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An 80s and 90s Hong Kong Style Elopement in NYC Chinatown, Inspired by Wong Kar-wai

Newlyweds standing in front of a NYC Chinatown gift shop beside Great NY Noodletown restaurant, photographed by Jenny Fu.

There are places in New York that only come alive after dark, and NYC Chinatown is at the top of that list. When the shop signs flicker on, and the paper lanterns begin to glow, the whole neighborhood feels like a film still waiting to happen. That is the feeling I wanted to chase in this nighttime elopement, a Wong Kar-wai-inspired session styled as an 80’s and 90’s Hong Kong-style wedding shoot.

It also felt like a second chapter. This couple was inspired by my first Wong Kar-wai inspired NYC Chinatown elopement session, and I was so glad to return to these same streets with a completely new pair of people. Same neighborhood, new story.

Newlyweds in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night with red lanterns and streetlights in the background, photographed by Jenny Fu.
The bride in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night, photographed by Jenny Fu in black and white.

Editorial portrait of the bride in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night with streetlights in the background, photographed by Jenny Fu.
Editorial portrait of the newlyweds in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night with streetlights in the background, photographed by Jenny Fu.

Planning a Wong Kar-wai-Inspired Elopement in NYC Chinatown

Wong Kar-wai’s films have a way of making longing look beautiful. Saturated color, motion blur, glowing signs, and people passing each other in narrow streets, and somehow saying everything without a word. Those films, along with the fashion and mood of 1980’s and 1990’s Hong Kong, were our starting point.

From the beginning, the couple was fully in. Planning this session with them was such a joy, and their care showed in every detail: the looks, the styling, the ideas they wanted to try. The bride wore a cream dress with a veil and a cascading bouquet. The groom wore a black suit with a crisp white pocket square. The finishing touch was a pair of sunglasses, worn after dark, because in a Hong Kong-style wedding shoot, of course they were.

They were also natural in front of the camera. They knew how to pose, how to move, and how to bring an outfit to life, which is what makes an editorial portrait feel effortless instead of staged.

A happy bride and groom wearing sunglasses at night celebrating their marriage in the streets of NYC Chinatown, photographed by Jenny Fu.
The bride holding her unique flower bouquet in an almost gothic-botanical cascading arrangement, photographed by Jenny Fu.

The bride and groom interlocking their pinky fingers in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night with red lanterns and streetlights, photographed by Jenny Fu.

Neon Lights and Night Time in NYC Chinatown

We spent the evening wandering, following the light. Red paper lanterns hung above the street. Strings of small bulbs glowed overhead. Neon signs washed everything in red and pink, and old storefronts became backdrops worthy of a movie set.

Places like Great N.Y. Noodletown, the Chinatown Fair arcade, and the glowing sign of Hop Kee give the neighborhood its character, so we let them into the frame. Chinatown is layered and lived in, and it is still full of small, cinematic details if you slow down enough to see them: a reflection in a shop window, a doorway lit from inside, a quiet side street after the crowds thin out.

At one point we sat down in folding chairs in front of a bold mural, a little pocket of color in the dark. It was one of my favorite moments of the night, quiet and warm and a little unexpected.

The newlyweds sitting in front of a mural in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night, both under the veil in a quiet moment, photographed by Jenny Fu.
Backshot of the newlyweds sitting on folding chairs in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night, both under the veil in a quiet moment, photographed by Jenny Fu.

Portrait of the newlyweds sitting on folding chairs in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night, with a bold mural in the background, photographed by Jenny Fu.
The bride and groom are bursting with laughter inside a shop at NYC Chinatown, photographed by Jenny Fu.

Shot on Film: CineStill 800T and Medium Format

I shot my first NYC Chinatown elopement session entirely on film, changing how I think about photographing people. This time I worked across medium format film, 35mm film, and digital, choosing whichever best served each moment.

CineStill 800T was a natural fit for Chinatown at night. It is a tungsten balanced film, and it renders neon and street lights with a soft red halation around the brightest points, a glow that feels almost like memory. That glow is what gives so many of these frames their dreamy, slightly haunted mood.

Medium format film gave the portraits depth and a quiet, editorial weight. The black and white frames, some in the middle of the street and some in a doorway, became the space between the color: the breath after the laugh, the moment before the kiss.

I love how film asks me to slow down. It asks me to trust the light, trust the couple, and commit to a frame. That intention is something you can feel in the final images, whether they were made on film or digital.

The bride and groom are sipping some soup in an al fresco restaurant at NYC Chinatown, photographed by Jenny Fu.
Noodle soup shared by the newlyweds at NYC Chinatown, photographed by Jenny Fu.

Editorial, Romantic, and a Little Playful

What I love most about this set is the mix. There are editorial portraits that feel deliberate and styled, and there are moments that are simply fun: a laugh in a doorway, a lift in the middle of the street, a couple crouched close on the pavement under a red neon sign.

It is dreamy and romantic, but it is not precious. The couple brought the mood, and I hope they can feel the fun we had that night every time they look through their gallery.

The newlyweds in front of Chinatown Fair Arcade at NYC Chinatown during night time, photographed by Jenny Fu.

The groom kisses the bride in front of Hop Kee Restaurant in NYC Chinatown during night time, photographed by Jenny Fu.
The bride and groom walking a narrow street in NYC Chinatown at night, photographed by Jenny Fu in black and white.

Same Streets, a Completely Different Result

Returning to a concept with a different couple is one of my favorite parts of this work. The location and the inspiration can stay the same, but the people change everything.

I shot my first session entirely on film, with no digital safety net. This one was more playful, with sunglasses, arcade lights, and a couple who arrived ready to play. Neither is better. Each one tells the truth about the two people standing in front of the camera, and that is what I am always looking for.

If you are dreaming of an NYC Chinatown elopement that feels like a scene from a film, or a Hong Kong-style wedding shoot of your own, I would love to hear your ideas. I photograph elopements and weddings in New York and around the world, on both film and digital.

The bride and groom chilling in a narrow street in NYC Chinatown at night, photographed by Jenny Fu.
Black and white portrait of the bride in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night, photographed by Jenny Fu.
The groom happily carrying the bride in the streets of NYC Chinatown at night, photographed by Jenny Fu in black and white.
The bride wearing the groom's suit in an al fresco restaurant in NYC Chinatown at night, photographed by Jenny Fu.

Planning something of your own? I would love to hear about it. Begin your inquiry