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Hindu Wedding & Zebra Square Reception: Jonas & Yashoda

A perfect blend of two very different cultures. Two individuals, brought up in very different continents… one with a cold climate and snow, and the other in tropical humid weather with sandy beaches. But true love does not discriminate. It doesn’t care if you come from a different culture or grew up eating dhal or meatballs. When two hearts meet, all that matters is that connection.

It has been a few months since Jonas and Yashoda tied the knot at the Shree Lakshmi Narayanan temple. It was a Malaysian-Ceylonese wedding that was infused with Swedish culture – the traditional and cultural aspect of the wedding were reserved for the Hindu temple wedding and the dinner reception at Zebra Square was done in a more western way. It was obvious that Swedish family and friends from abroad really loved witnessing such a unique wedding ceremony. Jonas was a sport… I could see that he truly cherished every moment of the wedding, especially when he saw Yashoda all beautifully decked out in her saree.

20140418_WEDDING_JONAS_YASHODA_1327Jonas and Yashoda met each other briefly in San Francisco in 2012 through a mutual friend. It was a short trip for Yashoda who lived in the UK, but in those 3 months, they fell in love. Every day in SF felt really wonderful for Yashoda who was truly well taken care of by Jonas, but soon, they had to be physically separated across continents. Despite the time and distance apart, it was inevitable that they would be brought back together eventually and Yashoda finally met the man of her dreams.

A huge romantic at heart, Yashoda had waited for a knight in shining armour but God sent her more than she asked for… he sent her an angel! According to her words, “Jonas is the kindest, most sensitive man I have ever met.”

So the Latin inscription on their ring “Tempus fugit, amor manet” truly encapsulates the nature of their relationship. It means, “Time flies but love remains”. A true romantic quote!

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Ibu Tots Fair, 20th September

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This September 20th, come and visit our booth at the Ibu Tots Fair at Publika and you get to enjoy discounts off our lifestyle photography packages. Speak to our photographers and get to know the people behind the Stories team. Participate in the lucky draw and you might also win a free family portrait session!

We look forward to meeting your little ones as well on this day, and maybe you get to meet my little Krysta at the same time too! :) See you there!

Our 8th Year Together

This morning as I sat on the golden throne which is my toilet, unhappily clutching my stomach from a bug that has decided to hit me at the most inopportune time, I thought to myself, “What a great way to start our 8th year anniversary.” We later joked about it especially when Alex willingly picked up the disinfectant and helped clean the toilet after I was done. What a romantic start to our day.

But what struck me this morning was that this really is an act of love, more so than just the gifts you get on special occasions, or the fancy-schmancy dinners that are planned ahead of time. It is these very things that get taken for granted on a daily basis. The little things we do for each other that demonstrate love in bite sized pieces. Though I love the large acts of love (like planning for holidays together, date nights etc), it is these little things that keep my emotional tank full on a daily basis.

I believe it is these very things that make me feel so loved and cherished these past 8 years. I just hope and pray that I am as good a wife as Alex is a great husband. Growing up as the youngest child in the family, I am used to being pampered, so my selfish nature is something I have to battle with constantly. Over the years, through our heartaches and arguments, I have learnt what it means to live less for myself and more for others. Marriage is one relationship instituted by God that truly brings out the best and worst in you.

So my dear, I am sorry for the times that I might have taken you for granted all these years. With God’s help, I hope our marriage will continue to strengthen through and through. Love you heaps.

Oh, and here’s a reminder of our wedding vows said 8 years ago!

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Pre-Wedding: Steven & Marilyn

Years ago, I met Steven for the first time at a Christmas party organised by my church cell group. Marilyn and I attend the same group and so one day, she brought along this guy ‘friend’. I didn’t really get to know Steven very well personally over the years, but over the past few months, with the wedding coming up, I discovered he can be a pretty romantic guy, totally detailed and meticulous, funny, and loves to joke.

If you got to know Marilyn, you’d say that she is one of the most bubbly persons you’d probably ever met with a high pitched laugh. She is always tickled by something, which means she constantly has a smile or laugh on her face. I love that. She has a heart of gold, always looking out for others, self-less, loves God with her whole soul, and wears her heart on her sleeve. Over the years, I have been so blessed by this friendship, so photographing their engagement / pre-wedding photos was a privilege.

Here’s just a few sneak pics from their pre-wedding session…photographed by myself and Jamie. The rest will debut on their wedding day this December! :)

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Canon Family Portraiture Workshop

20140803_CANON_FAMILY_WORKSHOP_09In half a day, 25 participants were taught the basics of what makes a great family portrait even better and were even given the opportunity to photograph real families! Chaos reigned supreme during the shoot as with all normal family portrait sessions, and together, we perspired, jiggled rattles, played games, and simply had fun. It was my first workshop specifically on family portraiture, and though I had spoken at many workshops and seminars before, this one felt a little different.

I am thankful to Canon (yay, thanks Chris, Shing Eu and Kevin!) for being the main sponsor for this workshop, and for giving me the opportunity as to speak as their EOS Academy Instructor. We also got to test out the PIXMA Pro-10 printer which was great! I loved the prints that came out of it, so this one’s a keeper! We’ll definitely be printing more images and displaying it around our studio soon.

I’d also like to thank Diane, Jamie and Alex for assisting me on this day because no successful workshop can be done alone.

Here’s some photos from the workshop over the weekend, held at Tropicana Golf & Country Club.

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