Vietnam | Thailand | Bali | Wedding Photographer

Tyler & Ngoc teaser

doctor447 — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:41:58 +0000

Julian: Going through some transitions at the moment, haven’t had much time to drop mighty pearls of wisdom and images of eye-blinding beauty here lately. More to come, real soon…..

In the meantime, a preview from the awesome Tyler and Ngoc in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Desre & Magtellus : Sarojin Resort, Khao Lak Wedding

doctor447 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:37:36 +0000

Julian: Desre and Magtellus traveled over 10,000 kilometers for their wedding – from Cape Town, South Africa to The Sarojin, Khao Lak, Thailand. So there was no way they were going to let a little rain dampen their wedding day. Which is good, because it’s rainy season in Thailand, and that means some serious downpours. But we managed to sneak in a fun couples shoot in the morning, in between spurts of rainfall, and re-arranged the ceremony for midday, instead of late afternoon when the black clouds usually roll in off the coast. And they didn’t miss a beat. Casual, fun, relaxed and beautiful – everything you could ask for in a small, intimate wedding.

As always, it was a pleasure working at my favorite venue in Khao Lak – The Sarojin.

Cover story in East&West Magazine

doctor447 — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:12:41 +0000

Julian: Had a nice little surprise last week. I knew my wedding work was going to be featured in this month’s edition of East&West magazine, but found out after it hit the stands that the article is the cover story, which is pretty sweet.

Big, big “thank you’s” to Kim and Dane (that’s Kim above, looking gorgeous), Vinh and Diep, Anthony and Sammi, and Marc and Hien, whose images are in the magazine.

Kat & Jason : Halong Bay wedding

doctor447 — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:17:56 +0000

Julian: I headed out to Halong Bay a few weeks to photograph the very, very intimate wedding of Kat and Jason. Their only guest was their friend Hollie, and I became their fourth wheel for the afternoon. Someone had to help create symmetry at the lunch table as Jason dined on fresh crabs and everyone enjoyed the amazing views from the boat slowly chugging past limestone cliffs in green waters. If it had to be me, then so be it.

But maybe it was a bit too intimate. In the funniest moment I’ve experienced at a wedding so far, during the ceremony the ad hoc celebrant asked Jason if he would take Hollie as his lawfully wedded wife. Yes, he asked if he wanted to marry the bridesmaid. Without missing a beat, Kat simply walked away and made as if to jump overboard. Classic.

Bi & Ygal : Hue engagement

doctor447 — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:44:57 +0000

Julian: Bi and Ygal are manga comic librarians in Belgium. But when night falls, they fight crime on the mean streets of Brussles…. OK, that second part isn’t true, but the first is. I didn’t know such a cool job existed – and Bi and Ygal are definitely cool. They wanted something a little different for their wedding engagement shoot, and we went back and forth on a list of locations until we agreed on Hue. This was great for us, since we’d never shot an engagement session there before, and it’s always exciting to head to a new town, scout locations, and make some magic.

Image by Julian

I’d been to Hue several times before. It’s a really wonderful, mystical place. It makes you feel nostalgic for the pace of life that used to be more common in Vietnam’s cities. It is changing, much like the rest of the country, but at a slower pace. People there seem don’t seem to be in as much of a rush to trade in bicycles for motorbikes, motorbikes for cars, telephones for iPhones, or even ao dai for jeans. Hue is aso home to the old Imperial City, and the tombs of emperors who used to rule these parts. There’s an endless supply of traditional design and architecture to frame images, and we would absolutely love to come back again to shoot. I feel Aidan and I could easily have done a two or three-day shoot there with Bi and Ygal, and never run out of fresh ideas. That had something to do with the amazing location, but more to do with them. They have so much fun together, and it shows.

Image by Julian

Image by Aidan

Image by Julian

Image by Aidan

Image by Julian

Kim & Scott : 6 Senses Hideaway, Ninh Van Bay, Nha Trang

doctor447 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:18:29 +0000

Aidan: Having got engaged there one year before, Kim and Scott brought there close family and friends back to Ninh Van Bay a year later, to the truly breathtaking 6 Senses Hideaway.

Kim and her siblings had taken a break from touring with their rock band “Krill” to spend some time in paradise! A beach side welcome dinner started the celebrations before the big day itself which went on long into the night, and a recovery BBQ at The Presidential Suite ended an incredible weekend at The 6 Senses Hideaway, Ninh Van Bay, Nha Trang.

Big thanks to Aaron and Ehrin for helping out over the weekend and confusing everyone with our names!

Nhu & Mets: Diamond Bay Resort, Nha Trang

doctor447 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:11:57 +0000

Aidan: Diamond Bay Resort, famed for hosting Miss World 2008 was the stunning venue for Nhu and Mets wedding.

Brining dozens of their families and friends over from New Zealand and Australia, they really were here to enjoy themselves. Laughing and joking all day, Nhu and Mets were great hosts and by the time the reception was in full flow they were more concerned that I had a beer in my hands than my camera. Thanks for a very memorable weekend!

Katie & Dave : Hoi An Wedding

doctor447 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:27:26 +0000

Julian: Katie and Dave wanted to keep things nice and simple, relaxed, casual and fun. Music to my ears….

From a cyclo processional to a stroll with a bottle of champagne in-hand through the streets of Hoi An, Katie and Dave proved that keeping things simple can be the key to actually enjoying your wedding day. No stress, no problems, no worries.

Katie dropped a bit of a surprise on family and friends, who expected the ceremony to be on China Beach. Instead, everyone was whisked off to the Hoi An old town for an impromptu cyclo ride to Hai Cafe, where the ceremony took place in a lovely little courtyard of an old shop house. Just perfect.

Katie & Dave – Hoi An Wedding

doctor447 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:27:26 +0000

Julian: Katie and Dave wanted to keep things nice and simple, relaxed, casual and fun. Music to my ears….

Truc & Jason : Ho Chi Minh City wedding

doctor447 — Thu, 27 May 2010 07:57:35 +0000

Julian: Man, did Aidan and I have fun at this wedding. Truc and Jason came over from Australia for their nuptials in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), and brought an amazing group of family and friends along with them. The day was split into two, with a traditional Vietnamese ceremony at Truc’s mother’s home in Phu My Hung (District 7), and then a western reception at the always lovely Park Hyatt in downtown Saigon. Quite a contrast between the two settings.

Image by Julian

The morning was filled with hijinx as Jason and his entourage donned their ao dai, boarded cyclos and headed over to Truc’s bearing gifts. In a fitting tribute to the culture clash of foreigners partaking in a traditional Vietnamese wedding procession along the busy streets of modern Vietnamese suburbia, there was, of course, a motorcycle crash en route. No one seriously injured, save perhaps the drivers’ egos. On arrival, Jason had to pass the bridesmaid’s tests before entering the house, answering a set of questions about his bride to be. Considering the heat and the pressure of the moment, he did very well.

It’s always nice to shoot an event where the bride changes outfits – it’s often like photographing two different, beautiful women on their wedding day. And Truc’s transformation from traditional red robes to elegant white evening gown (complete with beehive and tattoos, of course) was stunning. She was radiant all day long, and it shows.

Thanks to both the bride and groom for having us document their very special day, and for being so warm, relaxed, and good humored throughout the festivities.