A couple in Singapore working in the funeral industry broke taboos by taking their wedding photos at Bukit Brown Cemetery.
Not only that, but they also dressed in black and had coffins as props for their photoshoot.
As these elements are daily aspects of their work, they feel that it is meaningful to incorporate them into their one-in-a-lifetime event.
Through their unconventional nuptial pictures, they hope to break down the stigma of death and those working in the industry.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the 29-year-old owner of Funeral Home Team Glenn Tan will be wedding 28-year-old Rainer Lay, undertaker and goddaughter of Lee Teoh Heng Undertaker‘s boss, this November.
In a tradition-defying move, the couple took their wedding photos at Bukit Brown Cemetery last month.
The bride was in an elegant black wedding gown while the groom was in a black suit with a maroon blazer.
Accompanying them in the pictures were white and brown coffins as props.
Ms Lay revealed that the couple met through their work, and they would frequent places such as graveyards and cemeteries.
“We are always facing the deceased and coffins, and we spend a lot of time at work. So, to us, the cemetery is a very meaningful place.”
Source: Rainer Lay on Facebook
The bride-to-be entered the industry over three years after she developed an interest in it while at a relative’s funeral.
She crossed paths with Mr Tan several times, and they found that they got along exceptionally well.
The pair then decided to get married after a year of dating.
From the start, both of them had already decided they wanted to take their wedding pictures at Bukit Brown Cemetery. They even visited the site a day before to see which places were the most suitable for the shoot.
“I had wanted to take some pictures under the tree,” said Lay.
“Before we started the shoot, we offered prayers to the graves around us as a sign of respect to the deceased.”
Source: Rainer Lay on Facebook
She also did not want to wear red or white in these photos, as those colours were too celebratory. The 28-year-old felt that black was still the most suitable colour for the setting.
With these pictures, the couple hopes to break down the stigma against death and those working in the industry.
“As an undertaker, I chose to take my wedding photos at a cemetery to help people understand that our jobs are very meaningful,” Lay explained.
“We are helping people, so we shouldn’t be shunned.”
Of course, the couple’s older relatives had some reservations about their decision.
For the bride-to-be, her parents did not like the idea of them wearing an all-black get-up for the photos. Hence, they compromised and settled for a maroon blazer for Tan.
On top of that, they only informed their parents of the details of the shoot after it wrapped.
As their relatives are quite superstitious, they also do not intend to use too many shots of the graveyard at their wedding.
Also Read: S’pore Couple Gets Married In Abandoned Oil Plant, Goth-Style Wedding Features Black Outfits & Dolls
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Featured image adapted from Rainer Lay on Facebook.
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