 2024

8 Tips on How You Should Prepare For The Perfect Pre-Wedding Shoot

By Audrie Soh

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A perfect pre-wedding shoot requires careful planning and preparation. Read up these tips to find out how you should prepare for yours.

Pre-wedding shoots are a cherished and fun tradition all couples embark on on their journey to the altar, capturing their love in its truest form and immortalising every little embrace, smile and kiss that make up their story. As such an important and meaningful keepsake of their love story, it is easy to understand why many couples want their pre-wedding shoot to be perfect.

With careful planning and preparation, and a little help from us, achieving the perfect pre-wedding shoot of your dreams is easy. From the location of your pre-wedding shoot to what you should wear for it, we’ve put together a short list of tips that’ll guide you in your preparation for a perfect pre-wedding shoot.

1. Engage professionals

First and foremost, always engage a professional for your pre-wedding shoot for the best results. Experienced wedding vendors such as photographers, hair and makeup artists, stylists and florists are equipped with a wealth of expertise and skills to help you feel comfortable and pose naturally, capture genuine emotions and create an album of photos that will become cherished keepsakes for you and your family. Working with a professional also means that in the event of any unforeseen circumstances, they are experienced enough to think on their feet and make quick adjustments to ensure that the shoot proceeds smoothly despite the disruption.

2. Decide on a theme/vibe

Deciding a theme or vibe for your pre-wedding shoot is essential for a successful session. It provides a clear direction and cohesive vision for both you and your photographer, ensuring that every element, from the location and your outfits to the on-site vibe, works harmoniously to showcase your love story in the its truest form.

You can do this either with just your partner, or you can both sit down with your chosen photographer and discuss your ideas to see if it is viable or not. You can also tap into their experience and ask your photographer for some suggestions.

3. Pick a location

Before you embark on your pre-wedding shoot, it’s important to decide on the locations where you want it to take place. This decision will ensure that your chosen venues complement your theme and provide ample time to arrange necessary logistics, transportation, styling, and permits if required.

Choose locations that not only align with your theme but also showcase your love and the milestone moments of your relationship. These could be places that hold special meaning, such as where you first met or where the proposal took place, and could be located here in Singapore or overseas.

4. Ask for Recommendations

Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from those around you, especially your pre-wedding photographer, who has years of experience in photographing couples in love. Tap into their experience and knowledge, and ask them for suggestions and recommendations on what kind of theme you should go with for your pre-wedding shoot, where the best location is for your needs, what kind of outfits you should prepare, and what props would look the best on camera.

Or, if you have an idea in mind, cross check with them on whether it would be a good idea to proceed with your plan, or if you’d need to fine-tune some details to bring your vision to life.

5. Plan your outfits

The outfits you wear for your pre-wedding shoot contribute greatly to the overall beauty and aesthetics of your photos. It should be cohesive with your theme and chosen location, and complementary to one another. Above everything else, you should feel comfortable in your outfit and shoes, even if you have to be in them for a long time.

Try to select outfits that are appropriate to the location chosen. If you are having your pre-wedding shoot outdoors, you might want to choose clothes that are light-weight and airy for maximum comfort. If you’d like to wear your bridal gown and suit for an outdoor shoot, do make sure you that you’ve packed along a hand-held fan and plenty of water to keep you cool and hydrated in the heat.

Need outfit suggestions or extra help deciding between outfits? Seek the help and advice of your family and friends, or even better, your photographer, since he or she would know best if the outfits would go with the theme or location you’ve chosen.

6. Pack props, snacks and essentials

Don’t forget to prepare a few fun props you can easily bring along to your pre-wedding shoot that’ll help both you and your partner relax and interact naturally, resulting in photos that are candid, magical and full of love. This can be anything from a bicycle to bubble guns and even your pet! If you are unsure of what to bring, do ask your photographer for some suggestions.

If you are going to be shooting outdoors the entire day, you might want to pack some essentials such as water, snacks, portable fans to help you cool down, tissues or wet wipes to get you through the heat and any unforeseen circumstance. It would be good too, if you could ask a family member or friend to tag along your pre-wedding shoot as your helper, so you don’t have to worry about carrying all these things in your gown and suit as you move from one location to another.

7. Be yourself and enjoy the experience

It’s difficult to relax and smile naturally when you have a camera pointed right at you, or if you are particularly camera shy, and it’s only normal. It happens to me, it happens to you and many couples before and after you. You might find it easier to relax and be you if you were friendly and comfortable with your photographer, the person behind the camera. So, choose a photographer who makes you feel at ease and comfortable from the get-go, someone whom you can connect with like a long-lost friend, and you’ll find it easier to be yourself and enjoy your pre-wedding session.

You and your partner can also help each other relax and feel natural in front of the camera. Pretend you are out on a date and just behave naturally like you usually would. Don’t worry about angles or anything – that’s the photographer’s job. Be silly and play with one another like you normally would and let your photographer work his magic by capturing these magical moments.

8. Get yourself ready for the pre-wedding shoot

Last but not least, get yourself ready for the shoot! It may be hard to do so while you’re knee deep in wedding planning, but remember to eat, drink and sleep well in the months leading up to your pre-wedding shoot to ensure a clear and glowing complexion. Book your grooming sessions to get your hair, skin and nails all prettied for the shoot, but do take note that you should plan your hair and facial appointments at least one to two weeks ahead to give yourself time to recover in case the colour is not exactly what you had hoped for, or if you break out from a facial treatment.

You might also want to have your engagement ring professionally cleaned before the day, so it will look extra sparkly in your photos. To prevent forgetting anything on the day of, do pack all your essentials, including your outfits and any props, the night before and set them near the door so you can grab and go the next day, without wasting time and nerves over looking for things.

Credits: Feature image from Elly and Khai’s Snowy, Harry Potter-Inspired Pre-Wedding Shoot in Japan by Darren and Jade Photography

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