China Love explores surreal world of pre-wedding photography

A billion-dollar pre-wedding photography industry is growing in China and across Asia and Australia is becoming popular for photo shoots, with Bare Island at La Perouse, Coogee Beach and Maroubra headland prime locations.

A couple has their photos shot in Thamestown, a town modelled on London that is located near Shanghai.

If you’ve seen the film Crazy Rich Asians, you will know that some couples spare no expense when it comes to having the finest wedding, especially the photos.

The billion-dollar pre-wedding photography industry is growing in China and across Asia and Australia is becoming popular for photo shoots, with Bare Island at La Perouse, Coogee Beach and Maroubra headland prime locations.

Bare Island, La Perouse is a popular spot for wedding photos. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Now film producers Madeleine Hetherton-Miau of Maroubra and Rebecca Barry of Bondi will take audiences on a fascinating ride through contemporary China and the growing obsession with high-end wedding photography through their documentary China Love.

China Love producers Rebecca Barry from Bondi and Madeleine Hetherton from Maroubra.

Produced by their Darlington firm Media Stockade, the film follows Chinese and Australians as they navigate love, weddings and family in the lead up to the most important ritual of Chinese society — getting married.

“It’s a really fun film with a great cast of characters,” Hetherton-Miau said. “Some of it is very funny.

She said China’s younger generation was more engaged with the West and wanted beautiful gowns and exotic locations for their photos, often taken up to six months before the ceremony.

The Inside Only Photo Studio on the outskirts of Shanghai. It houses three floors of sets for wedding photos, including rooms and rooms of dresses and suits in every style imaginable.

“If you want to be James Bond they (photographers) they’ll make a set, if you want to be underwater they’ll do that too.

“People are getting their photos taken at the Taj Mahal, in Vietnam and on Mt Everest.”

Hetherton-Miau describes the photos of an Australian man from Byron Bay who was marrying a Chinese woman in Shanghai.

“She wanted her photos underwater but she couldn’t actually swim.”

Another couple has their photos taken at Thamestown.

One man who features in the film owns 6000 wedding photography studios across Asia.

Couples are travelling to Australia for their photos as well.

“It you go to Bare Island on a nice afternoon, you will see lots of Asian photographers with their Asian clients doing pre-wedding photos.”

A bride has her wedding photos shot underwater.

The other side depicted in China Love is the older traditional Chinese couples whose weddings are very simple and short but full of love and tenderness.

China Love is showing at a special one-off screening at the Ritz Randwick on December 5 at 6.30pm.

It will also be shown at Newtown on December 11, 6.30pm and at Ryde on December 12 at, 10.30am and 6.30pm.

An older couple get their wedding photos taken.

There will also be screenings in Burwood on February 4 at 6.30pm and on the same date at Castle Hill at 6.30pm

It will also be shown at Newtown and Ryde on December 11 and 12.

Tickets only available from au.demand.film/china-love/