Grace Tan

Romance at Intercontinental Hotel: Jeremy & Theng

I distinctly remember chatting on the phone with Theng’s mum, a couple of months before the wedding day. Since Theng and Jeremy live in the UK, Theng’s mum helped to organize many aspects of the wedding, including hiring a photographer! After a few phone calls, some emails, then a confirmation came, and the funds were banked in. And just like that (without ever speaking to Jeremy & Theng), we were booked for their wedding day.

A couple of days before the wedding, I dropped by Theng’s family home to meet up with everyone and to get to know Jeremy and Theng better. I was glad to find out that the dinner was going to be an intimate affair of 200 people. That’s really small for a typical Asian wedding, since most dinner receptions would have at least 300-400 people!

On their wedding day, we spent quite a bit of time doing some portraits around Intercontinental Hotel. I recently popped by Intercontinental for another shoot, and to my dismay, found out that part of the lobby is under renovation. So yeah, this staircase has been boarded up. I wonder what everything will look like once it’s done!

“We got engaged in February 2011 and started planning the wedding quite soon after. As we both live in the UK, we decided to hold a small reception in London for our immediate family and close friends, as well as dinner receptions in KL and Hong Kong. Planning a wedding from abroad was exciting but definitely challenging! We had to rely on wedding blogs and personal recommendations to source for potential vendors. With the help of our parents, multiple emails over the months and some last-minute planning a week before our reception in KL, we eventually managed to pull it off! We had a great time and were very grateful that most of our friends from all over the world were able to attend.”

Jeremy & Theng

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Portraits in Langkawi: Joe & Oanh

The day after their gorgeous beach ceremony at the Andaman, Langkawi, Joe and Oanh took some time off to just relax by the beach and enjoy each other’s company. Day after portraits are really relaxing, as the stress of the whole wedding planning is over! The only downside is waking up early after partying hard the night before! But Joe and Oanh made it look so easy, they were there the next morning at 8.30am for our photo session!

Grace Tan In Outdoor Weddings, Weddings

Wedding in Andaman, Langkawi: Joe & Oanh

It was another beautiful day in Langkawi, and the sun glowed through the clouds, as if beaming its approval for that day’s wedding. It couldn’t have been more perfect. For Joe and Oanh, who had traveled many hours from London to Langkawi, the day started off beautifully. At about 4pm, flowers were strewn across the sand, oriental umbrellas were arranged and icy cold water was prepared for the guests. Most of the guests had flown in from various continents across the world just to be there to witness this wonderful occasion.

Grace Tan In Life, Musings, Relationships

Expectations and changes in life

We sat quietly for 10 minutes, penning our thoughts on a piece of 4R sized paper. It felt strange doing this exercise, yet at the same time, we knew that it would benefit the both of us.

1. I expect him to travel with me on life’s adventures, always.
2. I expect him to be the spiritual leader for the family.
3. He must be financially wise.
4. He must love my family too.
5. He should take good care of his health and physical appearance too.
6. I expect him to be loving, even when I am 80…

The list went on and on. I don’t think I am being unrealistic, but practical.

We shared our list. I am amused that one of his requirements is for me to have better memory. Like remembering to trip the meter after I pump petrol (one little thing that irks him a lot!).

Years ago, before we got married, we created a similar list. Except, I am pretty sure this new one is shorter. I guess you learn to adapt to one another as time goes by. You learn to compromise on some expectations and other times, to reflect on how you can change yourself as a person.

Someone told me once, men always go into marriage expecting their wives to never change. Women go into marriage, expecting their husbands to change.

I guess a lot of arguments stem from mismatched and unfulfilled expectations from both parties. Most times, we think the problem is with the other person, never with us (gasp, how could you suggest that!).

Six years down the road, and we’re still learning to adapt to one another. Yes, there’s friction, but I think I can safely say, I’m darn happy.

Photo credit: Anna-Rina

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Indian + Punjabi Weddings, International, Malay Weddings, Musings, News, Outdoor Weddings, Running a Business, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Feature your wedding on an International Travel Channel

Hi everyone! We’re involved in a really cool, upcoming project and we’d love to get you involved too! It combines 2 of my favourite topics: Travel and Weddings.

For those who have been reading this blog for sometime, you might know that I started out my career in the local film and television line. For many years, I edited TV programs, dramas, films, documentaries… and also directed some episodes of various television programs. Then in 2007, I began to explore the world of weddings through my camera lens. You can read more about my history here.

So how is this relevant to what I am about to say?

Well, basically, we will be involved in a new project involving an international travel channel that broadcasts to 120 countries worldwide. No, this doesn’t mean that we are no longer photographing weddings. Every now and then, I believe in doing new things that will help fuel creativity, and though it’s been a while since I directed a TV program, this is something I’m excited to do.

So… this is where you come in.

We are looking to feature weddings in Malaysia, Indonesia (Bali), Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore. For each episode, we will feature one local couple and one couple who are traveling to that destination for their wedding. If you are getting married in these locations within the months of May-August 2012 and would love to have your wedding featured internationally on television, do contact us!

Please email grace.tan [at] stories.my with these details:

1. Your name & your fiance’s name

2. The location and date of your wedding

3. Why you think your wedding should be featured (or perhaps some unique details about your wedding plans)

4. Include a photo of the both of you

And that’s it! This is not a contest. We will select the couple based on the best story that fits our requirements. We are excited to hear from you, so do email us soon!