Church Weddings

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Life, Malay Weddings, Musings, Outdoor Weddings, Tips + Ideas, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

6 Types Of Wedding Guests You Shouldn’t Have Bothered Inviting

In collaboration with The Wedding Notebook, the hidden actors in us made an appearance in a fun video, featuring guests are a little lacking in wedding etiquette. It’s just a little tongue in cheek video. We hope you like the video. We are planning on coming up with a series of videos with all sorts of topics related to weddings, so if you would like to follow us, head on to our Youtube page and subscribe. (It would make a difference because we need a minimum of 500 subscribers to get our personalised channel name, The Wedding Stories).

Oh, and do see if you can identify our Stories team in the video by looking at our family page!

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

Catholic wedding at Church of Divine Mercy: Lionel & Rebecca

Lionel_Rebecca_001 “I had to level up my charm in order to convince her to change her mind…”

Lionel and Rebecca met back in 2006 when they were studying for their Certificate in Legal Practice at the Brickfields Asia College. Unfortunately for Lionel, Rebecca didn’t quite notice him until he made extra effort in charming her with his good looks, intelligence and persistence!

Rebecca: We clicked well but I never thought much of him back then. Not long after, he started to appear at my doorstep unannounced to surprise me. It started with one of our usual MSN conversations and I mentioned that I was craving for an Oreo Mcflurry. About an hour or so later and around 11pm, my doorbell rang – the boy had gone to the nearest McDonalds to get that Oreo Mcflurry and rushed to my place just so that I could have my ice-cream.

I remember being stunned and I felt compelled to invite him in and to share the ice-cream with him since he had come all the way. I also remember being embarrassed because I was dressed in ‘home clothes’ and totally unprepared for visitors at that hour! From then on, Lionel started to surprise me more and did nice things for me. Just before the exam, he bought a whole box of brands essence of chicken to keep me going. Picked me up and gave me a lift to class when I was not feeling well. Even changing seats in class just so he could sit next to me (and ignoring the teasing in the process).

Lionel is a pretty shy and quiet person but clearly, he was not shy in showing that he was interested! Eventually, he expressed his interest with a bouquet of flowers. I was not sure if I was interested at that time but some time later, I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did.

Throughout our 7 year relationship, we have had way more ups and downs. Lionel is incredibly calm, patient, supportive and kind. He balances the impatient side of me and accepts me for who I am including my faults. He gives the warmest hugs and makes me feel safe. He tells me I’m beautiful even when I’m not looking or feeling it. He tells me “its okay” when I’ve been silly. He makes me laugh. He enjoys going shopping with me. He shows me the respect every girl wants. I cannot get any luckier than that.

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Wedding of John & Hazel at St Irini Chapel, Santorini

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Santorini… the gorgeous island that has captured the hearts of many all over the world. There is something about the sea, cliffs and amazing sunset that makes us feel as if this is the place for romance. I was really thrilled to be invited to John and Hazel’s wedding in Santorini last month (by default since my husband Alex was invited!), but in the weeks leading up to the wedding, suddenly, I wasn’t just a guest anymore… I was their photographer! And then suddenly, Alex was also appointed as the ‘pastor’ and ‘celebrant’ (though the official Greek celebrant was present too).

That was the start of our Santorini adventure.

John and Hazel wanted an intimate wedding, with just 11 guests (including us!). When we arrived the day before the wedding, it was really windy and cold. Apparently, winter had not left this beautiful island, and most of the locals were also complaining about the weather. It rained on the wedding day (with no contingency plan), so we prayed really hard that the rain would stop…which it did! I applaud Hazel for braving the elements in her strapless gown… it was absolutely freezing that day! (I had 4 layers of clothing on, one of which included a leather jacket).

Naturally, the breathtaking view of the Caldera and the Aegean sea from the Santa Irini Chapel trumped the cold weather we had to endure.

I truly enjoyed this wedding for so many reasons, but most of all, it was a meaningful ceremony filled with love. You could see it in their eyes. The family and guests who were there truly loved John and Hazel. There were many things that happened that day (rain, flat tyre on the way to the chapel, Hazel almost falling flat on her face as she walked down the aisle) but they took it in stride. Everyone had fun, and it was a beautiful day.

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

Greetings from beautiful Santorini, Greece!

Every single postcard image I have seen of Santorini promised clear blue skies matching the blue of the famous domes and breathtaking sunsets over the caldera. I packed in my bikini (and warm clothing) since the weather forecast said it was going to be around 15 degrees Celcius for my travel duration. When I arrived, I was in for a shock. The wind was bitterly cold, it rained for the first few days we were here and I definitely could not do any swimming in my bikini! Even the locals said that it was cold for them and this was winter weather!

But the village of Oia was as charming as the travel guides describe it. I love the little paths that led to nowhere, and then suddenly, opened to a gorgeous view of the Aegean sea. You can’t help but feel your heart skip a beat as you take in the breathtaking views that Santorini has to offer. I was there to photograph the wedding of John and Hazel, shoot portraits for my sister-in-law Sarah and her husband Terence and have a holiday at the same time.

Thank God the weather cleared up after the initial first few days and then we had sunshine! Though it was still very cold when the wind blew (I was wearing 4 layers, and Sarah only had her wedding gown!), we had a great time.

The official photos will be up sometime in the future, but in the meantime, here are some of my travel photos and sneak peak images from the shoots.

07-Oia-web We wandered around the romantic village of Oia for photos with Terence and Sarah. While we were doing so, we kept bumping into other couples on their pre-wedding photo shoots!

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Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

Church Wedding, Luther Centre: Siu Fai & Chia Wen

20141220_WEDDING_SIUFAI_CHIAWEN_0734 Just recently, Siu Fai and Chia Wen celebrated the 100th day since they were wed. It was so lovely to see on Siu Fai’s Facebook page this note to his dear wife Chia Wen.

A hundred days from the day, dear Wen,
Everyday as blissful as we felt back then,
I promise my promise to you is true,
A commitment to love, just me and you.

“Matrimony came from paradise, and leads to it. I never was half so happy before I was a married man as I am now. When you are married, your bliss begins. Let the husband love his wife as he loves himself, and a little better, for she is his better half. He should feel,”If there’s only one good wife in the whole world, I’ve got her.” – Charles Spurgeon

Though the wedding happened some time back, it felt fresh in my mind, as if it were just a few weeks ago. I feel privileged to have been given the honour to photograph this wonderful couple alongside my photographer sidekick, Jamie.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting this couple know that they are dynamic, passionate about the things of God, love people and through their actions, put their love into practice. As church leaders in DUMC, their lives have made such an impact to many around them. Just look at the number of people who attended their church wedding!