Why Macau is high on the list of wedding destinations
The former Portuguese colony retains a European feel, ideal for atmospheric pre-wedding photos and exotic weddings
Macau – the “Las Vegas of the East” – is thriving as a travel destination, and has become increasingly popular with couples seeking an exotic pre-wedding photoshoot location and a venue for a memorable overseas wedding.
There has certainly been a recent upsurge of interest in the city as a pre-wedding photo site. “As a unique travel destination in the Pearl River Delta with a long-standing Portuguese history, Macau provides a [very special] pre-wedding shooting site,” says veteran photographer Charles Cheung.
The former Portuguese colony, close to mainland China, provides a fast track to a European atmosphere for couples wishing to remain in Asia for their wedding or their pre-wedding photos.
In terms of meeting artistic requirements for photos, Cheung says Macau is perfect, as it is “where East meets West and old meets new, with diversified architectural buildings creating big contrasts”.
Macau is where East meets West and old meets new, with diversified architectural buildings creating big contrasts
According to Jerome Goh, owner and principle photographer, Jerome Goh Photography, doing a photoshoot in Macau is like taking a journey through time and space. “One moment I could be shooting in a 100-year-old Catholic church built by the Portuguese, and the next moment I could be shooting in a Chinese garden.”
The multitude of renowned hotel brands that have established themselves recently in Macau have created even more photoshoot opportunities, Goh says, as couples can now choose to be photographed in front of glitzy buildings and casinos, and can stay over for a five-star holiday.
Many of the hotels also serve as excellent wedding venues. “Just as Macau [is] popular as a holiday destination, it is also [somewhere] that guests can consider as a wedding destination,” says Timothy Tan, director of sales at Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central. “Naturally, the beach destinations are always a strong draw, but with Macau now having a lot of other new attractions, we will have guests who are interested in the unique areas that we offer."
While the weddings market is still growing, Tan says, the advantages are already in place for dealing with the increasing demand. Macau offers easy access to a range of conveniently located hotels. “When [guests] arrive in Macau, it doesn’t take them long to get to the hotels,” Tan says, “so couples don’t have to put so much [time] into their logistics planning."
