Chinese weddings · Kuala Lumpur
5 Things We Shouldn’t Be Doing
A photographer’s insight.
By Jon Low
In Chinese weddings, the groom “fetches” the bride, a tradition that involves games, rituals, and plenty of laughter from the bridal party. It’s chaotic in the best way.
Weddings in Kuala Lumpur move fast. Timelines are tight, relatives are vocal, and expectations are high. And every step matters, not just for photography, but for how it all flows.
Here are 5 things we shouldn’t be doing.
Waiting to be fetched.
In this story
01
Don’t skip the family photo list
02
Don’t leave the family portraits until after the groom arrives
03
Don’t keep the plan from your photographer
04
Don’t rush the tea ceremony
05
Don’t leave zero time for the two of you
01
Don’t skip the family photo list
Write down your family photo list. Trust me, you won’t remember on the day.
Assign one trusted person to help the photographer manage the schedule.
The family, all in one frame.
“Trust me, you won’t remember on the day.”
Before the groom arrives.
02
Don’t leave the family portraits until after the groom arrives
We photograph family portraits, usually with parents and immediate family, before the groom arrives. It’s a short window, but a meaningful one.
These are the images couples return to again and again.
The red parasol.
Fetching the bride. The groomsmen at the door.
03
Don’t keep the plan from your photographer
Share your full wedding day timeline. Make sure we know about the cultural elements: tea ceremony, gate crash, etc.
The key as a photographer is to read the room, anticipate the energy, and step back just enough to let real moments happen.
Tea for the elders. And the laughter.
04
Don’t rush the tea ceremony
After the bride is fetched, the tea ceremony begins. It’s symbolic and heartfelt, offering tea to the elders as a form of respect.
If you would want photographs of everyone who attended the tea ceremony receiving tea, does the photographer cover it? Your grandma receiving tea, laughing at that moment.
“These moments aren’t staged. They’re not glamorous. But they’re yours.”
05
Don’t leave zero time for the two of you
A quick run through a typical wedding itinerary in our head, and do count how many times the bride and groom are actually together to get photographs taken. Almost none, for almost all the wedding day ceremonies out there.
The bride and groom are often apart during getting ready, and the couple are surrounded by people during ceremonies. Carve out 30 to 45 minutes for portraits on the wedding day.
The two of them.
When something goes slightly off (and it will), just roll with it.
The small imperfections are what make your story real.
Jon Low
See how a full day runs in how a Chinese wedding day unfolds, and more from Jocelyn & Marcus. Getting married in Kuala Lumpur? See weddings in Kuala Lumpur.
Photographs: Jon Low Studios. Jocelyn & Marcus, Kuala Lumpur.
