'Stand out of the crowd': Taking pre-wedding photography in London

A couple is taking pre-wedding photos opposite to the Big Ben in London, with foreigners participating behind. [Photo provided by JR Studio]

In St Paul's Cathedral, the sight of a couple in full wedding outfits, posing for glamorous photographs amid hundreds of tourists visiting one of the iconic sights of London, is incongruous.

But the couple aren't getting married, and when they do it won't be at St Paul's Cathedral.

Instead, they are part of a growing sub-genre for Asian couples, particularly Chinese, to pose for pre-wedding shots in front of traditional tourists sites throughout Europe.

Guo Yi Fan and Zhang Wei aren't getting married until January 2016. The bride-to-be and her groom, 28 and 32 respectively, both work with the government of China, and flew all the way from Nanjing, northern China to London. They started their day at 8.30am and the shoots would last till night-time with only half hour lunch break.

"I want to have something different from other couples. Most of the studio shoots in China are taken indoors. The pre-wedding pictures always look the same," said Fan, waiting patiently in front of St.Paul's Cathedral, where she was watched by a group of tourists throughout the shoot.

"It's very interesting. I never saw this happening in our country. Not at my daughter's wedding," said Virginia Graham from Australia, who stopped to take pictures of the couples instead of the cathedral.

It is becoming increasingly popular in China to take pre-wedding photographs aboard.

Whilst taking pre-wedding photographs inside a studio in China may be convenient, the digitalized backgrounds aren't exclusive enough for the most unique moment in a couple's life.

This is a way to have pre-wedding photographs that "stand out of the crowd", Fan said.

Since last year, number of couples who travelled from China to take pre-wedding photographs have increased drastically, and Chinese-owned businesses based in London have sprung up to cater for the new wedding tourists, offering, wedding outfits, the services of a stylist, and a photographer.

Raymond Wu, whose London-based company, JR Studio, which provides pre-wedding photography packages says about 20% of his customers are from India, Japan or Korea, and the rest are all from China.

According to Wu and his team, the new way of bridal photography began in Taiwan in the 1980s, and has become widespread for couples from China and Hong Kong.

"In Chinese tradition, on the day of the marriage, the couple goes through a range of complicated procedures that gives them limited time to pose for a nice picture. Pre-wedding photos give them the chance to record the best moment of their life," said Wu.

Potential brides and grooms are dressed in a variety of finery, posed in numerous settings, and exude varied emotional states; the cost of a pre-wedding photograph package in London varies from 700 to 2000 pounds, excluding flight and accommodation costs. The package usually includes the wedding gowns and suits, make-up, a range of photography and videography service and private car pick-up between shooting venues.

Photos will usually take 4 to 6 weeks to complete, which will be used on wedding invitations or cards.

From the end of September to October, just ahead of the 'Golden Week' Chinese national holiday, 30 couples came to Wu's studio, compared to 20 groups every month in the remaining part of the year.