Is it me or is the world becoming a smaller place? As more and more of us take advantage of cheaper travel (Merci AirAsia) and become globe trotters, the once pricey ‘Destination Wedding’ has become more of an affordable & attractive option for those seeking something different. WGA is pleased to publish pics from Canadian photographer Julian Abram Wainwright, who has spent the last ten years living in Asia and regularly jets off for pre-wedding or real wedding assignments.
Like many wedding photographers, Julian started off in a different arena. With a CV that lists the likes of TIME Magazine, the New York Times and other major publications, in 2008 he decided to instead follow his passion for wedding photography. Together with photographer friend Aidan Dockery, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City, they set up a Destination Wedding Studio called Eden Images that caters for clients around the region.
Markus and Hanh kiss at a wat in Luang Prabang, Laos.
From TIME to Weddings
J: My aim was to provide the same kind of professional photojournalism that I produced for magazine and newspaper clients, but for wedding couples. It was a nice change of pace: the chance to make creative images at some of the most stunning locations around southeast Asia has been a dream come true. A lot of hard work, but a dream nonetheless.
On Photography
J: I love making pictures. Every photographer will tell you this. For some it’s a job, but for others, it’s kind of a creepy obsession. I fall into the latter category. My wife teases me about it, and it probably annoys her sometimes (definitely, not probably), but I’m always chasing the light, looking for ways to interpret the way the late afternoon sun falls on a face or a shoulder and convey that in a single frame. Whether I’m shooting at the Olympics, a street protest, or a luxury beachside wedding, it’s just something that moves me. I can’t help it; it’s in my blood.
J: In the pic above, Marc is traveling to an An Hoi (traditional Vietnamese engagement ceremony) in Hanoi. Vietnamese wedding receptions aren’t very photogenic, but the engagement ceremony a few weeks earlier is great, with a procession of cyclos carrying the groom and his entourage to the bride’s family home to ask for permission to marry.
J: Bi and Ygal, a couple from Belgium, are shot here in Hue, Vietnam as scholarly statues. There are more than a dozen emperor tombs scattered around Hue, and they are all amazingly photogenic. This one has been featured in National Geographic and dozens of travel magazines.
J: This image features Bi and Ygal again and was shot at a temple complex in Hue. Hue is a stunning city, and my favourite location for engagement photos in Vietnam. I use this image as the opener on my website, because for me it fulfills the various elements that make a good picture – composition, content, and colour.
J: Couple Vinuon and Joel during an engagement session at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia. We woke at 4am, arrived at the temple at 5am for sunrise. I wanted a reflected silhouette with the lake in front of the temple, but it was dry season and the lakebed was bone dry. So we decided to go for this shot instead. I always try to convince my clients to wake up early for sunrise pictures – the light’s great, and there’s no one around.
J: Groom Marcus celebrates his arrival at the Red Bridge wedding reception in Hoi An. I love the joy of the groom, the flip-flops, the riverboat, and the conical hat that says Vietnam.
J: Kim and Dane steal a kiss during their wedding reception at Red Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam. An awesome place to marry. Lots of character and charm.
J: One of my personal favourites. to me. The flip flops, the beer, the ciggie. They just scream “destination wedding in Southeast Asia”. Fun, loose, and probably a little drunk. That’s how I like my weddings.
Afterthoughts:
As a destination wedding photographer in Southeast Asia, I feel incredibly lucky. I work with amazing clients. I know all wedding photographers say that, but really – the kind of people who fly from Australia or Europe or the US to have their wedding at a temple in Cambodia or on the beach in Thailand are really my kind of people. They have a sense of adventure, and also a taste for risk and excitement – there’s a lot that can go wrong with a destination wedding, and I find my clients are OK with things running a little haywire on their wedding day. That’s cool with me, because often the best moments are the ones we don’t plan for, and they make for the best images.
* Julian is currently based in Thailand, so if you’re planning a destination wedding or pre-wedding shoot anywhere in Asia – then drop Julian a line via his website. And thanks for sharing these amazing photos, Julian!
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