is pre-wedding photography common in Australia like it is in China?
Question Asked: 27/09/2018
Wedding Date: 9/08/2018
Most Helpful Response
(12) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
Answered by: 13 Experts
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Yes it's popular but it's a completely different ball game to the pre wedding shoots they have in Asia. In Asia couples spend a whole day in many different locations and many different outfit changes. In Australia it's a much more relaxed affair. Usually about an hour in a more casual style of dress. Usually outdoors somewhere in nice light.
Yes a pre wedding shoot is very common in Australia. The way we have them at Eternity Photography is to have them a few months before your wedding day if possible so that if you wish to get a photograph of you both for your invites or to display at your wedding you can do so.
I find that the getting ready photos are where a couple can learn to relax around the photographer. Not common in Australia to do shoots prior to the wedding day.
It will depend on what you mean by pre-wedding photography, do you mean only a first look or doing some of the principal photography on a different day perhaps? Personally, I think the first look trend is absolutely fantastic, it allows some very personal time together to happen and be recorded before you get bombarded by the rest of the day. And you will be. And you will be very tired. Now imagine having to do all that while tired. Also, pro photographers need time to create images (not hours of course, but it must be a slightly meditative experience), GWC's* will work crazy fast and never deliver quality, trust me.
*GWC - guy with camera.
I think a pre wedding shoot is great for the following reasons:
1/ You get some nice casual fun shots prior the wedding day
2/ It helps build rapport and make you fee more comfortable
3/ Its a chance to see how your make up photographs
4/ Its a chance to build your relationship or ask questions with your photographer
Pre-wedding photography is not done in the same way as in China, and is not usually done on a separate day to the wedding, as it is in China. Of course, if you have a special location in mind for pre-wedding photography, or several locations you'd like to visit before your wedding for portaiture, there is no reason why you can't ask your photographer to accomodate your wishes. It may well be a good idea to plan your special pre-wedding portraits at the ideal time in order to capture the sunset by the beach, or through the trees in the gardens, instead of making do with whatever light you have at the time between your ceremony and reception. Photographers are light chasers, so this is a very important part of the portrait planning process. If you have the time and desire for a special session of pre-wedding photography, not only will you be able to capture the portraits you seek at the time of yur choice, but you will also feel more relaxed, without the the pressure of the wedding day upon you.
(7) · Exmouth, Coral Bay, Perth, Western Australia
Posted: 28/09/2018
not really , more engagement shoots
(0) · Brisbane & Surroundings, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast
Posted: 28/09/2018
G’Day,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Pre Wedding Photography Portraits are common here in Australia amongst Good Professional Photographers here an around the world.
It’s an opportunity to build a relationship between Photographer & Bride, Grome as a Casual Photographic Rehearsal, helping persons involved practice their positioning & Poses for the perfect wedding pictures in your chosen location. It also allows rehearsal of any other special posing requests in which the Bride or Grome May have in mind.
We offer Pre Wedding Photography with Portraits as part of our Wedding Ultra Gold Package & normal Wedding Photographic Guidance without portraits during the Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal.
Kinds Regards,
Derek
Derek Rowan Photography
Its popular, but not as popular compared to China but it is picking up. There is a new documentary called China Love and you can see how much the industry is worth in China and to what extent couples go through to get the prewedding photos. Australia is not there yet and I'm not sure it ever will be because the industry, style and culture in Australia is totally different.
For me preweddings is all about celebrating your love with your other half. Capturing natural moments, emotions and expressions as oppose to creating the scene and posing infront of it.
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The short answer is no, not in the same way. In China the pre-wedding shoot is often a huge production with multiple outfits, dramatic styled sets and sometimes travel to famous backdrops, and the images are the main event rather than the wedding day itself. Here in Australia it is a much more relaxed thing. When we do a pre-wedding or engagement session, it is usually an hour or two in real light at a spot that means something to you, not a studio fantasy.
That said, it is absolutely becoming more popular here, and for good reason. The single biggest benefit is comfort. Most couples have never been professionally photographed together, and getting that first session out of the way means that on the wedding day you already know how we work, where to put your hands, how to just be with each other and ignore the lens. By the time the real day comes around we feel like friends tagging along rather than strangers with cameras, and that is exactly when the natural, unposed moments start to happen.
If you do book one, lean into our seasons and light. A late afternoon session through autumn or winter in South East Queensland gives you that soft golden light without the harsh summer glare, and the cooler months mean you are comfortable rather than melting. We shoot plenty of these across Brisbane and around Sandstone Point, and every image is edited in-house by us, so the look of your pre-wedding photos will match your wedding gallery beautifully.
One practical tip: if you are leaning towards a Chinese-style shoot with multiple outfits or a particular dramatic location, just tell your photographer early so they can plan time and travel for it. It is completely doable here, it just needs to be built into the booking rather than squeezed into a quick session.