Engaged Couple Pose for Elegant Wedding Photos in a Coffin

By Jenny Zhang on July 14, 2015

One couple is giving a whole new meaning to the marriage vow “till death do us part” with these funeral-themed wedding photos featuring a gleaming white casket.

While some people may find the concept morbid, the unusual theme holds a special meaning to Jenny Tay, 29, and Darren Cheng, 30, who both work in the funeral business. Through their line of work at Direct Funeral Services in Singapore, the engaged couple have gained a deeper understanding of the importance of death in everyday life. Tay, who is Buddhist, wrote in a blog post, “We meet grieving families daily and witness first hand how a death in the family brings the family closer and how broken relationships were mended. Death seems to make people cherish life even more. This realisation moulded our belief in life, that Death is indeed a part of life, that we shouldn't live life fearing death, but fear that at death we realise we have not truly lived.”

Cheng, the business development director and grief counselor at Direct Funeral services, was initially taken aback when his wife-to-be proposed the idea, but soon came around to it. “I am not superstitious and it makes sense,” he told the Strait Times. He added, “In some cultures and religions, death means life and rebirth.”

The pair sought out photographer Joel Lim to bring their vision to life. Lim, a fashion photographer, made sure that the portraits of the passionate couple were done tastefully. The result looks like a magazine spread, with bride and groom lounging elegantly in and on top of the casket.

Responses to their photo shoot have been very positive, according to the couple, who will wed in October. They hope that their unique portraits not only act as a commemoration of their love, but also help overcome the taboo on the topic of death in their culture. In Tay's words, “We want to encourage more conversations about death, not because it is our business, but we believe that this will help society as a whole move towards being a more loving and caring one; where we learn to forgive and forget more easily; where we take lesser offence at unintended words; where we live the lighter side of life.”