Pre-wedding photoshoots on rise among city couples

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, December 24

Season by season, Indian weddings are getting westernised and lavish. The ways of celebrating the moments of nuptial bliss have been swiftly shifting from traditional ones to the advanced ideas and concepts. There is nothing surprising if the brides of today’s generation, instead of coming on palanquin, prefer to make a grand entry sitting on bonnet of ‘Thar’ (Gypsy) wearing Kala Chashma (black goggles).

Pre-wedding photoshoot, a latest trend that has been introduced only a few years back, has now become an integral part of wedding ceremonies not only in Jalandhar but across the country. “As soon as the wedding dates are decided, couples book professional photographers for an awesome pre-wedding shoot,”says a city-based lensman.

Meanwhile, new ideas and creativity get added in this art every day. Also, the couples are leaving no stone unturned and do not mind going an extra mile to make their photo shoot fun, creative and memorable. Apart from that, the shoot with its artistic and sometimes natural view, made couples look like actual Bollywood stars, he added.

“The use of different props and taking bytes of the family members, including friends adds a different flavour to the shots and makes your wedding extremely special and unique,” says Kunwardeep Singh, whose marriage is fixed for February.

The cutting edge over – The Big Window

What makes the pre-wedding photo shoots the next big thing among would-be couples? The newly married couples who got their pre-wedding shoots done at their favourite locations say, “We prefer pre-wedding shoot because we want to celebrate our love.”

“Yes, the old wedding albums usually had thousands of photos, but the photos were very formal. It actually gives the feel as if one is going through a book of wedding which will first have photos of rituals such as ‘Phere’ and then ‘Kanyadaan’, elucidates Varinder Kaur, who recently got married.

“So, when my wedding date was decided, I insisted upon my fiancé that we should have a pre-wedding photoshoot not only because it’s popular these days but also because I wanted to have the photos which narrate our love story. Besides, I got to experiment with my wardrobe and wear tons of fashionable clothes,” she added.

“It’s an era of social media, and the good photos determine your social image. So pre-wedding is now here to stay,” says Suraj Raj Dogra, a city-based photographer.

The money ball

Fathoming the new trend, city photographers owe different packages that fit to any budget. “There are basically two types of pre-wedding shoots, one is still and the other is video shoot. Depending upon the location and type of photos the couples want, the packages start from Rs 20,000 and go up to as much as Rs 2 lakh,” Suraj informed.

He said, “With growing craze among youngsters for the pre-wedding shoot, the city based business persons are coming up with artificial sets especially designed for the shoots and are earning good amount from that.”

Popular destination among city couples

Residents of Jalandhar are heading to city outskirts for the shoot. “The most favoured destinations are Kanjli- a wetland in Kapurthala, film city that has recently set up in the city, wonderland, Lal Haveli in Nabha. Many couples even head towards the serene environs of Himachal Pradesh such as, Manali, Gareeb Daat Mandir in Una and many other places,” Suraj said and added that some couples from upper class even choose Ladakh and Rajasthan for their shoots.