Grace Tan

Orange tones at Emma & Laurence’s Beach Wedding

Emma and Laurence are a British couple that have lived in Malaysia for the past 18 months. Their journey together started at Cambridge university where they met and did activities like row together. That was 10 years ago. Since then, the adventure has never stopped. From eating insects in Cambodia, to enjoying sunrises over the temples of Bagan and searching for sharks while scuba diving, their life is full of excitement. Since they love to travel and with 50 over guests coming all over to the world to Langkawi for their wedding, they decided to go for a travel theme with an orange tone. The beautiful location that the Andaman is in, with the mix of rainforest and beach was the perfect setting for their wedding.

When they first contacted us, they told us that after talking to friends who have already celebrated their wedding day, everyone commented how they wish they had thought more about the photographs. Keen not to have the same regret, and impressed by the photos on our website, they decided to hire us as their wedding photographers! Hurray! And from their comment about our work after the wedding, I think we lived up to their expectations!

Emma says: Jamie and Nigel were amazing. Not only did they put us at ease (there were some worries about ‘photo face’) but they were such good fun to spend the day with. We couldn’t have asked for anyone better. It is hard to pick which part of the day was our most memorable – Between the Mandi Bunga (which was a first for almost everybody there) and our dance at the reception, but I think it has to be the ceremony itself, especially as it didn’t rain and we could have it on the beach.

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Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Musings, Tips + Ideas, Weddings

A White or Red Veil

A white wedding veil is seen as a traditional norm in weddings, symbolising the purity of the bride. Interestingly, Wikipedia mentioned that the earliest reference of a veiled woman was recorded in an Assyrian text from the 13th Century BC. Now, at a Chinese wedding, a red veil is usually the norm, though nowadays, most couples prefer to opt out of it. Red symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity. If you would like to read more about it, this website talks about how the tradition dates back to the Qi period (479-502), where women farmers would wear a veil to protect their heads against the cold wind or hot sunshine.

Whatever the origin, I find veils to be so lovely, almost mysterious. Ten years ago, when I got married, I was quite an ignorant bride, and one of the biggest mistakes I made was that I didn’t try on my veil until my wedding day! It was then that I realised it was too short to cover my face (it was one of those veils that only looked good at the back of your head!). So yeah, with no alternative at hand, I lived with a white veil that stopped short next to my chin. Thank God I didn’t allow that little boo-boo to ruin my wedding day!

20160423_WEDDING_JOHN_JULIETA_0134 A traditional square veil matched with the Chinese kua outfit.

A modern twist to the red Chinese veil.

Whether you decide to wear a white or red veil for your wedding day, here are some questions to ask yourself as you choose your wedding veil:

Does it match your wedding gown?
If your wedding gown has a lot of details at the back or front, you should consider a simple, sheer veil that can highlight this feature. But if your gown is a little more simple, then you can consider a veil with more embellishments. Your gown and veil shouldn’t be fighting for attention.
What length of veil would you like to opt for?
Shorter veils would suit a more informal look, whereas mid length waist level veils are suitable for most gowns. Floor length veils are good for dresses that do not have a train. If you would like a really long veil that drapes across the floor, you can partner it with classic wedding gowns or those that do have a large train. You can read more about this in this informative article here.
What kind of hairstyle would you like to have?
Would your hair be up or down during your wedding day? What kind of accessories are you planning to wear? If your hair is up, you can wear your veil above or below your bun. Pinning the veil below your bun would highlight your hair style a little more compared to wearing your veil above your bun.

Hope these tips are useful!

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, International, Outdoor Weddings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Testimonials, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Testimonial & Behind the Scenes: Andrew & Katrina

It’s about time we posted another behind the scenes video! If you are a regular blog visitor, you would have seen Andrew and Katrina’s photos from their 2 day pre-wedding shoot and wedding celebrations in KL and Phuket last year. I am so glad that they agreed to do a video testimonial for us after the wedding. I’ve recently started a collection of testimonials on our Facebook page, and will update our testimonial page on our website soon. On days when the going gets tough, it’s a great pick-me-up, reminding ourselves that what we do matter, and that we are on the right track.

It gives us great satisfaction knowing that we’ve made such a difference in someone’s life, capturing memories that can never be relived again except through photographs.

Credits:

Videographer: Chi Yin
Photographers: Grace & Jamie
Locations: Singapore, KL and Phuket

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Chubby baby Adam and his big eyes

How do you not fall in love with so much cuteness? Those large big eyes that just make you go, “Aaaw!” I remember when my baby was little, I loved every detail of her – I wanted to remember that smile, that spiky hair which had anti-gravity properties, those eyes…

I am sure Evan and Jasmine feels the same way towards Adam. Babies just grow up way too quickly, and soon, their chubby arms and legs elongate, they start babbling words and they become a toddler that says phrases like “I’m not a baby anymore!”

So cherish every little moment we have with the children. Soon, the days will pass into weeks and the weeks into months, and then we wonder, where has the time gone?

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Grace Tan In Life, Musings, Outdoor Weddings, Parties & Events, Portraits, Relationships, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

And so the adventure continues: The 10th year milestone

20160813-ALEX_GRACE_10TH_ANNIVERSARY-069 10 years ago, the adventure began when we said our vows to journey together through the calm seas and raging storms. Ever since then, we’ve gone through adventures together as we camped in the freezing White Dessert in Egypt and cycled through pitch black darkness to view the sunrise over temples in Bagan, Myanmar. We’ve also experienced challenging moments as my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shortly after my wedding and deteriorated through the years until the remnant of the strong man he was, was gone.

We’ve worked through differences, argued about which way to press the toothpaste, made conscious decisions on how to live life God’s way and also shed tears of joy when our two children, Krysta and Kyle were born. (we also shed tears when we had to carry them through the streets of Japan recently, but that’s another story).

20160813-ALEX_GRACE_10TH_ANNIVERSARY-144 I can’t believe 10 years flew by, just like that. Some people say we hardly aged, but that’s a lie. I think my wrinkles are a testament to how much wiser I am now, but also how much joy I experience in life, through the relationships I share with friends and family. I learnt that it takes a lot of hard work to make a marriage exciting… the routines of life can easily drown you and soon, you start to take person next to you for granted. Even more so after kids arrive, as our focus tends to be on the children, hardly the spouse.

So we’ve done things like go on planned dates, holidays alone, random hugs in the middle of the day… just because.

Ever since I was a young child, I have been an idealist. I want to believe with all my heart that love can flourish and grow stronger through the years… that marriage can indeed prosper even when I am old and grey.

And so the adventure continues…

20160813-ALEX_GRACE_10TH_ANNIVERSARY-005 On the 13th of August, we had a party at our home to celebrate 10 years of marriage and moving in to a new home. We were blessed to have family and friends pray for us as we acknowledge God’s goodness in our lives over the past 10 years. Pr Kee from DUMC who married us 10 years ago prayed for us, and Pr Shaun from Kingdomcity KL blessed our home as we use the space to connect with people from all walks of life. Rachel and Jin Ann’s team did a great job with the styling (and yummy desserts!) and Michelle exercised her magic make up skills on myself and Krysta (who was delighted to have curly hair for one day). I am also appreciative of Jennifer, Chi Yin, Nigel and Johan who took some of these amazing photos you see here.