Singaporebrides | Photography
January 2025
Chloe and Patrick’s Epic Pre-Wedding Adventure on Padar Island and in Bali
Darren and Jade Photography captured all of Chloe and Patrick’s wild and crazy adventurous in a stunning five-day pre-wedding photography session in Bali and Padar Island.
From sharing a love for EDM to sharing a life filled with laughter, dreams to make the world a better place, and unexpected adventures, Chloe Su, 31, Cancer Epidemiologist, and Patrick Lo, 32, Medical Device Engineer, has crafted a journey that is uniquely their own. After a windswept proposal in Monterey, the couple embarked on an epic five-day pre-wedding photoshoot across Bali with Darren and Jade Photography, hiking up mountains on Padar Island, exploring the Pink Beach, and having such a blast that they planned a second photography session in California!
How did you meet?
Chloe: In 2016, we met through a friend while I was still in my last year of university at UCLA. I was finally getting used to American culture and assimilating into the social life, and our mutual friend, Emily, invited us to her apartment before we headed out to an EDM show by Audien. It was my “going out” phase of life haha. We hung out in the same friend group a few more times, and shared our interest in electronic music.
Patrick: We kept running into each other at various events with our mutual friends, although I can’t say I remember what we talked about. My first impression of Chloe was that she had a painfully low alcohol tolerance paired with an endless supply of energy. It wasn’t until Emily set us up for dinner that I got to see another side of her—shy, quiet, and incredibly smart (like 3.99 out of 4 GPA smart). It was like discovering a whole new person behind the Screwdrivers and Jell-O shots.
What made you fall in love with your partner?
Chloe: I was first drawn to Patrick by his infectious, upbeat energy and unrivalled creativity. He is the most fun guy I’ve ever met with his humorous (but sometimes eye-roll-inducing) punch lines that never fail to bring down the house. I mean, what guy is only known by “P-Lo” (for Patrick Lo) and not his actual name? As I got to know him more outside the rowdy EDM shows, I found the intelligent and hardworking guy underneath who loves his life’s work. As an engineer, he would spend his downtime creating 3D models out of his designs for the next medical device. He is someone who genuinely cares about making the world a better place, and we would spend our dinners chatting about our dreams and ambitions. He unconditionally supports my endeavours as we grow together personally and professionally, all while keeping things real and grounded with his constant jokes and mischief.
Patrick: What I love about Chloe is her incredible balance between being a homebody and an adventurer. She brings so much colour to my life, constantly introducing me to new experiences and encouraging me to see the world from a fresh perspective. One weekend, Chloe dragged me to take a random surfing lesson at Venice Beach, and now surfing is my life. Her passion is one of her most inspiring qualities – especially her love of animals, which explains why we have two cats, one dog, and another furball on the way! It is so inspirational to see her turn her dreams into a reality by spending a summer working in Japan, getting her yoga teacher certificate in Bali, and completing her PhD at Stanford. Despite having relatively different hobbies, we still find a way to connect, support each other, and share plenty of goofiness along the way!
What was the proposal like?
Chloe: Oh god, this is the story of a lifetime. Patrick had planned to propose in Monterey in California. This is a meaningful place for us as it was the last place we took our late dog, Cookie, before he passed away in 2022. However, as someone who never plans a single trip, he gave it away when he suggested that we go to Monterey for a weekend. In keeping with his playfulness, he tried to throw me off by taking me to multiple beaches the weeks leading up to the trip and even the day before the proposal, asking me to turn my back to him for photos, just to say, “This looks cool; let’s go.”
On the day of the proposal, we drove to Asilomar Beach in Monterey. With what felt like 90 miles per hour wind speed, we stopped the car by the beach and Patrick suggested we take a walk. On a normal day, I would probably have refused to get out of the car but I decided to play along to make things easier for him, and so we walked for about 30 minutes along the coast while saying how “nice” the beach looks while we were both shivering and trying our best not to be blown away by the wind. When we finally got to the proposal spot, I immediately noticed the photographers Patrick hired because there was no one else walking on the beach in that wind. Anyway, he popped the question as I held our dog, Einstein, and it was beautiful regardless.
Patrick: It was hilariously obvious that I was going to propose because I usually never plan any outings. Chloe definitely knew something was happening. When we drove to the beach, I accidentally overshot the meeting point and parked much further away. We had to walk to the scenic spot where the photographers were waiting. Unfortunately, the beach was extremely cold and windy that day when I made Chloe walk with me for 20 minutes (she thinks it’s way longer) before we got to the spot to pop the question.
Where did you go for your shoot, and why?
Chloe: We had planned for three days of shooting in Padar Island and Bali. Bali has always had a special place in my heart for its healing powers, after visiting Bali just a couple years before to practice yoga. We found Darren and Jade Photography for our pre-wedding shoot on SingaporeBrides. I was blown away by their photos from their last trip to Padar Island and wanted to do the same! On top of the Padar Island shoot, we picked four other locations in Bali out of a list suggested by the team and we went! I had heard that wedding planning can be stressful, and very often, the couple may not get to enjoy it because of it needing to cater to many people. For this reason, Patrick and I decided to take this five-day photography trip for ourselves and start our nearly two-year wedding planning journey with something that we wanted – something fun, unconventional, and adventurous – and felt 100% us!
Tell us how the five-day shoot went!
Chloe: It was the most epic thing we’ve ever done in our lives!! If I have to describe it in one line, I would say that there wasn’t a single moment where I felt like I was posing for a photoshoot. The five days were fast-paced and adventure-packed but filled with tons of good food and endless laughter. Initially, we were a little skeptical and worried, because we were flying across the world from California to Bali to meet with a team (Darren, Xinyi, and Benny) we had never met in person to do something we had never done before. However, the team handled everything like the pros they are – from planning the timelines to arranging the drivers and suggesting accommodations, they knew exactly what to do! They took us to their favourite restaurants, where we shared meals and life stories, and it felt like we had been friends for years.
Before the trip started, I found out that I had to wake up at 2 AM to get my makeup done and we all had to file into the cars by 5am to set out for our shoot locations. It sounded daunting and intimidating, but the fun, the bond, and the camaraderie on the trip made it SO effortless. When we first meet each morning, Darren will always light up the day with his characteristic energy and ask, “ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR SOME…EPIC SHOTS?!”, setting the tone for whatever awaited us – be it hiking up Padar Island or running across the Savanna.
There is nothing Darren and his team will not do for the best shot. There were times Darren got so excited he went right up to the edge of a cliff, and his teammate, Xinyi, the head videographer, had to hold on to him or gently nudge him back. Other times, such as after our fifth try for a jump shot, Xinyi would come up and make sure my hair and dress looked good. Benny showed us his mastery over his drone to capture the most perfect shot of us on our moving yacht in the middle of the ocean. The pictures may look grand, but it was through these moments when the team lived their passion, and constantly looked out for each other and for us that we felt truly at ease in front of the camera. After an epic five days together, it was so hard to say goodbye, so we did another pre-wedding shoot three months later around San Francisco when the same team happened to be in the area!!
Patrick: I was initially hesitant about the shoot because I don’t enjoy being in front of the camera, let alone traveling with people I’m not familiar with, but Darren and his team completely changed my perspective. They were SO MUCH fun to be around and really matched Chloe’s and my travel style and sense of humour. The team had a magical touch that pulled all the stress out of a photoshoot and helped us focus on just having fun. I had a great time getting to know them while exploring new places in Indonesia and Bali and getting amazing shots of the scenery. We really wanted to capture the Padar Island and Pink Beach shot, which we were able to get on the first day!
When will the wedding be, and what are your plans for it?
Chloe: The wedding will be on September 6th, 2025, in Saratoga, California. We planned it at a fully outdoor venue with tall trees and greenery, under a historical long bridge. After this experience with Darren and Jade Photography, we are inspired to continue to stay true to ourselves and make decisions that feel the most like us!
Patrick: We are so excited to see all our friends who have been with us throughout our entire relationship!
The Photographer: Darren and Jade Photography
The Engagement Ring: Harry Winston
The Shoot Locations: Kanawa Dock, Padar Island, Pink Beach, Blangsinga Waterfall, Mengening Beach, Tamblingan Lake, and Tianyar Savannah
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Yuka Makeup Artist and Veve Veronica, Bali
The Videographer: Darren and Jade Photography
The Logistics and Driver: Rajuxbali
Credits: Images by Darren and Jade Photography
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