Chinese Weddings

Johan Sopiee In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

Wedding in Christ Church, Malacca: Jeremy & Sarah

Jeremy and Sarah’s wedding was held at the beautiful Christ Church in Malacca. Being an 18th-century Anglican church, its Dutch Colonial architecture style and colors are unmistakable, as was the chemistry between the Sarah and Jeremy.

20131130_WEDDING_JEREMY_SARAH_559 Jeremy “likes to think of himself as an outdoorsy person”. And by the way that sentence was constructed, yes, we know you wrote that about him, Sarah! Hehe. Apparently, he loves hiking, kayaking and soaking up the air too. When I close my eyes, I can almost see him hiking up a mountain and kayaking down a river valley, with the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. Ain’t No Valley Low Enough” playing in the background. I’d say – Ain’t no river wide enough, to keep Jeremy from getting to you, Sarah.

Then “they” describe Sarah as more of an extrovert who has a soft spot for animals and all things quirky. She loves creative writing (no wonder she works in the media industry!) and little does she know that we found out that she’s actually published “The tale of a Malaysian girl in NUS” in 2012. Wow! Congrats Sarah!

By the way, a little bird also told us that Jeremy likes a Facebook page entitled “Sleeping with one leg out of the covers”. Now, I bet you didn’t know that about the groom.

20131130_WEDDING_JEREMY_SARAH_001 Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Chinese Weddings, For Photographers, Musings, Portraits, Tips + Ideas, Weddings

Behind the Scenes: Making the Most of Every Location

Sometimes I think of myself as not just a photographer, but also a furniture removal specialist, a clutter-free agent, and a lighting consultant. It’s very normal to find less-than-ideal situations at every wedding. Naturally, everyone would love to photograph at beautiful locations and resorts, but most times, I find myself in truly-loved family homes. Read: It usually includes lots of collectibles and objects that have accumulated through the years.

So, I’ve done all of these and more:

1. Moved furniture for the tea ceremony so that we can maximise on better light.
2. Packed clothing into cupboards, hidden rubbish bins, and the rogue red polka dotted mat.
3. Removed curtains because the colour clashes with the wall colour in the bride’s room.
4. Posed couples and families in the compound amidst shoe cabinets and vehicles. Just like these 2 photos of the bride and her bridesmaid were taken in what looked like a seemingly neutral background.

BTS-jon-priscilla1 But in reality, was taken here:

BTS-jon-priscilla2 I had two things that went through my mind when I chose this location: The beautiful light, and clean wall.

Love the challenge! :)

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

Heritage Wedding in Malacca: Dexter & Michelle

As I was growing up in Malacca, I always wondered who lived in this really grand, elaborate home along Heeren St. It is undoubtedly the nicest looking building on that street, and usually many tourists would stop by and take photos of the house. When we photographed the wedding of Dexter and Michelle, I was excited to hear that I would be entering it for the first time ever. It was Dexter’s ancestral home, and we had full access to all the floors! Naturally, as we were shooting in the front yard, tourists stopped to take photos!

Dexter and Michelle’s wedding was a 2 part event that started in KL and ended in Malacca. Where can I start about this couple… well, I first met them at the Westin wedding fair where they signed up for our photography and cinematic film service. It was an instant click – the feeling that you have bonded with someone even though you’ve only just met. They were humorous, ‘in-your-face’, fun, spontaneous… I guess part of it had to be the fact that Dexter is from Malacca…and you know what…Malaccans are a FUN and loud bunch! (Read: Grace is fun and loud too).

We created a fusion slideshow for them to show the next day at Equatorial hotel. Look out for the middle part of the slideshow where he strides in and lifts her off her feet!

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Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Weddings

Love Birds: The Wedding of Tim and Brenda

If I could sum it all in one word, it would be “Expressions”. There were so many funny and candid expressions that we caught on camera during this wedding. It kept us laughing, and we were perpetually entertained through out the wedding. I still remember my Skype conversation with Tim and Brenda before they hired us for the wedding. What struck me most was how open and willing they were to share the story of their lives with a stranger like me. I knew at that point that this connection would carry on through to the wedding.

Brenda’s the kind of girl that wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s chirpy, laughs a lot and loves a lot too. A hopeless romantic and fiercely loyal. Tim is her anchor…he’s the steadfast kind of guy that is also really fun to be with. Together, they are like fireworks, exciting with lots of interesting moments!

It did take them a while to get a relationship going though, and in Brenda’s words, it was a rough start. Both of them had their stubborn nature but it was Tim’s perseverance that convinced Brenda to keep on trying to make things work. She says that it was mainly 70% hard work and 30% luck.

Brenda says, “There were heaps of frustrations but also a lot a lot of moments when we could say it was worth it. For any relationship to work, be it as boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife, it takes many factors; trust, communication and love but above it all, its the commitment in wanting things to work out.”

Which makes me think about most marriages. I really think hard work is the key to make marriages last. After all the excitement wanes off, you have this deep sense of security, but eventually, little things start to surface and you begin to annoy each other. What keeps it all together… the vows you have made and the hard work that goes into keeping passion alive. Tim and Brenda, may the vows that you have made be the glue to hold you together through the good and hard times. Lotsa hugs.

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What Motivates Us

If I could sum up everything in one word, it would be LEGACY. What connects us and brings us together as visual storytellers? It is the idea that we are creating something that will far outlast ourselves. The love that you share as a couple, the memories of your parents, your child as she takes her first step… we want to record these precious moments and build a family legacy that you can look back on, years from now… and remember.

I hope this video will give you a glimpse into our thoughts and motivations and why we keep on doing what we do.

Lots of love,
The Stories Team

Credits:
Filmed by: The Stories Team, Edited by Felicia.