How to Choose the Right Bridal Shop for Pre-wedding Photography in Malaysia

First of all, congratulations and celebrations to you! 

If this article popped up as a result of your search then you most probably are expecting wedding bells to ring soon! 

Bridal shot of my parents

It is no doubt thrilling to finally have decided on investing in a pre-wedding photography for yourself and your loved one. Envisioning the perfect picture of you in that long awaited wedding gown or suit is indeed sweet until you come to the juncture of deciding which bridal shop to hire. With Instagram and Facebook providing a plethora of choiced for you from wedding gown rental to photographers, you might already know that choosing the best package for you might not be such a sweet dream. 

Do I sign up at wedding fairs?

Do I knock on the bridal shops?

Do I choose from the internet?

During your research on bridal shops, there is a high probability too that you have encountered rants on bridal shops with hidden fees or how they were 'forced' to spend more. This is especially a frustration and the violation of trust is definitely not good for returning business of the bridal shop. 

After experiencing my fair share of bridal shop trials and errors, I have formulated something I wished I knew earlier for brides/grooms-to-be. 

The best way, in my opinion, to choose a bridal shop is to:

1. first ask them for the price online to know what is in their package

2. then book an appointment to visit their bridal shop to look at their dresses (most entry into bridal shops are by appointments)

3. look at their photography

4. bargain for a price at the shop or at bridal fair after you have visited their store (bridal fair only if you know that they are participating in one)

Do not sign up for wedding packages during bridal fairs at first encounter!

This is because:

1. If you notice, it is extremely difficult to leave the table you are sharing with the sales person at bridal fairs. For some reason which I am still searching for, bridal shop sales persons will aggressively aim to close the sale there and then without giving you the chance to even peep at the next bridal shop. I wonder if it is the matter of lack of confidence in their own product or their sales motivation from company is potent.  

While I do admire their sales proficiency and silently wish I had these sales people working for my business, I have to say that bride and grooms-to-be have to be clear of what they want and not let their glib work their way through your waves of excitement for the wedding. 

2. The bridal gowns displayed at bridal fairs do not entirely represent the collection of gowns at their studio. The most beautiful and not to mention the premium designer range is usually on display to turn heads. 

When negotiating with bridal shops its best to know what is generally included in a package. 

Below is my survey for your reference. 

Please keep in mind that:

1. the below prices are offered to me in Q1 of 2022 and can differ from customer to customer depending on negotiations and seasonal offers.

 2. the cheapest do not necessarily mean the best as factors like quality, style, time taken etc has to be taken into consideration.

Items that are generally not included in bridal packages are:

1. stick-on bra

2. shoes for bride and groom

3. tickets for entry to shooting locations

4. extra props that require fee like horses, hot air balloon

5. meals during photoshoot

After surveying bridal shops, you might wonder if it is better to hire your own photographer, make-up artist (MUA) and rent your own gown ala carte from different vendors which you most probably also heard gives more satisfying results.

Well, I am not sure of the results but in my opinion, it does take a little more effort to arrange the vendors together and you can expect a higher fee in total for getting ala carte service. Don't take my word for it, you can call for quotes and pull out the calculator to see for yourself.

If you have a budget, you have to preservere with your budget as pretty things can easily carry one away when it comes to add-ons. Do set your priority when signing up for these bridal packages.

To me, most important is to have a good time during phototaking with your spouse and a beautiful master room wedding photo. The rest in the album are also wonderful as long as they don't stay hidden in the cupboard or in your hard drive. 

I wish you a happy pre-wedding bridal photoshoot session with your loved one 

and

CONGRATULATIONS!