I hope you are having a great time with your family members this Chinese New Year, and for those who are not celebrating, hope you are having a good holiday. I want to kick off the dragon year by sharing the wedding of Saw Wen & De Way.

Now, Saw Wen & De Way had come to enquire about our services more than a year before their wedding. At that time, my business was just starting to bloom, and I was stoked that someone wanted to book us that far ahead.

Saw Wen & De Way’s story started 11 years ago while they were still in school, meeting at the sweet ripe age of 16.

That girl in the Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt

De Way: I remember, 3 girls. That was in a tuition class for Bahasa Melayu when I was in Form 4. 3 fine looking girls from SMK Seafield, 1 tall, 1 pretty and 1 nerdy. Fast forward to SPM year, I noticed her. She was generally louder than other students during class, gave opinions when not asked for, irritatingly completed the teacher’s sentences every now and then etc. Oh yes, she wore a Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt to class, just like me.

Saw Wen: De Way was a perpetual sleepy head and seemed like the quiet type. At the beginning, we hardly spoke to each other until form 5. We got to know each other better during our after BM tuition yum cha sessions, went cycling and hung out in a nearby park together with a bunch of friends. As the months went by, I found De Way to be charming and had such “beautiful eyes”. He made me laugh (he still does) and I found myself to be falling for this guy.

De Way: She used to tell her stories when we met at a mamak for drinks after tuition. This went on for a while and it felt normal spending time with a girl, no special feelings I dare say. Then, one fateful rainy evening, I had to send her home with my bicycle, with her holding the umbrella. That was when something felt odd…good but odd. Since that day, I made it a point to accompany her home after our mamak session.

Prom Night

De Way: Fast forward after SPM… one of the most crucial moments in high school – prom night. I knew who I wanted as my partner and this was what I went through to get her agreement. It was during her open house with all our friends present, I deliberately cycled back to her house after all of us left just to ask her. Unsurprisingly (ahem ahem), she agreed. That night, the moon was high and so was I.

And so, prom took place and what set me on the course of having this girl as my wife 11 years later happened that night. We danced towards the end of the night and I asked her if she would be my girlfriend.

Saw Wen: I actually said, “No, I don’t think so.” At that time, I was planning to further my studies overseas and didn’t think that it would work out. Worse still, when De Way said he would wait for me and I had to rub salt into his crushed heart by saying “Ya right!”

De Way:  After breaking my heart into pieces, she crushed it further into atoms, by mocking about my promise to wait. Bah!

Saw Wen: Till today, I am still reminded from time to time how mean I was back then to him.

Two Hands

De Way: We parted ways after that dreadful night, only to meet again in college a month later. We were still on good terms and 1 day she saw me walking with my classmate – a girl.

Saw Wen: I thought this might be his new love interest. Regret was within me and knew I had to do something about it. One night after yum cha, being the gentleman that he was, he offered to send me home. During the ride home, I asked De Way how were things between us and he replied that we were still friends. I needed further confirmation and asked him if he still likes me and he said yes. I said “It takes 2 to clap.” Much to my surprise, the reply I got was “I will take my hand out to clap with you.” It has been 11 years and the rest was history. We have been together ever since. He sang his proposal last year and we got married on 9.10.11.

De Way: At the risk of sounding cliché, the rest is in fact, history. But that was how I met my wife – the one who is loud and opinionated (now not so much already *phew*), who took my heart and crushed it into atoms, who got jealous/upset after seeing me walking with my female classmate, who set me up with her friends’ help and lastly – the nerdy one in the tuition class. Who would have thought? The nerdy one. Hah!

What made this wedding so memorable were the many funny expressions we managed to capture that day. De Way also started learning the saxophone a few months before the wedding day, practiced really hard and performed to hundreds of people that evening. If I was wearing a hat, I would have taken it off as a salute to him!

Reflections…

Saw Wen: Why Stories? We started our wedding preparation early and were looking around for wedding photographers. Don’t quite recall how we tumbled across Stories’ blog and love the rich and vibrant photos which captures the moment and details of the big day. Stories, we truly love the photos captured during our wedding and a BIG thank you goes out to Grace, Johan, Weiming and the entire Stories team! We hope you guys had as much fun as we did! :o)

De Way: Photographically, this is what I have to say – most importantly, what I fancy are photos that are lightly edited. They should look as close as the one out of the camera even after editing. Long story short, Stories was able to provide that feel. Being passionate about photography, I believe the depth of FEEL is larger than the depth of field. And this goes beyond Stories’ photos but also the service by the team as a whole, which is awesome.

In a nutshell, Stories team was able to:

Keep it simple. Make it elegant. Keep it personal. Make it happen. Keep it coming. Make it great!

Credits:

Photographers: Grace, Weiming & Johan
Location: Sime Darby Convention Centre
Wedding Gown: Valerie Fan
Groom’s Attire: Fit & Match
Make Up: Leric Yap
Cake: bejewelled*
Flowers: Weng Hoa
Dinner Entertainment: One Under the Five

* What the Duck is one of my favourite comic strips!

So yeah… part of my new year resolution is to not be overly nerdy, keep a good work life balance, and to be more up to date with my blogging! There are many weddings which are still sitting patiently in my hard drive, waiting to be blogged.

Here’s one that I absolutely have to share with you. Top 3 reasons why I love this wedding:

1. It’s a fun fun fun wedding! It all started when I read their wedding invitation card…

Seven years ago, in the faraway land of Cyberjaya, Ian met Joanne at a Christian Fellowship gathering and was smitten ever since. Thankfully, Mr & Mrs Lee Kah Meng and Mr & Mrs Chow Cheng Hock approved of their relationship and they didn’t have to elope. So come and witness the union of these two souls on 5 November 2011. They will profess their love and commitment to each other at Good Shepherd Church at 11am, and share the rest of their story with you over food and drinks at The Bankers Club from 6pm onwards.

2. The groom uh, looks a little unconventional.

3. The bridal party were dressed in our Stories’ theme colour! (light blue & brown!) Hip hip hurray!

I had a blast at Ian & Joanne’s wedding! Thank you for inviting us to be part of your wedding day!

The guys in super hero outfits and the girls just looking stunning!

Actually, we had heaps of fun with the games session… Ian had a bagful of expressions for us!

And the funny thing was that he snuck into the Sekeping Terasek room through a window! (Tip for all brides who are planning on having their wedding there, please make sure the window is barred!)

He got the bride, now off to church for the wedding ceremony!

Parents of the bride & groom…

Love this gown by That Special Occasion! And I love Joanne’s cute expression!

Custom made flags by a friend…

So let me expand on the little intro chapter of how they met. MMU Christian fellowship is a great place to make friends, encounter God and… well, meet girls. Joanne was rather cute, so she immediately caught his attention. Soon, Ian found out that Joanne needed transportation to get to church, and guess what? Ian had a car!

But there was a problem. Joanne was oblivious to Ian’s feelings. One day, he asked Joanne about the status of their relationship and that prompted her to start thinking about it. Sadly for Ian, he was given the dreaded answer…let’s remain as friends first.

After that, Ian left for a mission trip in Sarawak and didn’t have a phone connection for a few days. It was then that Joanne discovered she actually missed him! So she plotted a way to get out of this mess. After Ian came home, Joanne created a fake chat ID with the name of Joanna (she really does have a friend with that name), and messaged Ian as Joanna, trying to understand whether he still had feelings for Joanne.

He said yes!

Not long after that, Joanne was involved in a car accident and needed to be brought to a clinic for a check up. She called Ian who willingly came to the rescue. During that car ride, she brought up the subject of a relationship… and sealed the deal by holding his hand!

Every tea ceremony should have lots of laughter like this one!

During the dinner, guests were invited to take photos at Ian & Joanne’s little vintage corner.

Oh, and I absolutely adore this cake! The cake topper is gorgeous!!

Here’s another perspective of the cake topper. See the resemblance with the image on the right?

Great speeches.

Awesome yum seng sessions.

Warm friendships.

All the ingredients you need for a great wedding.

Congratulations, Ian & Joanne! And for those who read my blog regularly, you’ll notice that the vendor credit list has been moved to the bottom (just like the movies, the credits appear at the end!)

Photographers: Grace, Weiming & Alex
Wedding Gown: That Special Occasion
Bridesmaids Dresses: Cordino Creations
Groom’s Attire: Lim Trading Co, Setapak
Make up: Meoki Tong
Decorations: DIY
Stationery: Faith Books & Stationery
Flowers: Denise Flower Shop
Church Ceremony: Good Shepherd Church Setapak
Dinner Reception Venue & Cake: Bankers Club, KL

What a totally memorable wedding this was for us and for Alvin & Melissa. It was at this wedding that I am reminded, at the end of the day, what matters is the marriage, not the wedding event itself. It is at weddings like these where I confirm my conviction… that being a photographer is one of the best jobs one could have. Capturing love between two individuals, helping them remember the day, how they felt… it makes me truly happy. I am overjoyed.

You see, this wedding day started very differently than most other weddings I have shot.

It started with Alvin being sick, and landing at the hospital…

But the good thing for them is that the day ended very differently…

If you have seen Alvin & Melissa’s pre-wedding photos, you’ll know that they are a totally fun loving couple. From the time of our shoot, we had a special kind of bond. :)

You’ll also know that Melissa has a great eye for detail and beauty.

Melissa had planned the wedding months in advance… everything was meant to be perfect…

But on the morning of the wedding, Alvin fell ill. A really worried Melissa insisted he that he go to the hospital to get a jab, even though that would mean everything would be delayed. Alvin had awesome guy friends who supported him all the way, and accompanied him there.

So did Mark, who took a few photos at the hospital.

Eventually, Alvin made it through… and finally reached Melissa’s home. Good thing he only had to sit down, while the rest of the guys went through the whole ‘torturing’ process…

The words Alvin read to Melissa totally sums the mood of the day.

Today’s the day my life begins.
All my life I’ve been just me.
Today I become a man.
Today I become a husband.
Today I become accountable to someone other than myself.
Today I become accountable to you.
To our future.
To all the possibilities that a marriage has to offer.
Together, no matter what happens, I’ll be ready.
For anything. For everything.
To take on life, to take on love.
To take on possibility and responsibility.
Today, Melissa Chew, our life together begins.
And I for one can’t wait.

In some amusing way, this hospital theme runs through their relationship…

Mel’s Story:

We met at a friend’s birthday pool party. I came late and Alvin was half naked and in yellow board shorts. I thought he was gay! And we asked the same girl to introduce us at separate time during the party. I was taken aback by his persistent and forwardness because I wasn’t ready. And it didn’t help that all our friends where pushing and playing match-makers. When our friends left for a vacation, that’s when magic really happened. We went out on our first date and our second date the very next day less than 12 hours after!

Just after a week of starting a relationship, I had to fly to Manila for work and ended up in the hospital for a liver infection! My first time being admitted to a hospital and I was far from home and comfort. Alvin flew over just to be at my side! And they say… the rest is history. When he proposed, he didn’t even have a ring but I said yes anyway

Alvin’s Story:

When we 1^st met, I had my eye on the new gal that came late n asked to be introduce. We had our 1^st date at mezze and the next day again. That’s 2 days in a row. Mel gave me a Fuji instant camera on our 2^nd date n that was a shock to me. Hmmmm…..not bad! Brownie points indeed. As Mel mentioned, I flew to Manila to be with her when she was admitted. I wasn’t sure at first but when I got in and saw her, I knew she was the one. (even though she had “chankles”). The rest is history as they say but she really did swept my heart with her smile even from the first day we met. I can still remember that day at the pool party.

I love it when couples include personal items into their decoration list.

Alvin & Melissa, after being there for your wedding and seeing the love you have for one another, I am sure you will be able to stand through any storm that comes your way. Life will never be perfect, but what matters most is that you have each other to walk through it. I am honoured to have been there to document your love.

Hugs!

I experienced a few new things while covering this wedding. Firstly, I traveled about 100+km around Singapore. For real. Ian checked the odometer in his car, and it was a long drive! We literally rounded Singapore… traveled from Bishan to Jurong West to Bishan to Punggol back to Jurong West, then to M Hotel in the city. Phew…

The other thing I experienced was photographing the bridal pick up games in the narrow HDB corridors.

Finally, it was the first time I saw a pink London cab – the one and only in Singapore!

Some of my regular blog readers might have seen Kevin and Katherine’s (also known as Feng & Shan) pre-wedding photos in Nikoi Island before. About a year before the wedding, Kevin and Katherine made the trip to KL to discuss their wedding plans and book me for their wedding day shoot. (Actually, I think it was just an excuse for them to eat at A&W which I found out later that they love!).

Since that meeting, we’ve been on a great journey together… as clients and now, friends. It’s really awesome to be able to photograph a client before the wedding day (pre-wedding) so that we could get to know each other better. It breaks the ice, and both parties would feel more at ease with each other on the wedding day!

You know a couple is really well organized when they planned their wedding 2 years from the proposal date. They had the perfect sunset at Japalama Resort, Tioman, perfect row of surprises from Kevin… which led to the perfect surprise proposal in 2009! While they dined under the stars that night, Kevin gave Katherine a series of envelopes to open in sequence. He was a little worried initially that she would see his bulging pockets but she didn’t notice a thing!

So one after another, she opened the envelopes, and he placed the messages next to their soft toy mascots for her to read… combined, the message read… “Baby! Happy 66th month anniversary!”

Finally, he gave her the last envelope, and while she moved towards the light to read what it said, Kevin promptly went on his knees, took out his proposal ring… and verbalized his love…

The words said, “Will you marry me?”

And so, the journey began…

Definitely an interesting one for Kevin, and for the guys! (I have to let you know that they tried to dance… they did… )

Love the little customizations that were done for the wedding, including these t-shirts! Each pig had a different personality, specific to the wearer, and was drawn by one of the guys! My favourite is the one in the paintball outfit.

The highlight of the dinner was the 2nd entrance… which was also a surprise dance performance for the audience! It was really great seeing Kevin and Katherine perform, especially after they had practiced hard for this day!

Congratulations to the both of you! Do come back and visit us here in KL more often… you can do some shopping and eat at A&W! :) Wishing you lots of exciting moments ahead and more perfect sunrises / sunsets to come!

I distinctly remember our first conversation regarding Ben & Mui Yen’s wedding. Mui Yen and I had a coffee at Starbucks, discussed her wedding plans, and one of the things she said was, “I would love to see images of people’s faces, scrunched up in glee.” From that moment on, the thought stuck in my head. In reality, Ben and Mui Yen’s wedding was one that was totally filled with fun and unpredictable moments. Everyone had so much fun at this wedding, and our team definitely captured many images of people’s faces scrunched up in glee.

I got to know Ben & Mui Yen through my husband Alex who went to the same school as Ben. Those Lasallians are a fun and noisy bunch! It’s always fun photographing a wedding where you know so many of the guests.

When Mui Yen told me she had in mind a vintage theme for her wedding, I was all up for it. Little did I know she wasn’t going to wear a formal white wedding gown… instead opted for a understated but classy custom made vintage dress from Mrs Pomeranz, ordered through Etsy.

This image taken in Classic & Vintage’s jaguar is one of my favourites from this wedding. It was such an impromptu shot – I just told Mui Yen to go for it, and she did!

The heng tais (which included some girls, in case you got a little confused) came dressed in classic outfits!

Ben and Mui Yen met at the wedding of Reza and Lavinia, who were their Masters of Ceremony at the reception. Reza and Lavinia had an idea of putting together their single friends at one table to get guests to mingle. (great idea, if you ask me!)

One union emerged from that effort.

Ben was then still sporting his funky long hair and rocker wannabe look that did little to impress. He did however have a magnetic personality and a crazy sense of humour, which kept Mui Yen entertained and interested to no end.

Mui Yen, on the other hand, was a spicy little lass with plenty to offer in both personality and beauty. Her adventurous attitude and knack for trying anything attitude was a great pull for Ben!

Cute family photo below…

The chee muis came in colourful outfits!

A little Justin Bieber wouldn’t hurt… (maybe some egos… just maybe)

Mui Yen chose to do the unconventional thing, and waited in the living room for Ben to arrive. That gave her lots of opportunity to mingle with guests instead of being stuck in a room waiting for the groom to pick her up!

He brought a fun gift for her…

Guess who was spotted at this wedding? Kris Wong from That Special Occasion / Weddings Malaysia who is well known in the wedding industry! Mui Yen’s cheongsam was designed by Kris.

I like this idea…the car on the canvas is actually Ben’s car! Hand drawn by Mui Yen’s sister, if I recall correctly. As I was a guest for the dinner, I got to sit down and eat a proper 8 meal course for once! The dinner photos were taken by Ben & Weiming.

This is how the final canvas looked like… it reminds me of the final scene in the movie Grease, where the car flies up into the air! Congratulations, Ben & Mui Yen! Here’s wishing you lots of great moments filled with scrunched up faces for the future!

For those who are interested, you can view more photos from their same day slideshow below:

I distinctly remember my first encounter with Andrew & Cze Mien months ago. They came to the office to have a chat with me and to assess whether we were suitable photographers for their wedding. As with most couples, they took one look at me and said I was much smaller than they anticipated (I am rather petite at 5 feet). At the end of our consultation, Andrew asked me, “How do I photograph grooms like him?” You see, he towers over me with his 6 feet frame.

“Will I get low angles of myself in every wedding photo?”

“Do I need to provide you with a step ladder?”

I promptly told him I’ll bring my own ladder to the wedding. :) And said that at my height, I’ll give him a ‘unique’ perspective most photographers can’t give.

Andrew and Cze Mien, from that day on, I knew we would have a good time together.

Just as my first encounter with Andrew & Cze Mien was completely memorable, so were their encounters with each other. They met each other for the first time through a dating agency. They were both each other’s 3rd date and they had both complained previously to the agency about its services!

Cze Mien’s first impression of Andrew was that “He’s BIG!” Andrew thought Cze Mien was seriously cute, and couldn’t resist googling her. He found a serious looking photo of her in a law firm’s website (which Cze Mien claims she looked as harmless as a poodle).

Their first date was lunch on a working day, and despite the fact that Cze Mien hadn’t showered and had little sleep due to a demanding deadline that required her to work through the night, they hit it off instantly.

Well, after a few beers, that is.

Andrew took advantage of my lack of sleep and got me drunk! Ok ok, I was the one who wanted a beer (hey one should celebrate after pulling an all-nighter!), but still, no reason to egg me in my sleep deprived state to match him drink for drink. (even though I did mention that I was training for Oktober fest in Munich in 2 month’s time). The date was an unqualified success with each having drunk 3 pints of beer at the end of a few hours!

That was in July 2010. We went steady in October 2010, got engaged in December and here we are, married in August 2011! It wasn’t love at first sight, more like on third sight.

- Cze Mien –

I like this idea – the guys enjoyed themselves in the jacuzzi before going to pick up the bride in the morning!

Good thing they had fun earlier… they were in for a different kind of ‘fun’ later. You can tell someone got Andrew’s bra size wrong.

There were a lot more graphic images, which I’ll save for Andrew & Cze Mien’s personal consumption.

Cze Mien’s father escorting her down the stairs to meet Andrew for the first time that day.

I love the way Cze Mien’s uncle announced the start of the tea ceremony…

They obviously love each other. Obviously.

I love small, intimate weddings like these, especially at such a gorgeous venue like Ciao Ristorante.

Love love love the look of anticipation on her face…

Family photo…

Congratulations, Andrew & Cze Mien! I hope you will continue to have many engaging lunch dates for the rest of your life!

“Congratulations, you are married to the force now. We will watch out for your family as one of our own.”

I overheard the Malacca Chief of Police saying to Elaine during the wedding reception. It’s a huge promise, but I am sure one that Kim Chuan (also known as KC) and Elaine appreciate. It’s not everyday that I get to photograph men in uniform (their guests were excited too!). During the dinner walk in, these sword bearers were there to welcome KC & Elaine into the ballroom.

I’ve known KC since I was still running around Malacca in my light blue school uniform (not such a cool uniform compared to what he’s wearing now). We went to tuition together, and it was nice that there were some of my old school friends who were there during the wedding as well. Elaine is from Malacca too, but I only got to know her much later. Since Elaine works at PJ Hilton, her standards of what is good is really high! It was great that she had a few hotelier friends to help in the wedding coordination.

So both KC & Elaine grew up in Malacca, got married in Malacca, and hired a wedding photographer who was originally from Malacca.

And the best thing about it?

Both KC, Elaine and I come from Peranakan families! A typical Peranakan/Baba Nyonya family would have lots of laughter, talking (really loudly at times!), singing and drama all in the same pot. Proud parents from both sides of the family.

That morning of the wedding, KC rocked up to Elaine’s place in a cool looking Jaguar.

I am sorry, Kua Chee for putting this image up. It was too hilarious to resist.

KC singing his heart out to Elaine.

She looks adorable in those glasses.

Practice session in the evening before the walk in.

What did I say about drama, fun and laughter at every Peranakan wedding? KC had to guess which of these kisses came from his new wife! The kids were trying to help him. Haha…

None of them were from Elaine! All in good fun…

Today, KC flew to the UK to start his Masters in Law. It’s a great opportunity as he is on scholarship and when he comes back, he will greatly benefit the community. I know Elaine will miss him terribly as he’ll be away for a year. Hang in there, and focus on the good! Thanks for choosing us to photograph your wedding day!

There’s a verse in the Bible that says…

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

If you ever get to know Han How & Lydia, you’ll know that this is one relationship that is strong. It’s strong not just because of the bond of love that glues them together, but because Christ is in the centre of all they do. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Han How and Lydia’s wedding was filled with lots of love, laughter and warmth. The worship session in church was so uplifting and spirit filled, I could not help but sing along as I pressed the shutter button on my camera. Even Johan said that there was something different about this church wedding.

Han How & Lydia, I am so blessed to have been there at your wedding, photographing the both of you. I am always happy to be photographing weddings, but more so when the couple are personal friends of mine. Keep this strand strong between the both of you and God. All the best for the future!

Here are a selection of my favourite images from their wedding.

The heng tais looking pweetty.

They had to go to a coffee shop near Lydia’s home and ask strangers to stick little heart-shaped stickers on their faces…

At Lydia’s home, the girls blindfolded the guys so that they won’t see what’s coming…

As you can tell, some guys lost more hair than others.

Getting past the chee muis to Lydia’s room was a difficult task for Han How as he had to answer lots and lots of questions!

Heading to church…

Han How’s nephew is super adorable!

Han How & Lydia met at church years ago while they were both serving in the worship ministry. Han How plays the guitar while Lydia plays the keyboard. During their pre-wedding session, the guitar made a brief appearance.

Some portraits after the ceremony.

Lydia’s relatives from Indonesia surprised her by making these gorgeous bouquets!

Dinner was held at Renaissance Hotel in KL.

Han How’s classic expressions as he tried to pop the cork. Eventually, the cork did pop – and it fell 3 feet in front of him.

We had so much fun that day. By the way, can you spot Alex? :) Thanks Han How and Lydia for everything!

Phong & Laura’s story felt as if it came directly from a romantic screenplay. The setting: San Francisco.

Laura had traveled to San Francisco to be with her sister, Lisa who worked there. It was during this two month visit that she met Phong, who was Lisa’s colleague. Laura thought he was rather fun to hang out with and so they exchanged contact details and communicated via MSN. Fast forward a few months later, Phong had the opportunity to fly to Indonesia for work.

Perfect timing, as Laura needed another break from work too… and so she flew to Indonesia to visit him. From there, love blossomed and it was the most interesting weekend for her. As fate would have it, one week after he returned to San Francisco, he found out that the company he was working for was relocating to Singapore!

From then on, everything was history – and according to Laura, Phong loves to tell their friends that he flew halfway across the world to be with her.

During the wedding, Phong’s family flew in from Australia & Vietnam – and he was even reunited with family he hadn’t seen in years! I was really excited when Laura told me about this story… and also when she mentioned that her wedding would be held in her family home garden! It’s so meaningful when you say your vows in such a personal environment. There were so many elements that made this wedding a memorable one for me. From the Vietnamese car decorations, to the personalized popcorn box, to the massive trees in the awesomely pink ballroom… everything was just detailed so beautifully.

The other thing that made my heart skip a beat too was Laura’s Vera Wang gown. I instantly thought of the line from the movie Bride Wars… “You don’t alter a Vera Wang to fit you, you alter yourself to fit into a Vera Wang” (something to that effect).

I don’t know how much alteration Laura had to do, but she looked absolutely amazing in that gown that day.

I couldn’t resist doing a ring shot in the popcorn box…

I love the Vietnamese touches to the decor!

The girls were pretty creative when it came to the games session…By the way, Laura ironed on these prints onto the t-shirts herself!

Love love love the sign!

Love the fascinator and hat theme going on here… just like the Royal wedding!

Family portraits…

That night, the ballroom at Four Points by Sheraton was decorated beautifully – all thanks to Laura’s ideas and execution.

Congratulations, Phong & Laura! It was evident that your friends and family absolutely adore the both of you to bits. Thank you for treating Mark and I like family. Our first time meeting the both of you felt more like meeting old friends. Enjoy married life, both of you!

It was Fun’s older brother that brought them together. Dong Liang was young and had just graduated from college in the UK. She decided to work in KL but she didn’t know many people in KL at that time, other than Fun’s brother who was her coursemate. So one weekend while having coffee at KLCC, Dong Liang was introduced to Fun…

Fun’s story:

I was having tea with my friends in KLCC as well when my brother called me and asked me to join them. We then went to a karaoke as a group. I had a good time at the karaoke, and I had a good feeling about her. After the first meeting, I ‘made use’ of my brother’s friendship with her to intentionally meet up with her.

Luckily for Fun, Dong Liang had a good impression on him as well! After that karaoke session, they decided to exchange contact details and made plans to go out as a group again soon after.

Dong Liang’s story:

In the beginning, we were always bickering in front of others. But soon we started going out. And what happened in between is a little hazy, after all it has been almost 10 years! What really brought us together, i feel, was the 4 years we spent in London together. Because there was no family and not many friends there, it felt like all we had were each other. He has been such a great partner and always very supportive of whatever I do. It was then crystal clear to me that he is The One and I’m so lucky to have found him. And then, on my birthday in 2009, he proposed! We had a very long engagement….but now, we’re married!

Fun:

And yes, I love my wonderful wife with all my heart, and I wish to spend the rest of my life with her!

Mark and I felt so relaxed shooting Fun & Dong Liang’s wedding because they were so simple and easy going! They had time to chat with us, and even spend 15 minutes in a nearby park shooting some portraits. In the evening, I couldn’t make it for the dinner reception, so Mark and Weiming went to photograph their wedding dinner.

Congratulations Fun & Dong Liang! We wish you all the best in in this journey of life… may the singing continue in your life for years on end (not just in that karaoke session). :)