Chinese Weddings

An Ipoh Wedding: Eu Jin & Samantha

20151205_WEDDING_EUJIN_SAMANTHA_0568 Ever since we clicked during Samantha and Eu Jin’s pre-wedding shoot at UPM, we have been friends with this amazing couple. Always so friendly, taking care of us by making sure we ate the yummiest Ipoh food, and thinking of us even on the day they should be thinking of themselves only! Even their family members treated us just like family. This is the best part of any wedding, we started off as strangers, but we leave like family. It gives me so much joy knowing that I did my best for this couple.

Eu Jin and Samantha had already said their vows at their church wedding in JB the weekend before, and this was the 2nd leg of the wedding. We love Eu Jin’s family home that overlooks a hill… it made us feel as if we were lost in some resort! Their wedding started off on time, but due to some delays, somehow ended really late around 4pm. It was tough for us to create the same day slideshow before the evening reception started, and so we did something unique we had never done before – create an entire slideshow in Black and White! Have a look at our super-duper express slideshow below.

20151205_WEDDING_EUJIN_SAMANTHA_0003 Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, International, Weddings

The Perfect Fit: The Wedding of Richard & Melissa, Tirtha Uluwatu, Bali

20151220_WEDDING_RICHARD_MELISSA_0006 Richard and Melissa’s story is one filled with God moments, revealing His goodness in their lives. Before 2015, Richard & Melissa’s lives were worlds apart; to be exact 767 km apart! Richard was working in Indonesia managing a plantation company in South Sumatra. While Melissa’s world revolved around the newsroom as a journalist and news anchor in Malaysia. The likelihood of their paths crossing was almost zero.

However, 1st January 2015 was a turning point for both Richard & Melissa. Their mutual friend Charles Mohan was led to arrange a coffee session for them. He had a hunch that they would grow beyond acquaintances and eventually their interactions would develop into something special.

At the point when both of them met, Richard was ready to date again after coming to terms with the death of his late wife who battled with cancer. While Ryan, his three year old bounced back to his usual cheerful self. God’s timing is perfect and led them to meet in a season when both of their hearts were ready. For Melissa, she had ‘almost’ given up on meeting potential partners, somehow never finding the person who was the right ‘fit’. But in her heart, she longed to meet someone whom she could spend the rest of her life with.

20151220_WEDDING_RICHARD_MELISSA_0761 Little did they know, Charles had gone to church that morning and asked his priest to pray for his two friends whom he was bringing together to meet that afternoon.

And yes, Charles was absolutely right! The supposedly ‘just a short coffee session’ at Dome Café, Bangsar Shopping Centre turned out to be a 9 hour long conversation that only ended because the mall was closing. The time spent was interesting & heartfelt—and of course; leaving a tug on their heartstrings.

Richard & Melissa got to know each other over the next few days before he left for Indonesia, and Melissa for a mission trip. The time spent together was short but God was speaking to the core of their hearts. The Lord had also sent individuals at the right place & time to speak to them about being open to explore this potential relationship.

The rest, as they say is history, or rather His-tory! Throughout their growing relationship, the Lord’s blessings, favor and intervention in their relationship has been obvious and deliberate.

Both their prayers were answered. God met them at their place of need and helped them discover each other. It was the perfect fit.

View their wedding ceremony photos in the slideshow below, taken at Tirtha Uluwatu and Tirtha Luhur, Bali. Congratulations, Richard and Melissa!

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

An Industrial Rustic Wedding: Min-Yi & Shu Ern

20151226_WEDDING_MINYI_SHUERN_0228 City Harvest is getting increasingly popular as a wedding ceremony location, and I can understand why, with the rustic brick walls and overall industrial look. It was the perfect setting for Min-Yi and Shu Ern’s wedding. Min-Yi looked dashing on his wedding day, with a beret and matching suspenders to complete the look. It was actually my first time at City Harvest and I enjoyed photographing this wedding so much. I love how Shu Ern’s family was just so emotional. I love the little details at the ceremony, including the key words, “Dream, Believe, Smile & Family” that were hung by their friends. And I was ecstatic to discover this random location that made for great photos.

20151226_WEDDING_MINYI_SHUERN_0453 Min-Yi and Shu Ern were secondary school mates but they were not friends at that time. Half a decade after leaving school, their paths crossed again on 26th December 2011.

Shu Ern: I was running at the nearby park in Taman Tun with my friend. I was almost done and about to do one more lap. There’s an intersection in front of the entrance to the park and he had just arrived with a friend. We came from opposite directions and immediately as our eyes met, I did a double take inside. His face reminded me of someone. I was curious and tried to check him out a few more times, but every time I turned to look his way our eyes would meet and I had to turn away to not seem rude. I guess he was trying to check me out too only to find me doing the exact same thing.

I went through my lap all the while wondering what happened to him in those years I’ve not seen him. Finally midway through the jog, we crossed paths and it was then did I actually get a good look. In place of that small, short, kiddy looking boy was a tall, handsome and tanned looking man. As he passed by, he gave me a big smile and my heart just melted.

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Wedding Video Highlights: Heng Hooi & Chyi Chern

Gosh, it’s already February! Happy Chinese New Year to those who are still in the holiday mood and not feeling like doing any work. :) As for me, I had a great time with my family who flew in from Australia, New York and Malacca. Yup, we ate and ate and talked about everything under the sun. Ok to kick start this week, I’ll share a video from a wedding that happened a few months ago. Heng Hooi and Chyi Chern are such friendly people, they are genuine and are not afraid to show their emotions during their wedding day!

Here’s their story as told by the groom:
We met over work where she was acting for the purchaser while I was the adviser for the seller. To this day, she swears that her first impression of me was that I was a loud person but helpful person. And all this while, I always thought that she found me smart and charming during the time we worked together. Sigh! My first impression of her was that she was wearing a blue skirt and she was very cheerful, pretty and funny. I guess it was these characteristics that made me want to get to know her more even though we were, so to speak, on opposing sides. As we spent more time together, we began to notice that our thinking and characteristics were closely similar. Who says that only opposites attract each other… Its because of these similarities that make me believe we fit so well with each other. Guess one can say in a cheesy way that we were meant to meet each other and share a life together.

Credits:

Photographers & Videographers: Stories Team (Grace, Jamie, Chi Yin, Delvin & Nick)
Wedding & Evening Gown: That Special Occasion
Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss
Make up & Hair: Aivy Yong
Shoes: Celest Thoi
Decorations: Flower Frenzie & Wishing Tree
Dinner Reception & Cake: Doubletree by Hilton
Dinner Entertainment: Malcolm Music

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, International, Outdoor Weddings, Wedding Films & Videos

Naka Island Wedding, Phuket: Andrew & Katrina

20151017_WEDDING_ANDREW_KATRINA_387 Part 2 of Andrew and Katrina’s celebration continues, after their KL wedding events. It was my first time to Naka Island, Phuket and it was such a good experience being there. Thanks to the couple, I managed to also have a little break before the wedding and dipped in the sea, tried paddle boarding and cycling to my villa (which I decided was definitely more tiring than my full wedding day shoot, even though the ride lasted 10 minutes uphill).

Their ceremony was held at the royal horizon pool villa and it was just gorgeous, despite the rain that delayed the start of the ceremony. When we began, there was a beautiful rainbow overlooking the villa. It was a full rainbow too! Well, Andrew definitely found his pot of gold at the bottom of the villa, and it was Katrina!

So one of the things I discovered about Andrew and Katrina was that they can carry out an entire conversation by singing it in tune. They certainly know how to have fun together!

20151017_WEDDING_ANDREW_KATRINA_463 You have to watch the wedding video highlights below of their wedding day. It’s a pretty long highlight – 10 minutes, but there was just so much going on that we had to extend the highlight! Their first dance at The Majestic was sooo much fun too. Check it out here.