camera ready

The growing popularity of the pre-wedding shoot is making the idea one of the must-do things on an engaged couple’s wedding organising list. It’s a great way to get to know your photographer and forge a bond with the person who will capture all those special moments on your Big Day, as well as help to shake off any potential camera shyness.
While some photographers are happy to take candid shots, other strive to bring a whole different feel to the images. Highly conceptualised shoots are wonderfully evocative and can be used in a wealth of ways - from announcing your engagement right through to using the snaps on personalised favours. 


Terrific technicolour Displays your fun side

Parisha and Amish splashed out and had fun on their pre-wedding shoot. Parisha remembers her day at the studio: “Savraj at Shaan Photography suggested a pre-wedding shoot to make it easier for us to relax on the wedding day. We wanted something special and after a brainstorming session, we came up with the concept of a paint fight. Although we were cautious at first, we soon loosened up and went for it! I’ve never laughed so much. A pre-wedding shoot really helps build chemistry with the photographer. We were lucky to have Savraj -  he taught us flattering poses and showed us our best angles ahead of our Big Day.”

Shaan Photography, www.shaanphotography.com



Escape to the exotic for the experience of a lifetime

Monita Dhariwal and Chaz Plahe decided on an epic pre-wedding shoot in Morroco. Monita describes their incredible adventure: “The shoot was over two days; one in the souks and the second day out in the Sahara. We encountered a mix of weather, from scorching hot sun to desert sand storms, early morning starts and late nights to sleeping in the middle of a desert with no water supply. But working with a team of creative people was a lot of fun. They all made me feel completely at ease. A pre-wedding shoot is about your personal love story. We did it because we wanted an epic experience to remember forever.”

J Dhillon Photography, www.jdhillonphotography.com



If you go down to the woods today...

Inderjit Kahlon and Tajvir Gill decided on vintage feel for their pre-wedding shoot: “When you realise that a perfect stranger will be with you in your home, taking pictures from the minute the chunni is placed on your head until you take your first steps into your new home, it can feel daunting. But by having a pre-wedding shoot, which was part of our photography package, Kam Dhiman was no longer a stranger on my Big Day.
We decided on a vintage picnic concept in secluded Aspley Woods, Bedfordshire and had an incredible day. Kam and Gaurav Kumar even created a levitating shot that perfectly illustrated that love was in the air! The experience gave us the right expectations and taught us how to pose together in a more natural and unembarrassed way – essentially, it prepared us for our wedding day.”

Kam Dhiman Photography, www.kamdhiman.com



A dolls theme pulls all the right strings

Lalita Sharma-Patel wanted highly stylised, conceptualised images with fiancé Nikesh Patel. She says: “I had my heart set on a gothic fairytale theme with lots of makeup and theatrical costumes. Luckily, Simeon Quarrie had been working on a puppetry-themed project so when he floated the idea to us, it felt right. Before the shoot, Simeon took me to the National Theatre’s costume department to help select the costumes - we spent hours trawling though ‘underwear’ from the 1800s to find the outfits! Planning a wedding isn’t always smooth sailing and it was wonderful to get away from it for a day and have fun. A pre-wedding photoshoot is a chance to showcase your personality in a way that you can’t always do at your wedding.”

Vivida Photography, www.wearevivida.co.uk