It's not unusual to see a bridal veil floating in the wind amid the hustle and bustle around Paris's major landmarks. In fact, it's quite a common sight as Chinese couples pose for their pre-wedding pictures in the "City of Love."  

Yoyo Li and Tim Tsai have flown to the French capital for their photoshoot. It has taken 18 months of planning to get to this point, but they're finally standing on the Alexandre III bridge in their wedding outfits. With the Eiffel Tower in the background, the couple gaze lovingly into each other's eyes as the photographer snaps every angle.  

This would raise eyebrows in some Western cultures, where tradition often dictates that the groom doesn't see the dress until the bride walks in to the wedding ceremony. But Li says it's different back home: "In China, people always have the photoshoot first, so it's not unusual to see the dress before the wedding." The couple will get married in mainland China at the start of 2020.  

Making sure the love birds get the images they want is photographer Neil Su, who runs a wedding picture agency. He's joined by videographers, who will edit a cinematic trailer for the couple.  

This shoot has cost $2,800, but Su says couples can spend a lot more. "Some customers travel all over the world. They might do wedding photos in Paris and then on to Australia or New Zealand for more photos."  

Yet, Parisian pre-wedding pictures need not cost the Earth. Rebecca Shi and Tony Yu from Shanghai have a DIY approach – they're taking their own pictures with a selfie stick.  

"I don't really like the agency photos," explains Yu. "It's like a factory – everybody uses the same locations and ends up with the same photos." He adds that Chinese family members can put a lot of pressure on the wedding planning process.  

Instead, the couple have escaped that weight of expectation and they feel that taking their own pictures will create more intimate memories. As the gushing bride says: "We are just take everything on our own – and I think he is really doing a very good job."