Fatimah and Jaymar's Pre-Wedding Session: Growing Love like a Tree { Sarangani, Province }

 

Fatimah and Jaymar met each other in a Church Youth Camp. The start of their relationship benefitted from a gentle nudge from Jaymar's father who thought Pat would be a good partner for his son. Their friendship grew as both loved outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and going to the beach. And so, for Fatimah and Jaymar's pre-wedding session, it was only fitting to photograph them outdoors, in a beautiful white sand beach in Sarangani.

Our concept was to show the couple's different sides – their aspirations, their connection, their personalities. We had three wardrobe changes showing a different aspect of the couple. 

We chose a pastel palette for the couple's wardrobe's and matched it with locations in the beach resort that had lighter hues. We wanted to convey a feeling of lightness through the pastelled visuals of baby blues and pinks. 

Our first shoot with the couple features them playing with a camera and wooing each other in a beachside garden and woods. Fatimah is wearing a pink dress while Jaymar wears a blue shirt and khaki pants. 

The couple becomes more playful in the second set, where they change into white couple shirts, accented with matching denim jackets. Fatimah piggybacks Jaymar's, reminiscent of Koreanovelas where piggybacking is a gesture of love and trust. 

Play turns more romantic when Fatimah and Jaymar hang out at the balcony of a resort cottage. We catch them having a comforting snuggle. 

After relaxing at the cottage, we turned to our third set, with Jaymar and Fatimah taking a walk in the beach. Both wore lighter and light-colored clothing, perfect to keep cool under the sun. The photo that defines this set is Fatimah and Jaymar, holding hands, heads linked, standing in front a young tree growing hard and strong by the beach. They too are growing stronger and more resilient with 4 years of their relationship in, and counting.

In the fourth and last set, the couple dressed formal – Fatimah in a white gown looking much like a blushing bride, and Jay marlooking dapper in a pink suit with a blue tie. Despite the couple wearing formal attire, they had no qualms of stepping into the seawater, or sitting on top of rough concrete beach structures. They do take risks.

And they can take the risks that come with marriage. They have, after all, have built a relationship that works. Fatimah says, “We know how to listen and respect each other.”

 b\

But most important for the couple, are there similarities in principles, and in prioritizing God's will among other things. Fatimah prays that they “can build a home with Christ at the center.”

Knowing this and working towards a God-centered marriage, Fatimah and Jaymar's love will grow and deepen its roots like the tree at the beach.