Two people stand on a boat at sunset, silhouetted against the sky and water

Travel couple

Inle Lake Pre-Wedding Photoshoot: Fog, Boats and Temple Ruins in Myanmar

Inle Lake has so much to offer. It is just that good.

By Jon Low

I’ll be photographing a destination wedding over the weekend. We will start photographing the couple the day before the wedding, around Inle Lake. The wedding will be hosted the very next day in a small and intimate setting, destination wedding style.

In this story

01

Getting to Inle Lake

02

6am, and the fog coming up

03

Standing on the edge of the boat

04

Through the village

05

The temple ruins

06

A sunset bicycle ride

07

The wedding, and a hill I did not climb

01

Getting to Inle Lake

Here I am boarding the airport bus, heading off to the local flight from Yangon to Heho Airport. The flight was 1 hour 30 minutes, and this is my second flight for the day. I woke up earlier flying from KL to Yangon. That flight was two and a half hours.

Heho is the gateway to Inle Lake. I haven’t been to this place before, so I’m not sure what to expect, but pretty excited. Then another hour on the road to the Sanctum, a beautiful resort.

A long boat moving down a still canal past stilt houses in the blue light before sunrise on Inle Lake

02

6am, and the fog coming up

6am in the morning, and I’ve got to be honest, I’m barely awake.

We boated out from a small canal into a network of streams leading out to the lake. Look at the fog that’s coming up. We just completed that one shot over here and it’s absolutely amazing.

My fellow videographer from Germany and myself took turns to work with the couple. I was photographing while he was directing their wedding video.

  • A man and a woman sit in a boat on a misty riverbank with a small hut in the background
  • A couple shares a tender moment on a wooden bridge over a misty river, bathed in soft morning light.
  • A couple lies on a boat under the night sky, illuminated by soft bokeh lights

03

Standing on the edge of the boat

I just think they were a fantastic couple to photograph, for many reasons. For one, they will push their comfort zone. Let’s just say, standing on the edge of a small boat, worst case scenario they end up falling into the lake. But they walk away with these wonderful photographs.

  • A couple shares a tender moment on the edge of a boat in a serene lake setting under soft evening light.
  • A fisherman in traditional attire stands on a boat holding a circular fishing net at sunset
  • A couple shares a tender moment on a wooden dock by the serene lake under a soft blue sky with scattered clouds.

“I think I can spend another day just photographing at all these locations again.”

04

Through the village

We cruised through the village and got some photos. It’s quite difficult not to get a nice photograph here, but navigating boats to compose these shots is certainly a feat.

The boatmen from the resort were accommodating. Man, their job is tough physically, and I can’t thank them enough.

Inle Lake has so much to offer. It is just that good. Available light was limited. I think I can spend another day just photographing at all these locations again.

  • A couple shares a tender moment on a boat amidst serene waters and traditional stilt houses under a bright blue sky with scat
  • Two people in a boat on a serene lake with mountains in the background
  • A couple shares a tender moment in a small boat amidst a serene village setting under clear blue skies.

05

The temple ruins

The last was at the temple ruins. At this time I would already be worried about harsh light and shadows, the couple’s fatigue, lunch. We soldier on, our last part, and make do with whatever condition we have to get more photos into their memory bucket.

  • A couple stands amidst ancient temple ruins in a lush forest setting under soft natural light.
  • A couple holds hands amidst ancient temples under a clear blue sky
  • A couple dances amidst ancient temples under a clear blue sky

06

A sunset bicycle ride

We rested up for lunch, and a little bit more, before wrapping the day with a magnificent sunset bicycle ride near our resort. We called it a day and got ready for the actual wedding day tomorrow.

  • A couple stands together in a bamboo grove with bicycles nearby
  • A couple walks with bicycles through a sunlit forest path, creating a serene and intimate moment.
  • A couple embraces in a serene bamboo grove bathed in golden sunlight.

07

The wedding, and a hill I did not climb

A bride and groom laughing as guests throw confetti over them down the aisle at their Inle Lake wedding

I was photographing the wedding solo. I don’t have much video footage for the vlog, rightfully so, because my attention was on the wedding, creating those photographs.

The hotel told me there is a pagoda up the hill that overlooks the entire Inle Lake, and it takes about 30 minutes by bicycle. Twenty percent incline. Come on. No, I’m not gonna do it. I went to a more manageable place instead, the jetty where I photographed the couple a few days prior.

Many, many thanks to the couple for hosting me over here for their wedding. It’s great to be part of their wedding. I hope the photographs that I make will be with them forever.

If Inle Lake is not your place, here is our couple photoshoot in Japan.

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