Lim Zheng Ping and Janelle Thien's laidback, carefree spirit and love for nature was what inspired décor expert, Andrea Neo of Wedding En Vogue, to move their engagement shoot outdoors to the beautiful Hort Park. The propmaster found a shady spot under a tree as the canvas for her whimsical set-up. Andrea offers more details here:
What is the story and concept behind the shoot?
Janelle was telling me how they used balloons and a bicycle for an earlier shoot, and that was sparked the idea to do a picnic set-up as a form of continuation. The bride's only criteria was that she wanted a relaxed setting, and a picnic in the park was the perfect theme. The bicycle was actually use as a prop for our set-up but it was later removed.
How long did it take for you to plan and execute the shoot?
Just a couple of weeks. For our styling, depending on the scale, we usually come up with a drawn concept and tweak it based on client's preferences. The set-up itself took us just over an hour.
Where did you source the props from?
We got the props from overseas suppliers. Some of the items like the wooden palette and cups were ideas inspired by Western picnics. We thought that it was a good idea to recycle the wooden palette, which would have otherwise been considered waste in industrial areas.
What were some of the challenges?
Transporting the palette definitely exerted a lot of our energy, as the walk from the carpark to the location was quite far, even with a trolley. We were also worried about the unpredictable weather. Fortunately the sun was out but this resulted in another problem – the flower bouquet made up of hydrangeas and calla lilies did not survive very well under the extreme heat. We tried to spray it with cold water to let it last.
What did you most enjoy about this shoot?
What we loved most is the couple's spontaneity to do silly shots like rubbing cream on the groom's nose. They really immersed themselves in the settings, made full use of the props and genuinely enjoyed eating the cupcakes!
