Navin and Faika’s wedding celebration continued with the mehndi event, held at the poolside of their family home. Considering it was winter, the temperature was just right for an outdoor party (especially for a Malaysian like me who doesn’t like the cold!). It was quite an intimate event, with only close friends and family attending the event. I love the intricate mehndi art on the arms combined with the gorgeous bangles that were given as a gift to the guests.
1.5 years before their wedding, Navin and Faika spoke to me over Skype, all the way from New York city. They were planning their Bangladeshi wedding way ahead of time, and soon, we were hired to photograph their event in 2017. By this time, I have been to Bangladesh a number of times, and it felt like familiar ground once I stepped off the plane in Dhaka once again. For Jamie and Jennifer who were with me, it was their first time traveling there, so the experience was new and exciting. The moment we arrived at our hotel, we were welcomed with a gift from the couple, which included wet wipes, chanachur snacks, medication for tummy aches, mosquito repellant and more! They were so thoughtful and we felt blessed to be part of this wedding.
As part of the usual wedding celebrations in Bangladesh, there are the exchange of gifts. It’s pretty similar to our Muslim weddings here with our ‘hantaran‘ exchange between the families. But one major difference is that we do not have this giant fish which is usually decorated to represent the bride and groom. It was a huge fish, and weighed about 20kg each!
We’ll be traveling to these locations in 2017, so if you are living in these cities and would like a maternity, family or casual portrait session done, please contact us for our rates. We’d be delighted to meet you!
I was really excited when Calvin and Queenie chose to hire our photography and videography team to cover their wedding in Auckland, New Zealand. What a privilege it is, to fly internationally to a country that is famous for its beautiful scenic vistas and sheep! Though there weren’t any sheep present at the wedding, Calvin and Queenie tied the knot on the deck of Hilton Auckland, overlooking sailboats dotting the sea’s horizon. The sun’s rays kept darting in between clouds as they said their vows to each other, witnessed by their closest family and friends, some who have traveled from Australia and Malaysia to be there at the wedding.
That morning itself, the couple had a simple tea ceremony for their closest family members. And after the vow exchange ceremony, we headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf area for some portraits. Halfway through, it rained and we had to seek shelter at some shops nearby. Though Queenie’s Malaysian bridesmaids & sister were shivering in the cold, they braved the weather and were such troopers. Thank you for it all!
If you’d like to hear about how these 2 lawyers met each other at work in Sydney, you should view our post with their pre-wedding pictures. Calvin and Queenie are indeed both really generous people, who care about the welfare of everyone who come into contact with them. The 6 of us who flew to Auckland felt so welcomed. It was lovely to meet Calvin’s Taiwanese family and Queenie’s family from Malaysia as well. About a month later, we photographed their KL wedding at Grand Hyatt. It had amazing decorations but we’ll save that for another day.
Enjoy the video and photos.
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
