Grace Tan

Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Wedding Films & Videos

Styled Modern & Minimalist Post-Wedding Shoot: Faisal & Aggie

“Fill my heart with song, and let me sing for ever more; you are all I long for, all I worship and adore”
― Frank Sinatra

The inspiration for the shoot came from the location itself, Glamz at Genting. As a new venue with interesting dome like structures and glamping facilities surrounded by scenic mountain views, we were excited to create this styled shoot after the contest with Stories.my & The Wedding Scoop ended. Together with Pretty Little Things, we came up with the idea of a modern, simple styled shoot with a tinge of boho. We wanted to combine glamour with the outdoors. Simplicity with a touch of rawness. The flowers were beautifully designed by Bloom2u. We especially love the bouquet with the unique protea cynaroides flower decorated with eucalyptus silver dollar, eucalyptus baby blue, silver leaves, eucalyptus tetragonia, eryngium, leucospermum and foliages. Pretty Little Things worked together with Bloom2u to come up with a complete styled look for the shoot.

The elegant wedding gown was provided by That White Dress and the look was made complete with hair & make up from SuyenPang Artistry. The end result was inspiring, and made our job as photographers and videographers easy! When we contacted the winning couple, Faisal and Aggie and got to know them better, we realised that they fit the whole theme perfectly. The both of them work in the creative industry, with Faisal owning his own video production company and Aggie as a copywriter in an advertising agency. Individually, they are uniquely different – Aggie is a fitness junkie (she is a part time boxing instructor!), a meticulous planner and is a bit more cautious in making decisions. Faisal, on the other hand, is more of a risk-taker (For example, Faisal rented a motorcycle in Bali with no licence and minimal experience, something Aggie wouldn’t do), has zero interest in fitness but willingly plays the role of Instagram cameraman to Aggie.

Together, they fit like a glove, despite coming from culturally different families. They have such a chill vibe about them, brought together by their love of music, cats, travel and all things creative.

After spending 11 years together, they eventually tied the knot in August 2018. So our shoot together was a pretty relaxing one for them, since they had just returned from their honeymoon in the Maldives!

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

One Year Old Cake Smash: Jing Yu

Ooi and Mei Leng visited my studio a year ago, when their older child was just 2 and Mei Leng was still pregnant with Jing Yu. I love to have this privilege of journeying alongside all the families I photograph, especially to see them grow. It was wonderful that I got to celebrate Jing Yu’s 1 year old birthday with a fun cake smash session in the studio. His brother was all too happy to participate in the session together!

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Life, Musings, Portraits, Relationships

A new phase of life for my firstborn

Just like every other parent I know, there are some moments in life that are just etched in your mind forever. Like that first cry your child made at the hospital which made you cry too. That moment she took her first few steps, or when she babbled those semi-incoherent words that you swore meant something. Lately, I’ve been feeling a little emotional too, as my 5+ year old is now about to leave preschool and head on to her first year in primary.

First day at preschool

It felt like just a few blinks ago when she stepped into preschool, all scared and tiny. Being a December baby, she was just 2 years and 1 month when she joined the 3 year old class in January. She blossomed from a timid girl to a confident and intelligent child. In fact, going into year 1, she is not fearful at all, but really more excited than the nervous wreck I am!

Packing up on her last day at preschool, just after her Merdeka party

I just want to cuddle her close to me, never wanting this baby to grow up. But she has, and she will continue to do so…growing more and more independent as a person. It’s hard to verbalise this feeling, so bittersweet. So proud of her, and yet this tinge of sadness that her baby years are ending faster than I am willing to acknowledge. Soon, I’ll have a teenager with acne and boyfriend problems and then the day will come when her dad will have to walk her down the aisle to the man she loves.

But for now, I’ll just cherish these memories and be brought back through time with captured moments.

Gearing up for Year 1 on orientation day

Grace Tan In Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

The Simple Guide to Hindu Wedding Traditions

Hindu weddings are some of the most vibrant, colourful and interesting weddings around. There are a host of events, each filled with sacred tradition and meaning where not just two souls are joined together, but it is also the union of two families. For the uninitiated, it is easy to get lost in the rituals but since our team has experienced quite a few Hindu weddings, we’re here to help you find your way around if you’re ever invited to one!

There are a few important stages, which are the key elements of the Hindu wedding ceremony. The whole thing usually takes place under a canopy called a mandap. It is always beautifully decorated.

To have a smooth wedding ceremony, Ganesh Poojan is performed a few days before the wedding or even the night before. This is when the priest offers a prayer to Lord Ganesha (the elephant headed god) to remove any obstacles so the ceremony can proceed without hindrances.

The groom is welcomed as he makes his entrance during the Jayamaala or Vara Yatra ceremony, amidst much singing and dancing. In fact, music is a key component throughout the Hindu wedding! The bride’s parents, family and friends greet the groom and his party while blessing the groom with rice, applying tilak on his forehead and placing a garland over his head. He is then led to the mandap to await his bride-to-be.

The bride is then offered in marriage to the groom in a solemn ritual called Kanyadan, which means “gift of a maiden”. It is often accompanied by the giving of a dowry. In this ritual, the father places his daughter’s hands into the groom’s, signifying that she is separated from her family and incorporated into the family of her husband’s. Speaking of hands, the bride’s hands are usually decorated with intricate henna designs.

The groom takes his bride’s hands in his to signify his acceptance of the bride as his lawfully wedded wife and ties the first knot of the mangalsutra around the bride’s neck. His sister ties the other two knots symbolizing acceptance into the family. The mangalsutra is a holy thread with gold pendant, a symbol of marriage and the sacred bond between a husband and his wife. This is considered one of the most important rituals of a Hindu wedding.

The Saptapadi is the main and legal part of the ceremony. A marriage knot is symbolized by tying the end of the groom’s scarf to the bride’s dress. The couple then takes seven steps around the fire, representing the seven vows exchanged between them – for nourishment, strength, prosperity, health, happiness, progeny and harmony – sealing their marriage forever. No ceremony is complete without this.

The wedding ceremony ends with a benediction by the elders and priests in the Ashirvada. The couple is blessed for a prosperous married life ahead of them.

When the rituals are over, then comes the food and more dancing and singing! Everyone really gets into the groove, whether young or old. That’s one of the reasons why it’s simply so fun! Of course, there are a few variations to the customs and some additional ceremonies. Each one is timeless. Each one presents a wonderful photo opportunity and we love being a part of it!

If you’d like to see the ceremony in action, have a look at Jason and Seetha’s wedding ceremony here:

Grace Tan In Church Weddings, Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Wedding at Church of Divine Mercy: Nilshan & Praveena

From Melbourne to KL to Colombo and back…

It was on the beautiful grounds of Monash University that their love story started… Praveena was an undergraduate who recently transferred from Malaysia to Melbourne, Australia. Her friends were watching a match at the Farrer Hall common room and invited her to join them. Despite her lack of interest, she happily came down for the nachos, cheesecake, and other snacks.

Nilshan, on the other hand, had been living in Melbourne for over a year by then, and was also studying his undergraduate degree at Monash. Two of his friends lived at Farrer Hall and invited him to watch the match there. Little did the two love birds know that this would be the first time they laid eyes on each other.

Praveena and Nilshan continued to bump into each other through mutual friends, whether it was a restaurant outing, group trip, night out or Sunday mass. Two years later, Nilshan asked Praveena out on their first date. Their romance unfolded over dinner and a mutual love of spicy food… until the rest was history.

Want to hear more about their story? Watch their highlight video below or check out their pre-wedding photos.