Celebrity stylist Sidney Yap works with a lot of couples for their prenup shoots. But what are the expectations attached when you hire a stylist? Sidney answers the questions everyone’s been begging to ask!
1. To put it in the broadest of terms, how are couples styled in shoots?
“The challenge is to style them in their essence yet leveled up.“
Sidney styles the couple based on their personality and how it flatters their physique. If you’re having the dilemma of either going classic or trendy, Sidney recommends you to ditch the trends! Going for the current fashion trend might make your prenup photos look quite dated when you look through it ten years from now (and you might even regret it). Instead, Sidney styles couples based on a mood or personality type: glamorous, casual/relaxed, modern, sleek, street, edgy.
2. How does the collaboration between the couple and the stylist work?
According to Sidney, prior to meeting the couple in person, he asks for the following: the couple’s measurements and photos, photos of shoots that they like (these will serve as pegs) and if they want a certain theme (the mood, color story, or any underlying theme that would tie it together), and styles and colors the couple likes and dislikes.
The next step is to do a fitting to see what styles and colors work for the couple, while also considering if it’s appropriate for the venue of the shoot.
3. Begin with a vision and stick to that vision.
“Be decisive. Know what you want.”
You have to figure out what you want so that you could share your vision with your suppliers to achieve the prenup shoot of your dreams.
“If you get the people that speak your language, the process will be effortless.”
The worst thing that could happen is to let other people dictate what looks good on you and which trends you should strictly follow. But regardless, do what makes you happy! You’re not putting on a show, you’re celebrating your love.
4. Do couples get to keep the clothes, or do they need to buy it?
“I have clothes in different sizes.”
A common misconception about stylists is that they pretty much just pull out clothes from designers. In Sidney’s case, he buys the clothes– which means he has suits and dresses in all sizes!
5. Do I need my stylist on my destination prenup shoot?
If you’re flying out for your shoot, you might be wondering if you need to fly your stylist out with you as well. According to Sidney, he follows the same routine where he asks the couple to come in for fittings and then packs the clothes in pairs (if he wasn’t asked to fly out with them).
If your stylist flies out with you, though, they can make your life a whole lot easier and fix the clothes for you (you probably want to skip doing all the steaming and ironing) especially if you’re shooting multiple layouts.
Sidney’s last tip for couples?
“Don’t think that the clothes are the highlight of the shoot. The couple has to be the standout in the shoot where the clothes and venue are only secondary– they should only bring out the beauty of the couple, not overshadow them.”
For inquiries and bookings, you could message Sidney on Instagram (@sidney_yap) or on facebook.
