Bride Diaries #2: The Prenup w/ Malou Dingal & How To Plan Your Prenup Shoot

Yes, ladies and especially to the gentlemen, pre nups are more than just an agreement now. Aside from planning the “wedding of your dreams”, wedding trends now advise that you also pre document your big day whether through video and/ or photos. Pre nup shoots/ engagement photos have become such a big part of weddings over the past years with different themes, tones and sets. While some prefer their sessions to be as grand as their love for one another, others might prefer a more laid back and chill session- I, on the other hand, prefer whatever is free/ cheap. lol.

But honestly, free isn’t bad especially when one of your favorite aunt’s, Malou Dingal, one of the best photographers in the business.

I initially wanted to hold off any pre-nup sessions until I had finally achieved my desired weight (trying to shed 10 lbs!!) but when one of Sydney’s sought after and award winning wedding photographers offers to shoot your photos, you suck in that extra weight and make.it.work!

As with any and every shoot I do, I like to establish the theme and especially the location so that I can build our outfits around it. I felt it was important for us to have 2 looks where 1 reflected our fun & silly personalities while the other one being a little more posh. I was lucky enough to borrow a couple of outfits from my wedding gown designer, Bree Esplanada, and after a quick scan through our closets, I was able to come up with a couple cohesive looks for Paolo & I.

I also made sure to give Paolo this quick posing lesson as per Pinterest.

But if I’m being completely honest with you, Paolo & I really just winged the most part out prenup shoot, mostly because we trusted our photographer 100% and knew that she would know what to do with us and I think it’s important that with any couple to also feel the same. And while Paolo and I have agreed on having a couple more shoots done in the next months, here are some thoughts I would like to share with you:

1. Plan your shoots in advance. Is there a place you have in mind? A certain theme? Pinterest inspo? A certain type of photography style? Make sure to talk it over with your photographer then you can decide whether their services are best for your preferences. If not, you can always ask them to recommend someone who best suits your needs.

2. Figure out what you need. As soon as you’ve locked in your photographer, you might also need to decide if you need a set stylist/ fashion stylist/ coordinator (for out of town shoots)/ permit (public shoots), etc. While Paolo & I decided to bet on my fashion styles, I am a big fan of C ukooCloudConcepts who are great when it comes to anything and everything related to weddings. I am specially drawn to their gorgeous wedding shoots and event styling.

3. Be prepared. Seems pretty simple yet Paolo and I completely forgot a bunch of things on the day of the shoot. For one, I was supposed to have my ring cleaned yet I wasn’t able to. Instead, I had to settle with toothpaste and a toothbrush as a last resort. Paolo also forgot to get his haircut and ended up rushing to the nearest barbershop. We also didn’t have a hairstyle in mind and Paolo was at a huge risk of ending up with a bad hair day. We also forgot to buy food & drinks for the team and ourselves and were rushing to find replenishments in between shoots. Luckily, everything worked out in the end and we have these wonderful photos to show for it!

4. Get comfortable. Trust me, if you want nice photos, today and your wedding day is not the time to be bashful. The whole point of a pre nup session is to show of your love for one another, give friends/ family a little glimpse of your relationship and have something nice to look back on when you’re older. TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS: there will be lots of having to smile, kiss, hug and etc. so if you’re not prepared- be prepared because ginusto nyo yan. I like to practice with a tripod and self-timer settings to practice on. It might come in handy for you, too!