List the customs you have chosen from each family, in the order they happen, and name who can authorise the photograph brief for each. Where two families have different views on what is photographed or shared, settle it before the day. We follow the plan you agree, and we do not assume a standard sequence.
An intercultural celebration brings together the traditions of two families, and sometimes more. A couple may choose some Chinese customs, some from the other family and some that they have made their own. This page helps you describe that mixture to the photographer, and settle who decides what.
It belongs with our Chinese wedding occasions overview. We do not assume any fixed sequence for any tradition, and we do not describe customs that your families have not told us about.
Which customs have you chosen?
Make a simple list for each family. For each custom, say what it is called in your family, when you expect it to happen and who takes part. Add anything you are leaving out.
| Custom | From which family | When | Who takes part | Photograph? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our event photography brief builder provides a template, and the priority photograph list builder helps you rank what matters most.
Who can authorise each brief?
Each family may have someone whose view carries weight, such as a parent or elder. The couple may also have their own plans. Agree who can approve the photographs of each custom, and tell us.
If two organisers or two families disagree, our guide on agreeing photography priorities with several decision-makers explains how to settle it. For group bookings and joint instructions, see who can authorise photography instructions.
How do we avoid favouring one tradition?
Time, light and space are limited, and a custom that takes an hour will naturally get more frames than one that takes five minutes. That is not unfair, but you may want to give each family a similar level of attention.
Decide which moments from each side you must have. Then check that the coverage hours, the crew and the venue allow both. Our coverage hours planner shows how the hours add up.
What about differences in comfort?
Customs may differ on what may be photographed, who should be present and what dress is expected. Ask each family about its preferences, and write them down. Our guide on modesty and religious preferences in event photographs lists useful questions.
If a custom involves a place of worship or a community hall, ask the person in charge for its photography rules in writing.
An example
For example, imagine a couple where one family wants a tea ceremony and the other wants a short blessing led by an elder. The couple choose both, in the morning, followed by a joint family portrait session.
The brief names a parent from each side as approver, lists the two customs with times and asks that neither family's elder be photographed during a blessing without agreement. The couple will share the images with both families, and each family will review captions for its own custom.
How do we handle sharing?
Agree how images from each custom are shared. One family may be happy to see its customs online, while the other may prefer privacy. Our image-use and approval register records these choices so that they are not forgotten.
What if the programme becomes crowded?
When two sets of customs share one day, the programme can fill quickly. Ask each family which parts must stay and which can be shortened, and tell us the order of priority. We then know where to be when two things compete for attention. Our guide on choosing between planned activities that overlap explains the options.
A common mistake: treating one family's customs as the default
When one family's customs are more familiar to the photographer, the other family's moments can be photographed as an afterthought. Avoid this by giving each family its own short brief, written by someone from that side.
Then compare the two briefs side by side. If one is much longer, ask whether the shorter one has been fully thought through.
What to send us
Send the list of customs, the approvers, the order and any limits. We confirm the coverage, the crew and the deliverables in writing.
Checklist
- List the customs chosen from each family.
- Put them in the order they will happen.
- Name who approves the photograph brief for each family.
- Mark any custom that should not be photographed or shared.
- Check the space and time each custom needs.
- Agree how images are shared with each family.
- Ask a knowledgeable relative to review captions for each custom.
Tell us which customs you are including from each family, who approves the photographs for each and any differences to settle, and we will plan coverage around them.
Plan coverage for our two familiesCommon questions
How do we decide which customs to photograph?
Start with the ones that matter most to each family and to you as a couple. Then check the time and the venue, since some customs take longer or need specific space. We help you place them, and you decide which to keep.
What if the two families disagree about what is photographed?
Settle it among yourselves first, with the couple and the main family contact from each side. Tell us the agreed position. We cannot decide between family wishes, and we will follow the plan you give us.
Do we need separate approval for each custom?
It helps if each family names someone who can approve photographs of their own customs. For example, one parent from each side. We then know whom to ask and who has the final say.
Can we add a custom the day before?
Often yes, if the timing and space allow. Tell us as early as possible. A change close to the day may need a second photographer or a shift in the plan.
Plan coverage for our two families
Tell us which customs you are including from each family, who approves the photographs for each and any differences to settle, and we will plan coverage around them.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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