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Gareth & Phuong: Hanoi Wedding

doctor447 — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 02:59:19 +0000

Aidan: Our very good friends Gareth & Phuong got married in Hanoi last weekend. Phuong looked stunning in a white Ao Dai and we’re very much looking forward to the wedding reception in Goa, India next March.

Thank you to Demetrius Philips for covering the event, we hope to see his images soon, in the meantime here are some snaps from the evening.

Truc & Jason : Ho Chi Minh City wedding

doctor447 — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:57:35 +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.

Duong Thuy Linh & Andy Nguyen Viet Thang : Hanoi Dam Hoi

doctor447 — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:57:20 +0000

Julian: I had a wonderful day last week photographing the dam hoi (it’s the traditional Vietnamese wedding planning ceremony) from the perspective of the bride-to-be: Thuy Linh. They had hired another photographer to follow the groom, so I was able to spend all my time following Thuy Linh around as she prepared for the ceremony in the morning, donning a simple-yet-stunning red ao dai. I mean that dress was just radiating red, I don’t think I’ve seen anything more vibrant, and having that color to work with for pictures was really fun. Especially as the sun came out of the Hanoi winter gloom and colors began popping out all over. Beautiful.

We’ve got their big wedding reception coming up this weekend, so stay tuned….

I only noticed after that the above images made a lovely diptych. On the right is Thuy Linh, and on the left is her 91 year-old grandmother.

VWP, another year older….

doctor447 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:06:52 +0000

It is just over a year since we photographed together as VWP, and to celebrate this we have a wedding photography exhibition at Highway4 Restaurant and Bar, 5 Hang Tre, Hanoi. Running from 7th to 28th October we are displaying hundreds of images in collages on their ground floor.

Every single wedding has been a pleasure to be involved in, from China Beach in Danang to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Hoi An, Halong Bay and Luang Prabang; The Metropole and Inter Continental Hotels in Hanoi and the privilege of photographing The Prime Minister’s daughter’s wedding at The Caravelle in Ho Chi Minh City.

Upcoming dates include new venues for us; Khao Lak in Thailand, Siem Reap in Cambodia and the stunning Six Senses Hideaway near Nha Trang, Vietnam. This month we will be at The Park Hyatt in Saigon and The Sheraton in Hanoi.

Halong Bay Wedding: Thu Ha and David

doctor447 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:08:21 +0000

Last weekend Aidan got about four hours sleep, between shooting and traveling he was working almost 40 hours to photograph a wedding in Halong Bay and an an hoi in Hanoi before capturing Vietnam’s football team making history in The Suzuki Cup. First up was David and Thu Ha’s lovely ceremony on board a junk boat in Halong Bay.

Unfortunately, the weather was wet. On a good day, Halong Bay is a breathtaking spectacal, on a rainy day, the fog rolls in and the magnificent scenery is completely obscured. Luckily, David, Thu Ha and the rest of the wedding party were in good spirits, and had a wonderful time on board. Why let a little weather ruin a wonderful day?

Steve and Hanh : Hanoi An Hoi

doctor447 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:17:25 +0000

Steve and Hanh are two of our oldest friends in Hanoi. Hanh made an honest man of Hanoi’s premier punk rock wheelie-poppin’ bassist this weekend during a beautiful (but stifling hot!) an hoi ceremony at her parent’s apartment. I was part of the groom’s entourage who bore gifts of rice cakes, wine and cigarettes to Hanh’s family, and Hanh had her own group of girlfriends waiting to receive us in red and gold ao dai. After the ceremony we headed down to Highway4 for lunch, followed by one of the longest bia hoi sessions in recent memory. It was kindof like a “Best of Hanoi” all packed into a single day.

Not too many pictures from this one as we were all just enjoying the moment with our two good friends. The wedding’s coming up this weekend, and promises to be a great one.

Zui and Linh : Hanoi engagement shoot

doctor447 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:52:24 +0000

We actually took these photos at the end of May, but work and holidays piled up and we were only able to post them here now. Zui and Linh wanted some engagement photos done in Hanoi, and we wanted to find somewhere outdoor but private. I had shot Zen Spa last year for a Canadian lifestyle magazine, so gave them a call and booked the shoot at their Hanoi location, which sits just off the banks of the Red River a few kilometers north of the city centre. Zui and Linh were great, full of lighthearted laughter that kept the shoot fresh and fun for the whole morning, despite the insane heat and humidity. Linh changed outfits halfway through, so we were able to capture images in both western wedding dress and the traditional Vietnamese ao dai. She looked equally beautiful in both. Thanks to both of them for a fun shoot.