Great Expectations of an Anxious Bride – Bridal/ Wedding Photoshoot in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

February 2nd, 2009 Pipi

Editor’s Note: The following post is by a Singaporean couple whom opted to have their Bridal/ Wedding Photoshoot done in Johor Bahru. See their related post here.

11 Jan 2009 9.30am. It has arrived. NO, I don’t mean my wedding day because that would be The BIGGEST Day in my life!! I have been hitting the gym more often, since signing on the dotted line, in my last dash to tone up my slightly plump physique and in a bid to make my last attempts to look more photogenic for the Photo Shoot.

Venus Bridal actually called us twice to:

1) Remind us of the appointment date and time
2) Remind us to be punctual (you know typical human beings are simply not punctual!!)
3) Remind us of the items we are supposed to bring.

For Bridegroom

– Black leather shoes
– Both black and white socks
– Black belt
– Black pants
– White shirt.
– Venus will provide other shirts for tuxedo, matching vest, white suit, pants and white shoes.

For Bride

- Black and silver heel shoes.
- To do manicure and pedicure if possible.
- Not supposed to put any lotion on hair and face.

We arrived at about 9.40am, and the make-up artist, photographer’s assistant were already there. One reminder for all!! Remember to have a full breakfast and to pre-pack your lunch for the fact that it will just be photo shoot, photo shoot, photo shoot all the way!! Also, preferably to come equipped with a one-litre mineral water to hydrate the body throughout the day! Just a fact that is good to know. Good thing that Venus Bridal had a water dispenser too!

The Makeup Artist

Her name is Liffey. Prior to the commencement of the make up, she reminded me about the standard charges:

Eyelash – RM 20 X 2 (she suggested that I use two to enhance the effect.. mmm…)
Ampoule – RM 20 X 2 (for hubby and me)
Hairstyling – RM 30 (chargeable only for me. Hubby had one hairstyle throughout the whole shooting at no extra costs)

I paid RM 110 in total at the end of the session – They only accept cash payment.

Liffey said that usually, they will start us off with the natural look, and by the last gown, my makeup and hairdo would be the most dramatic. That’s how they slowly transform our looks, ‘stepping up’ each time, because it would have been irreversible had they sprayed my hair brown right at the on start, leaving me with only one hair colour throughout the session, instead of black first, then brown… That would save them time, money and effort.

The Gowns

All in all, I had a change of 7 gown outfits – 1 outdoor wedding gown, 2 indoor wedding gowns, 4 evening gowns (blue, pink, purple, red). The thing that impressed me is the fact that they actually separate gowns for photo shoot and gowns for actual day. Unlike in Singapore, the entire rack of gowns is used interchangeably for both photo shoot and actual day. The inquisitive side of me (to the extent of being nosey sometimes :p) prompted me to ask my coordinator why do they segregate their gowns this way. I later realized that gowns for photo shoot would usually have been altered many times and hence, the lining, wire support, etc may have been subjected to usual wear and tear. Hence, they are separated from gowns for actual day, which are typically in better condition for the walk down the AISLE!!

One more differentiating factor about Venus and Singapore bridal studios is that we need set aside one day just for fitting. Alteration of gowns is done straight on the spot!! Just before the day of photo shoot!! That saves us a lot of trouble!!

The Photo Shoot

Our first shoot began at Sultan Garden. There is only one outdoor location for our package. Of course, a couple can opt to go to Kota Tinggi or Desaru for an extra cost of RM800 per location. But that would mean that the entire photo shoot would have to be split into 2 separate days. In anyway, we understand from the photographer that Sultan Garden is a top choice for many Malaysian brides and is thankfully, only 15 mins drive away from the bridal store! Both my hubby-to-be and I felt that it was THE location we wanted, without much thought or question, as there were many facades of Sultan Garden that we knew we could be captured in. Rustic-looking flight of steps, authentic buildings, sturdy tree barks, etc. One thing we noticed which is different from the Singapore bridal studios is that the photographer would have an assistant at all times. The Assistant Photographer would have to help to check the make-up of the bride, lay out the dress on the grass, help to place the groom’s hand in the right position, adjust the flash lights, etc. In Singapore, it is a ONE MAN SHOW. Anyway, we spent about 1 and ½ hour taking pics at Sultan Garden before adjourning back for our indoor shoot.

Indoor shooting was the highlight for us. We had signed up with Venus, mainly because of the multi-backdrops it had in its studio that we knew we wanted to showcase (and perhaps, subconsciously, showoff!!) in our wedding album on that BIG day. Just a glance at its studio and one would know that a lot of creative juices have been put into designing the various backdrops, from Sunflower Vineyard, to Rose Garden, to Autumn yellow leaves, to Winter Forest (with a swing provided), to Roman Colosseum, etc. Impressive. Looking at the settings do make us excited about this indoor photo shoot, I must confess, and does, indirectly affect our facial expression when the photographer said, 1, 2, 3! Our photographer was called Ah Siang and he was (I heard from Liffey the makeup artist), the most patient of the lot. The ‘lot’ includes a total team of 5 photographers, to my understanding. He was alright, not fantastic, we felt. Most of the shots he wanted us to pose were in fact, artistic poses, which were not what we really like. We prefer smiley poses, preferably with both of us looking at the camera, or even candid shots. But many shots had only one person looking at the camera, and the other looking at downwards, upwards, or at the other person. I guess, lack of communication right at the onset could have solved this. The whole photo shoot ended at about 8pm. All in all, we enjoyed this process.

For the fact that we are Singaporeans, which means that we took great pains to come all the way there, Venus actually agreed for us to take our photo shoot on Sat and to choose our photos the next day. This ‘Express Arrangement’ bodes so well for us, not just because of our hectic schedules (as everyone claims), it also save us from forfeiting another precious weekend.

There can only be one word that I cam think of for the photo selection process. COMPLICATED. They had printed out unedited 2R pics for us to choose. We had to work within the no. of pages and pics given in our package, and to ensure that we ‘spread out’ our choices over all the backdrops. It was a continuous discussion and debate held between my hubby-to-be and me, without any form of eye contact, and it seemed to by-passers outside the bridal shop, that we are both talking to our pictures! In anyway, the discussion-cum-debate got a little heated up at some point in time due to different opinion on which photo should be chosen. In fact, we underestimated the time we would have spent choosing photos. We had initially thought that we would need to be there for less than 2 hours. We ended up spending slightly more than 4 hours there! Besides selecting, we had to meet with the “Creative Designer” on what we do not like to see in the album design. For example, some couples do not like words or quotes appearing in their album. Some do not like stars or bubble designs. It is interesting that we are able to meet with the designer too, to discuss about our likes and dislikes prior to them starting work on it, which is unlike Singapore bridal studios where we don’t even get to meet the designer at all.

People often tell us not to expect too much. Horror stories we have heard or read from the internet about JB studios may have served to lower our expectations. But for me, since the day we first saw the gowns and studio at Venus Bridal, I had GREAT EXPECTATIONS. It may not be good, as many would caution me, because we might get doubly disappointed. But I rather come into the photo shoot with joy in my heart, with confidence that it will turn out well and with this expectancy right at the start, means I am happy throughout the whole process! Rather than to curb the excitement I have inside and to keep telling myself about the negatives and end up, suppressing my real feelings of excitement about the photo shoot. And to sum up, I had Great Expectations and at the end of it all, I had Great Satisfaction throughout the whole process. Look forward to updating you guys about my thoughts when…… I collect THE ALBUM. 

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Entry Filed under: Wedding/ Bridal Packages