Last autumn, I had the pleasure of photographing Andrew and Chen Chen at the place where they met and fell in love- UBC. The story is that she held the door open for him at the UBC Law Library and while looking back at him, a spark was lit. It seemed only natural to shoot their wedding portraits at UBC, including inside the place they first crossed paths!
These two were planning a very elaborate traditional wedding to take place in China that winter. Her family had requested photographs of their life in Vancouver and Andrew got in touch. A lifetime ago, we played the saxophone in our high school band and have stayed in contact over the years (yes, I play the saxophone!). Though I thought it would simply be an engagement photo session, I was delighted when they appeared dressed to the nines including in a traditional Chinese red dress.
These two were absolutely stunning! We made good use of the gorgeous UBC wedding locations including the Japanese Nitobe Memorial Garden with it’s beautiful architecture, and the UBC Botanical Garden. The gardens are popular spots for ceremonies and portraits and we lucked out with a stunning autumn day. And even luckier with a nearly empty law library to shoot in and re-inact those first moments.
Since these would be their Vancouver wedding portraits, we went with a more formal feeling. I absolutely love shooting candids, but I love classic posed formals just as much! They bring up a lot of nostalgia for me, as if I’m looking back at my grandparents albums. I like to add a creative twist and play with shadow and light for a modern feel.
Enjoy these autumn UBC wedding portraits! I wish these two love birds a lifetime of love and happiness.
Interested in more UBC wedding stories? Check out Jenn and Anthony’s engagement session at the UBC Rose Garden.
