James and Poe Ei are two Myanmar born lovers who graduated from Singapore and USA respectively. Having spent years abroad led us to presume they wouldn't want to have their pre-wedding photo shoot in Myanmar to opt for glitz and glamorous places. But we thought wrong. We can take the lovers out of Myanmar, but we can’t take the Myanmar out of the lovers. The love and respect they have for Myanmar still run deep in their veins. Mandalay, Myanmar was one of the many cities they held their pre-wedding photo shoots in.

Mandalay is a lively city with an ever-growing number of motorbikes and cars roaming around its streets. But once we move towards the hillside, the city is decorated with the most beautiful sacred places of worship for those who practice the Buddhism faith. It’s as if we could inhale the rich culture of the city the moment we stepped foot on the hillside of Mandalay.

To pay their utmost respect to the holy grounds, James and Poe Ei chose to get decked out in traditional Myanmar attire down to the accessories. It is customary to be barefoot in the temples where they had the shoot. They both took off their footwear willingly the moment their feet touched the sacred grounds of the temples.

Snap snap snap! Effortlessly they posed, producing photographs that are simultaneously elegant and sophisticated. Maybe it’s the traditional attire. Maybe it’s the temples. Maybe the fact that they both radiate such light from the sincerity they've been displaying throughout the sessions. Or maybe it’s all the above aspects complimenting each other in unity.

The awesome pictures captured were cool. But what was even more admirable for us was the fact that James and Poe Ei always took a few moments to say a simple prayer in each of the temple that we visited, even if it was just for five minutes. The effort they put to show gratitude and deep connection to their culture is beyond customary. It is the glue that holds them as lovers.

If we could only choose one thing to shed light on from James and Poe Ei’s session, it would be the importance of committing to the beliefs that have raised us since we were youngsters. That way we are keeping the culture and tradition alive no matter where we go. It keeps us rooted and grounded in the old, the present and the future.