These Wedding Photos Are Morbidly Beautiful

Outside of the most recent character(s) to kick the bucket on Game of Thrones, most people prefer not to think about death in their daily lives. Judging from their funeral-themed wedding photos, however, Jenny Tay and Darren Cheng aren't exactly most people. Their wedding theme, "Til Death Do Us Part" is partially ironic, but the couple also drew on their jobs as funeral directors for inspiration. Tay, in particular, has grown up surrounded by death, although perhaps not in the way you're imagining. Her father, Singaporean undertaker Roland Tay, is famous for his pro-bono funeral services for the needy.

"We wanted to feature something meaningful to us," Tay told Bustle over email. "Our trade instantly came to mind... We decided to be daring and [go] ahead and do a photoshoot with what we love."

Although some may consider the topic morbid, Tay says that for her, death is merely a fact of life. The sentiment appears to be shared by their families, who were totally supportive of the theme. The Singaporean couple's friends, however, were a little more hesitant. "They were very concerned with the public backlash that might come from it. But we still decided to go ahead with it," Tay said.

Themed weddings are all the rage in Singapore, according to Mashable, but it was surprisingly difficult for Tay and Cheng to find the right photographer — especially since they wanted an "editorial style" rather than typical wedding photos. After four months of searching, they came across fashion and commercial photographer Joel Lim. Persuading him to do a wedding photoshoot was another hurdle, but they convinced him in the end. (Thank goodness they did.)

In addition to being drop-dead gorgeous, the couple intended their photos to represent more than just an interesting wedding theme. "We shouldn’t live life fearing death, but fear that at death we realise we have not truly lived," Tay wrote to Bustle.

She also wrote that the photos represent the end of their separate lives and the beginning of their life together. "Death to us is a symbol of life," she added.

For the sake of their wedding guests, however, the couple also did a more traditional photoshoot with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith-style premise that will be displayed at the ceremony.

Tay hopes to use her time in the spotlight to advance the cause of women. "I want to prove myself that whatever men can do, I can do it better and of course more beautifully," she wrote.

If that's not an admirable goal, I don't know what is.

Images: Courtesy of Jenny Tay/Joel Lim