Chinese Wedding Photos – Part 2

UPDATE: some of the same photos.. all photos will be photoshopped and added at the end of the month.  These are just proofs that have not been altered.

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So begins the photo shoot… we started out with a few cautionary shots.. with my husband and I standing close to each other.  Due to the fact that I am much larger than my husband they had to do what I call creative shooting… with him standing a little more in front of me and a few shots with him sitting in a chair.  The first few photos were pretty typical and normal by my standards.

Then it was time to changing into the second outfit.   A formal wedding dress with all the fixin’s.   I wore white .. it was a halter dress so a little easier on my chest-tical area. The dress was very simple and elegant, the way I like it.   It had  one flower on the front of the waist area that was in white embroidery with a little sequins.  My hair was changed to be a little more formal.  They first took the sides and puffed them up a bit and then tied them up in the back with a crown on my head… I found this to make me look like someone’s mother…(doesn’t matter that I am someone’s mother and grandmother.. but I wanted to look younger) … I proceeded to tell them that it was too old-looking.   So they then took it down and changed it up to the “some up, some down” style that I like.  They put a small tiara on my head with a double veil that was the entire length of the gown and then some.   I was giving some CZ earrings to add more bling and of course touched up my make up.   I was giving a bouquet of long stem red roses to hold and then was escorted back out to the studio.  They had been working on my hubby also I noticed.  He was now dressed in a red and white pin-stripped shirt with white cuffs and white pants.  We actually had the two traditional colors from both cultures going on so it looked very nice.  Our back drop was all white with white roses in white vases… The only splashes of color were the roses, my husband’s shirt and .. well… me.

They started out by trying to make us do some very sweet, cotton candy like poses.  I told them I wanted it more sexy and mature and less teenager.  So, the photographer changed it up a bit and had me do some more sensual looks and added some more kissing.   I think my favorite will be when they had my husband kiss my white-gloved hand… the look in his eyes when he did it was devilish.  After several more shots of us standing sitting and kissing…. It was time for the big traditional photo.

Now you all know that Chinese traditional clothes do not come in American traditional body sizes.. so this was going to be a challenge for them… we tried on 5 outfits before we found one we could adjust to my body.   It was a combination of greens and yellows with gold piping… I wasn’t really keen on this color.. but beggars can’t be choosy… so I didn’t say anything… they literally had to tear a part of the dress for me to get my arms into it.   They were determined to get me into a traditional gown even if they had to create it themselves.   I was so proud of their determination.  With light green sleeves that reached all the way past my waist and a very traditional print on the front of the long spaghetti strapped gown I was finally stuffed into this outfit of ancient China.   Then it came time to do my hair.   They took 5 different hair pieces and twisted, wrapped, pinned and stapled it all to my head.  They added metal clips, lady of pearl butterflies, dangly sticks, and two flat metal pieces to this hair masterpiece.  I have to admit I looked very, very Chinese.   I could have been an actress in one of the period movies it was so authentic.  They topped it off with long earrings that reached my shoulders.  Finally, they were done poking stuff in my hair where I could try to stand up and to the studio.

I almost fell over.  My head was soooo heavy, I could barely move it.  It is unbelievable to think how these people wore this stuff everyday on their heads back in ancient China.   But I wanted to do my little Chinese hair and make up girl proud so I lifted my head up and poked my chest out and started walking.  I almost tripped over the gown and fell on my ass… since it was so long and dragged on the floor but I stopped re-balanced myself and kept going.

When I entered the room… I saw Michael standing tall and proud… he was wearing a white, imperial suit with black trim,and a see through gauzy long jacket that trailed behind him.  He looked like he had just stepped out of a Kung fu movie.  It was soo amazing looking… that I actually had to catch my breath.   He went first holding a Chinese fan and posing for the camera … he seemed to be really getting into the period dress.   I was also feeling it since they started to play some music from that time.   Our black drop was in black and gray so the colors really stood out when I came onto the scene.   With my hair girl standing to the side, waiting on cue to fix any strands that might come out-of-place it was time for photos.

The poses they made us do were very traditional Chinese period poses, with us bowing or gazing into each other’s eyes.  I really had that ancient Chinese feeling going on.  Everyone seemed to get into it… even the photographer was doing some kind of girlie actions, of batting his eyelashes, tilting his head and doing some crazy thing with his hands… that he wanted me to imitate.

I just felt so royal, that I even moved a little lighter and a little sweeter than usual.  My husband was also acting very manly … well as manly as he can be in a dress.   We took several poses with a flute, fans and even a cricket cage.  Then it was time to change it up again… more casual and up-to-date.

It was getting toward the end of the session and end of the day so they took everything out of my hair… and I broke out some of my own clothes for them to choose which I should wear.   We then went outside the ancient building and walked around the garden taking photos and holding hands and holding a supersized teddy bear.  (I am not sure I am going to like these particular photos but I will have to wait and see)

Finally, the day was over and we all got back into our normal clothes and my husband looked as exhausted as I felt.  I was hungry and tired but I was very happy inside.   I had shared this moment with my husband and if felt like we moved our relationship to another level.   I don’t know what it was the wedding gown or the traditional clothes but I just felt closer to him.  Like we had just had a very private moment.   I looked at him.. and he seemed a bit wistful also .. he looked over to me, while we were riding back to the shop in the minivan and grabbed my hand.  Something was a little different…. Maybe that is why the Chinese do their wedding photos this way.   There is not crowds of people around, no other people in the photos.. just a special time with the two of us… priceless.

Until next time… photos will be added to part three of the blog.

Related articles

• Chinese wedding Photos -Part 1 (lifebehindthewall.wordpress.com)
• Extravagant wedding photo fever hits China (cbsnews.com)
• Actress criticized for wearing Chinese traditional gown (lookatvietnam.com)
• The Chinese in America – Part 1/3 (ilookchina.net)
• Wedding Dresses Photos with Chinese Jiangnan Characteristics (456wsx.wordpress.com)

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