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Grace Tan

Wedding at Le Meredien: Ken & Regina

A KL boy met this cute, dimply Malaccan girl in Sibu, Sarawak. Even though they both furthered their studies in the UK, their paths only crossed when they were sent by their respective employers for a work assignment in Sibu, Sarawak. By chance, Regina was assigned to the job halfway as a replacement for her colleague that left the firm. Perhaps it was God’s plan that it happened that way. So, what happens when you put an investment banker and a lawyer together? It’s either they get along or start blaming each other when things don’t go their way! Good thing for them, they got along, and their chats over dinners and suppers became the basis of a good relationship.

Regina’s initial impression of Ken:
(At work) – Looks unfriendly…didn’t even give me his name card! But dedicated to his work and one that is reliable as he is always helpful
(Out of work) – Always full of surprises and he never fails in any of his surprises for me! somewhat romantic, very caring and thoughtful, a family man. Definitely, meticulous!

Ken’s initial impression on Regina:
Cute and always cheerful (with the dimples), friendly and a good companion as she loves to talk and talk and talk…”you will never get bored even if you get stuck in the lift with her!”. Definitely can’t “drink” at all – 1 shot of whiskey and she starts puking (…in my car)

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My fourth year as a mom

It’s my fourth day in Japan, attempting to have a somewhat ‘normal’ holiday with my husband and two kids. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy traveling with 2 toddlers, but we were determined! We packed light, left the stroller at home, and managed to fit 1 week’s worth of luggage and toys into a large bag, 1 handcarry size and 1 backpack.

20160506-HOLIDAY_JAPAN-051Alex and I have been relatively easygoing when it comes to raising our kids. We are not the super strict type of parent who must get their kid to bed by a certain time or the kind who whips out a hand sanitizer at every given opportunity (yup, we let them pick their food off the floor and eat it, if the floor looks relatively clean).

So I thought that this holiday would be pretty relaxing with not that much of an agenda. After all, I managed a company holiday with my kids when they were much younger… clingy baby and all.

Four days into my holiday, I find myself screaming at the kids… “Eat this… NO, don’t eat that! Don’t roll on the ground! Don’t pull your sister’s hair! Stop pinching your brother!” Yup, I’ve turned into a machine that barks orders every few minutes. (occassionally, the poor husband is also at the receiving end of these orders). Coincidentally, it’s also Mother’s Day today, and my 4th year of being a mom.

20160507-HOLIDAY_JAPAN-302But suddenly, these frustrations turn into little moments of joy when Krysta suddenly bursts into random phrases that sound like broken Japanese. Or when Kyle does a happy dance in the middle of a street as he hears buskers singing K-pop.

It’s at these times I realize I need to cherish the litte happy moments more than dwelling on the frustrations I feel. I’m just going to enjoy the next few days, and even if Kyle only decides to eat a diet of white rice and biscuits, I won’t get upset. I won’t complain as well when my needs are not met because it won’t be fair for Alex to deal with 2 toddlers and 1 adult who is never satisfied.

Enjoy the journey, not just the destinaton.

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone.

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Portraits of a Violinist: Tsze Yenn

She started playing the violin at a tender young age of 6. At the age of 13, she was awarded a scholarship to study at Chetham’s School of Music, where she blossomed over the 6 years she was there. Naturally, she moved on to complete her Masters Degree at the Royal Academy of Music and has continued to perform until today. We were honoured to photograph her publicity portraits – Tsze Yenn wanted images that were elegant and classic. Here are some of our favourite shots, photographed by Jamie.

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Photographer: Jamie
Make up & Hair: Michelle Touche
Location: Stories Studio

Wedding at St Andrew’s Church: Matthew & Cheng

Matthew and Cheng met on their first day of college. Coincidentally, they both did not really like each other very much: to Irene, Matt looked like the typical playboy with long spiky hair; to Matt, Irene was this quiet studious overachiever person. This changed after getting to know each other over the years especially when they enrolled in the same university (IMU- Medicine).

Since they organised a lot of university events together, the draw and attraction towards each other became mutual. After IMU, they left for the UK together (Irene in Aberdeen, Scotland; Matt in Nottingham, England). Those long, never-ending 7-9 hours train rides from one place to another (simply because they couldn’t afford flights) were painful and yet memorable.

It was at South France just before coming back to work in Singapore where Matt got down on one knee and popped the question (on top of Baux-de-provence). To make it even more enchanting, a passerby shouted ‘Brava-brava!’. So simple and private yet special and memorable – and the rest is history.

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Wedding at Christ Church, Malacca: Arvind & Dhanya

Part 2 of Arvind and Dhanya’s wedding happened the day after their Hindu temple ceremony. From beautiful blue walls of the temple, we moved to the vibrant red walls of Christ Church, Malacca. I grew up in Malacca my entire life but their wedding was the first time I actually stepped into the church. It is a quaint little 18th century Anglican church in the heart of town. As the wedding ceremony started, some tourists popped their head into church, curious to see what was happening.

Interestingly, the church and surrounding Stadhuys building were originally white but painted the signature red by the Dutch in 1911 and the colour remained ever since.

Our video team did a great job covering both ceremonies as well and you can view the beautiful edit in the Vimeo link below.

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