Hong Kong (CNN) -- Tired of the same old engagement and wedding photos? The cliched poses in gardens or on beaches? 

Then take some inspiration from the creative couples in Hong Kong, who are memorializing their love with unconventional photo shoots featuring such surreal backdrops as giant cats or pastries. 

Many couples in the city opt to take engagement photos months before the big day, a tradition that started in Taiwan and has now spread to China and South Korea. 

The more adventurous are opting for photo shoots that diverge from the standard scenes, and instead reflect something about their personalities, passions or the story of their love. 

Read more: Shanghai's bikini brides and Speedo grooms 

Kim Lee wanted a theme that reflected her love of food, so her photos with her fiancÃ© Daniel Chan feature the couple sitting on giant egg tarts and macaroons. 

Yvonne Ho, the wedding planner behind Lee and Chan's shoot, said planning this sort of photography is closer to an advertising or fashion shoot. 

Ho works to create an individualized concept for each couple, so they come away feeling she has presented the story of their life together. 

"I want to share their love," she said, adding that her responsibility is to "tell the story by the photos." 

In the case of sporting enthusiasts Kenny Tang and Olivia Kok, Ho enlisted a professional underwater photographer to capture the couple's active lifestyle. Tang and Kok jumped into a swimming pool fully clothed and relied on scuba tanks to breathe underwater. 
When are they taking these pictures?
engagement photos months before the big day,