Jazz Bridal Photo Shoot

18 Jul 08 - We had our wedding photo shoot by Jazz Bridal today.

Looking back, it's been more than 2 years since that fateful day at Suntec City, when we chanced about French Bridal's wedding roadshow and signed up for their package after some fierce haggling by Her Royal Majesty's good friend, Liyan, and her boyfriend, Joshua.

Subsequently, we switched over to Jazz Bridal, which is under the same management as French Bridal. Our coordinator had been posted to Jazz, and we felt that the staff at French didn't really give 2 hoots about us since we were not signed up by any of them. In addition, the gowns at Jazz were also more impressive than those at French.

For our photo shoot, we had shortlisted a total of 10 outdoor locations, which was much more than the usual norm of 2 - 3. As expected, our coordinator and photographer kicked up a big fuss and stated plainly that it was impossible to go to all 10 locations. We eventually cut the list down to 6 locations, and even roped in another of Her Royal Majesty's friends, Xiaoyan, who generously agreed to be our chauffeur for the day.

The indoor portion of the photoshoot ended at about 2.45pm, and we managed to go through 4 outfits --- kwa, wedding gown and 2 evening gowns. After lunch, at about 3.20pm, we left the studio for the outdoor shoot. We had originally targeted to leave the studio at 2pm, and were now rather worried that we may not have time to go to all 6 locations.

Our first destination was the Regent Hotel, where we would also be holding our wedding dinner in November. While the hotel's exterior was unexceptional, the interior was resplendent with chandeliers, plush armchairs, framed oil paintings, glass bubble lifts and even a grand piano.

The next stop was Dempsey Road, at the Ben & Jerry's outlet right at the top of Dempsey Hill. We purchased a waffle bowl with 3 scoops of ice-cream, and proceeded to eat it while the photographer snapped away. I'm not sure how the pictures would turn out, since I was too busy tucking in to bother about looking refined or even elegant. We also took some pictures in the quirkily painted van parked outside the outlet, which was a refreshing change from the usual grand restaurant interiors of most wedding photos.

From Ben & Jerry's, we went on to the Botanic Gardens, one of the must-go locations for wedding photo shoots. However, we only took pictures at the waterfall as we didn't want to spend too much time at any one location. There were also a few other couples doing their photo shoot too, and I'm sure we must have provided much amusement for the many tourists there.

Next, we headed for the east, to Changi boardwalk. Along the way, Her Royal Majesty made a quick change into her short gown, which was also the same gown that she wore for our wedding solemnisation ceremony. Changi boardwalk was one of the most interesting locations that we went to, and not just because of the beautiful seaview. At one point, I actually took off my socks and shoes, rolled up my pants and waded into the water together with Her Royal Majesty. The things we do for vanity! The mosquitoes were also out in full force, and Her Royal Majesty ended providing dinner for at least 4 of them, who left her with angry red welts on her arms and legs.

By this time, it was already evening. We then headed for the Singapore Flyer to take some pictures of the ferris wheel with its pretty lights. As we walked around, we attracted quite a fair bit of attention in our outfits, although it didn't go beyond just staring and whispers.

The final destination was the Henderson waves, and to reach the bridge, we had to hike up a slope. Luckily, Her Royal Majesty had brought along a pair of slippers, or she would have been forced to climb uphill in her 4-inch heels. The Henderson Waves were beautifully lighted in the night, and hopefully our pictures will be able to capture this beauty accurately.

After returning the gown at the photo studio, we went for dinner with Xiaoyan, and reached home at about 11+ at night. It had been a long and tiring day, and hopefully, the pictures will justify all the hard work put in.

- Melvin