Weddings

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Musings, Outdoor Weddings, Tips + Ideas, Weddings

Garden ROM at The Club, Saujana: Jonathan & Jacinda

I’ve grown to love this beautiful location. It’s a small little green patch of grass overlooking a lake, but given the right time of day when the sun is setting in the distance, you have gorgeous sunlight falling over this area, which makes for amazing back light. Ok, if you didn’t quite understand this photographer’s rambling, the location looks like this:

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And this is the amazing back light (or hair light) I am talking about.

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One of the wonderful things about small weddings is that you have lots of time for portraits. I enjoy creating images of the couple with their families and also close friends in a gorgeous setting. I photographed Jon and Jac a few months back when we did their Mad Men themed pre-wedding shoot. It was easy to connect with this couple, and from that moment on, I knew photographing them would be a breeze. The week after, Jon and Jac had their Chinese wedding ceremony (photos in the slideshow at the end of this post).

For this post, I thought I’d write a few tips on what I think would make a great garden wedding (from a photographer’s perspective):

1. Choose the time of day well

Considering we live in tropical Malaysia, the best time for an outdoor wedding would be before 10am and after 5pm. The sun is lower in the horizon which makes it more flattering for people photos. Have you ever taken a photo outdoors at 12pm, and seen lots of raccoon eyes (dark shadows under the eyes) staring back at you? Yup, that’s the effect of the sun as it is directly above you. So if you’d like more flattering images of yourself outdoors, opt to have your ceremony start at the timing suggested.

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Outdoor Weddings, Weddings

Wedding at Ciao: Kevin & Jasmine

It was the evening before the wedding. Kevin’s parents had flown in from China for the wedding, and everyone was excited about the event. Unfortunately, a huge drama unfolded that evening itself. Sadly, the groom’s parents were robbed right outside their service apartment in KL. It really saddens me that Malaysia is no longer a really safe place to live in. A substantial amount of cash and passports were stolen. Kevin reacted like how anyone would, and gave chase…but they got away. Other than the physical items that were missing, he injured his hands as he fell during the chase.

But that whole incident didn’t stop Kevin and Jasmine from having a good time the next day at their wedding. I truly respect them for not letting bad circumstances affect their mood. Kevin and Jasmine, I am glad the day went really well. And Jasmine, yay, you survived wearing contact lenses for many hours! Hope you had a good honeymoon and are back safely in Australia now. Lots of love from Malaysia!

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

Church Wedding Video Highlights: Ch’ng Toh & Evelyn

“On this date, I will marry my best friend…..the one I laugh with, live for, dream with & love”

On 16 October 2012, he asked me to begin this crazy life together as husband and wife. God beautifully scripted our romance approximately 10 years ago. Ours wasn’t the usual love story. Not love at first sight or fancy romance. Instead it was steadily slow and it gets more beautiful year after year. Dating for 10 years certainly didn’t feel as thou it has been 219,000 minutes!

We met because of fishing! He convinced my all weather friend Lydia to fish at a pond nearby my home. Halfway thru it rained heavily. To seek shelter, she asked him to stop by my home. He stood outside and analyzed the fishes in my pond. He introduced himself and said nothing else. Once my friend got changed, they left. That was our first hello. Frankly, I laughed after he left…what a name!

3 months later, we met at Taylors Subang Jaya. Different streams but same pre-uni programme. As we had common friends, we had lunches as a group. After class I had to walk home and one day, he offered to take me home via his daily taximan. A woman never hesitates a free ride! (moreover it was hot that day). We started talking on the phone; once a week became twice, twice became every other day.

6 months later….

Ch’ng Toh : Do I have a girlfriend?

Evelyn : I think so kua….

(Who on earth asks in this manner?)

And yes, that was 10 years ago….

I furthered my studies in Sydney whilst he stayed here. Thereafter, he came over for 3 years to complete his studies. When we got back, I practiced law whilst he worked with his dad. I switched career paths and joined the retail scene a year back. To date, I’ve left my job and opened a Hong Kong dessert place; Tong Pak Fu at Mid Valley & Paradigm Mall.

We are H.A.P.P.Y! Can’t ask for more and we don’t cling to each other like cling wraps!

His love for fishing has multiplied 10 folds since. He travels just to cast his rod into the ocean, pond and pool. (anything that contains water)

As for me, Scrapbooking is my passion…& whilst in the midst of preparing for my big day, I found a new love for weddings and thus found Moments together with Tricia. The Lord is my rock, shopping is my obsession and I love human interaction.

10 years now and everyday we’re still learning new lessons. Our relationship isn’t perfect. However, despite the idiosyncrasies, we choose to stay in love and take each step and hurdle as it comes along as a steppingstone for us to live the rest of our lives appreciating each other.

He has taught me to love with all my heart and take care of each other. Thou he’s not Mr. Romantic, never given flowers or made anything but he surely makes up for it with every smile, every song, every hug and kiss. He thinks of my in everything that he does. He brings me fishing lures to brighten my day, he calls me a thousand times just to say hello and he stands by me truly in sickness & health. Therefore….

“On this date, I will marry my best friend…..the one I laugh with, live for, dream with & love”

– Evelyn –

Credits:

Videographers: The Stories team (Felicia, Wee Liem, Nick)
Church Ceremony: Luther Centre, PJ
Dinner Reception & Cake: Istana Hotel, KL
Wedding Planner, Decorations, Stationery & Flowers: Moments To Remember
Wedding & Evening Gown: Eleusis
Groom’s Attire: Sparksmanshop
Make Up: Joy Chong
Photographer: Victor Hew
Dinner Entertainment: Mosaic Music Entertainment & Melissa Chye

Benjamin Lim In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

Church Wedding: Abel & Elizabeth

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Liz says:

When I was studying for my A-levels in KL, I was attending a brethren church called Melawati Gospel Centre and was involved in the youth ministry. I attended a few inter-church activities where Abel’s church was involved too, but we never met. In Sept 2007, I went to Uni of Hertfordshire, UK to study. Before that, in a church activity, I bumped into a family friend who told me that a friend’s son was coincidentally also going there, and that if I needed any help, I should give him a call. Somehow, the contact exchange did not happen and I didn’t pay too much attention to that either.

I visited a Christian fellowship in university on the first week of my arrival and that’s where I first met Abel. He was very friendly to me and I think it was especially since we were from the same church background.

We spent a lot of time together in university, mostly due to involvement in church and fellowship activities. We were both in relationships when we first met, so we were just friends. Abel treated me like a younger sister all the time. Looking after me, watching out for me and saving me from any trouble I’d get into. The first valentines’ gift he gave to me was a spatula and 12 silicon cupcake cases with a handmade card (I had a baking thing going on then and that was what I needed which I told him during one of our casual chats)

The first thing that attracted me to him was his smell, which I later found out, was actually the smell of the washing detergent he used. At that time, I thought it was extremely lucky if his girlfriend was able to smell it all the time. (I do have a thing about smells!) I also love it that he was such a caring and sacrificial man too.

I started developing feelings for him when I was in my final year of university but nothing happened then. When my parents came for my graduation, during one of our trips, I told my dad that I had feelings for Abel. He encouraged me with some positive advice and prayed for me. He was quite fond of Abel so that was a relief. It was such a blessing to get to know Abel through different groups of friends as that would have put me at a good start of getting to know him as a person. I later discovered Abel had mutual feelings for me and the chase started.

Remembering what the family friend told me before I left for UK. Life sure has it’s surprises.

Abel Says:

When I met her in UK, Liz just looked cute and adorable to me. Just felt like pinching her cheeks! We became closer in the next 4 years and as we grew closer we started to have feelings for one another. One thing lead to another and we became a couple.

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Grace Tan In Outdoor Weddings, Weddings

Beach wedding, Four Seasons, Langkawi: Philip & Claudia

White, sandy beaches.

Puffy clouds, blue skies and a slight breeze that wisps through your hair.

A relaxed, intimate destination wedding at the Four Seasons Resort, Langkawi.

It all began six years ago, when Philip and Claudia met each other at an Asian party in Claudia’s hometown Malmö, Sweden. They started to chat with each other via sms and from there it went on to chats over coffee. Claudia had just returned to Malmö after her MBA at the University of Mälardalen and Philip had also moved Malmö for work. He was initially living in a smaller town about an hour away from Malmö.

They started dating that July, on his birthday. Three years later, Philip proposed to Claudia in front of the Fountain of Trevi in Rome! One of their biggest passions (aside from each other) is traveling and trying all kinds of new, exotic food. In Claudia’s words, that’s one of the biggest reasons they chose to have a beach wedding abroad instead of a traditional “big-fat-Chinese-wedding.” :)

What a great choice.

Enjoy these beautiful images taken by Ben & Weiming.

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