Shooting nude or semi-nude wedding photos with the bride and groom holding hands or engaging in an intimate act in preparation for their long nuptial bondage is becoming common in Vietnam.
C.N, a big photo shop on Thai Ha Street in Hanoi, does apackaged nude album (30×30) for VND8 million (US$400), almost the same as for traditional photos, its owner says.
She soothes fears the photos could be leaked, explaining the photographer will save them on the customer’s USB and erase them from his computer.
Some other shops in Hanoi sign a confidentiality agreement with the customer.
A manager of a shop on Le Duan Street in Hanoi says nude photos have been a rage in Hanoi for nearly a year now.
There are two kinds, he explains: partially and fully nude.
Prices vary but generally it costs at least VND8 million for an album.
But some shops refuse to shoot nude.
Couples occasionally visit photographer Nguyen Gia Huy at his shop in Ba Trieu District, Hanoi, only to go away disappointed since he always refuses to shoot nude pictures.
“The trend comes and goes,” he says.
For and against
Many Vietnamese write on websites that they love nude wedding photos.
“It is interesting! My girlfriend and I will take them,” one blogged.
Nguyen Hoang Huy of Hanoi’s Ha Dong District says traditional wedding pictures are boring.
But the new trend has also attracted criticism.
Tuyet Mai, a mother, strongly opposes it saying it can turn into a nightmare if the photos fall into the wrong hands.
“We cannot show off our body in that way; it’s ridiculous.”
Dr Trinh Hoa Binh of the Vietnam Institute of Sociology, while disapproving of the trend, says it is here to stay, pointing out that nowadays girls do not hesitate to post risqué pictures of themselves on the internet.
Families should be more responsible for their children’s actions, she adds.
Dr Luu Hong Minh of the Academy of Journalism and Communication says, on the other hand, thatnaked wedding photos will never be acceptable in Vietnam.
“It’s completely contrary to our habits and customs.”
On a practical note, he warns that love is not permanent and when it fades, an ex-husband or -wife could well post the nude photos on the internet.
A Chinese couple shoot nude wedding photos
In that case, the woman will always be at a disadvantage, he adds.
Last month Lam Tan Loi, a Ho Chi Minh City businessman who is famous for making the Duy Loi brand of hammocks, posted photos of himself and his pregnant wife semi-nude on their blog.
He says he wants to preserve the beautiful moments when they are expecting their first child.
The trend has probably been imported from neighboring China where shooting wedding photos in the buff have been popular since 2007.
Reference: tuoitrenews, internet
Wedding photos in the buff, a new trend
