Come to Siberia to have a stylish wedding photo shoot!

Wealthy Chinese couples are travelling to Siberia for Russian-themed wedding pictures thanks to a unique proposal from photographers.

Sergey and Natalia Pospelov, from Blagoveshchensk, came up with the idea to approach brides and grooms in China to cross over the border to complete their big day in style.

The photographer pair put the suggestion to local tourist agencies and almost immediately the first clients have started arriving to pose for pictures. Last week bride-and-groom-to-be I Jiang Yan and Han Yu Xin travelled to Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur region, for their wedding shoot. 

Three photographers, two cameramen, and two assistants were on hand to make them feel special, while even a limousine, helicopter and speed boat were involved.

The couple, who were accompanied by little girls in Russian folk dresses, drank champagne from silver glasses, flew by helicopter and went boating on Zeya River. 

What makes the shoot unique is that, despite all the extravagance, the currency exchange rate means the experience is still cheaper than getting pictures taken in China.

Sergey said: 'The Chinese guests were very surprised and that can be seen in the photo shoot. They were happy and joyful.

'They didn’t know any Russian so we talked through a translator. But when the weather got very hot, he left and we had to find a common language on our own. Still, there were not any big problems, because for photos language or nationality is not important, only the light, angle and vivid emotions.'

Sergey and Natalya believe their bespoke service will be soon very popular. Natalya said: 'We have here many beautiful places and buildings. We also can include in the photo shoot some Russian traditions because the Chinese are always interested in them.'

The groom’s father, Yu Bao Gang, himself a famous photographer in Heihe, also came to take part in the shoot and was very impressed with the result. 

Wedding photography in China is one of the most important parts of wedding celebrations. As a rule, it is carried out in advance, at least one or two months before the wedding day and it is rather expensive.

Typically, the couple pose in beautiful clothes, often either traditional Chinese garments or European-style historic outfits. And while at times newlyweds refuse to have a wedding banquet, the photo shoot is a necessity.