Your engagement means registration of marriage? Usually you have to pre-arrange your pre-wedding photo shooting earlier because it will take time for the bridal shop to prepare the printouts. For wedding dinner or luncheon, you better ensure that you book the hotel or restaurant much earlier. Some may even require one year advance booking.

What about your ROM, actual day and dinner/luncheon photo shooting? Do you have any intention to hire photographers? If yes you better get one and book their time earlier.

Hi lisiang.

Congratulations to you. Photoshooting is the least of the concern. The few more important things to consider is the Register Of Marriage and the meeting of both parents. After you have done those, then you can start to survey for Pre Wedding photography and also your wedding dinner venue. You will need to discuss with your spouse first and very ofthen most of the decision are made by the lady. You just need to discuss and plan about your finance.

A pre wedding photoshoot will take up around 1 to 3 month for the whole process from signing up, trying out on gowns, photo shooting day, and the completion of the photos. You can start to visit bridal house or even wedding fairs to get a clearer pictures. But try not to sign up in a rush. Most report I heard from other is wedding fairs deals always comes with strings attached. So just look see look see to get a better understanding on what are the usual cost and packages.

For the wedding day part, most Chinese family especially traditional type will need to consult both side of the elderly of the family on what are the thing you need to do and prepare. Different family have different tradition.

But if finance is a main concern, try to arrange your own type of photography. Get your own gown, hire a make up artist, hire a licensed photographer and wedding car decor and etc etc....

But most importantly is to enjoy the process. A million dollar GRAND GRING GRONG wedding and pre wedding photo shoot will not promise a good and healthy marriage. Most importantly is how both of you understand and how submissive both of you are.

Cheers and happy planning..... 

Hi lisiang.

Agree with the giving her a some sort of 'promise". But out of respect, you should maybe consult and ask for the parents permission first. Just my opinion. And of course try to save some "special privilege" until both of you are really married with a proper ceremony just to maintain the sparks until then. 2 years is actually quite a long period. But before that, you really need to sit down and discuss. ROM is a big thing. Is not a game. Once sign, not so easy to undo. So just sit, create some crisis and quarrel and see can your relationship sustain when in turmoil. Love is beautiful when is all new and sparkling. But once the spark is gone, then is more on responsibility and commitment. Is no game.

Just my 2 cents worth.

To choose a photographer you first need to allocated a budget. Then work on that budget. Don't just judge by the looking at their work online. Meet up and get to know them. Is not just about taking good artistic photos. Is about corporation, ethics and responsibility as well.

Just my personal opinion that I experienced myself. I regretted that I did not have a proper ROM photography and video and also a proper actual wedding day photography and video. What we did is trust our friends and family members to capture some photos and video for us. In the end, there is some photos. But mostly is the same group of people repeat and repeat. If you get what I mean. And we spend 3 to 4k on pre wedding photos and hack after three month I din't even know where is it now. Don't get me wrong, if you have the budget, there is no wrong to pay high price for Pre Wedding photo shoot. But just my personal opinion, I would put priority in ROM and Actual Wedding Day photography. Then later on, I would like to go for a Post Wedding Photo with our little baby. I think that would be more meaningful.

We ourselves are a photography studio and at the same time, a person who been through marriage before. So we might maybe understand some of our client situations.

Is very difficult or almost impossible to look for the perfect bridal house or a photographer. The best is just to minimize the risk of disappointments. For bridal house, just need to survey, compare, do it in writing, email with black and white. The problems with most bridal house is, they are mostly operated by sale person, not the owner them self. So they only have one thing in mind. Sales Sales Sales, Commission Commission Commission. So promised you with this with that, 2 month down the road, the sales person you dealt with, no longer there. So in the end no this no that. Oh and remember to demand first before signing. Not sign only demand.

For ROM or AD photographer, before engaging your photography service, just need to take some precaution. If possible, try looking for those licensed with proper company set up and organization. Easier to deal with if crap happened. Try avoiding freelancer unless your are really sure. Not that they are all bad in anyways. Even some of the famous ones are freelancer. But when a problem occurs, they might not have a strong back up from the company and consumer legal law protection.

Just my 2 cents worth... Cheers. 

Hi lisiang.

Glad that you have made the decision to get married. Hope is not by pressure or any negative circumstances. After all staying together is already one of the "special privilege". Is good to make things proper and responsibly. Cheers to you bro..... 

Is up to you to decide which to focus on more. And not to forget, your lady's opinion. No one can judge for you. I am just merely giving you my personal opinion. No conclusion. But for sure, the lady would not let you get away without going through the pre wedding photo shooting process. And is also a very rare opportunity to do so where by the lady will be so beautifully dolled up. But just don't get into heavy debt by doing so. And always remember that there are other things that are also important be it before, during and after the wedding. Well, what ever it is, the most important thing is to enjoy the whole process. You wont want to remember planning the wedding as a hell. Nothing matters. Just ENJOY THE PROCESS AND PRAY FOR GOOD HEALTH AND PEACE which sometimes money cannot buy.

Cheers......