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Sonia and Reyhan’s Sikh Wedding

It has been a while since I last photographed a Sikh wedding. I love the wonderful details that colour cultural weddings like these. It makes me really happy. :) Sonia and I used to be colleagues years ago. She was a really good project manager and is a really detailed person. It really showed in her wedding, because she had wrapped and labelled all her items needed for the wedding… placed in bags for when she needed them. Row upon row, she detailed everything in her excel sheet. She also had an emergency kit for the day which included an umbrella, drinks, food, toiletries, and even a Rubik’s cube! (I think the Rubik’s cube was for the driver in case he was bored! haha).

Reyhan completes Sonia by being her solid rock. He’s patient and kind, one of the traits that attracted Sonia to him in the first place. What amazed me was that he used to drive all the way from his home to hers to send her to work even though it was an hour off his route to work! That’s dedication and love!

Reyhan and Sonia’s wedding was really memorable because they are really sporting and fun people. So many different expressions, lots of laughter, silly faces, and amazing dancing! No Punjabi wedding will be complete without dancing! We had heaps of fun photographing their Sikh temple wedding and then a church wedding the day after.

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Sonia and Reyhan says:

We’ve known for a few years now that we would love for you to photograph our wedding day. We’re grateful that we were able to book your time on the 13th and 14th of December! Thank you for all your hard work over those two days in taking all those lovely photos for us and preparing them for the slideshow at dinner.

We appreciate that you guys woke up at insanely early hours to come over to our homes to take photos of us getting dressed. Grace, I was yawning away during my makeup and hair session on the 13th so it was awesome when you arrived and helped wake me up with your chirpiness.

Thank you for your creative input throughout the events. We have had at least 15 guests tell us that your slideshow at dinner was amazing. And we agree wholeheartedly! Some of the feedback we received was from people whose photography styles we ourselves look up to, so it was really very exciting for us to hear from them. One person said that you took unique photos and expressions that they have never seen before and another told us that it was so beautiful, they nearly cried.

Thank you for your patience with us when we ate into your portrait time as we kept getting caught by guests! And thank you also for your patience with some guests who got in your way while you were working.

Diane, thank you for all the preparation work and for your prompt communications in the months prior to our wedding. Of all the vendors at our wedding, Stories gave us the best experience from asking the right questions to being patient with us when we had delays in responding to you.

All in all it has been a wonderful experience working with you.

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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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Family Portraits: Marcus & Su Leen

As a parent, I hear comments from people saying that it’s always easier to take care of little girls compared to boys. They are sweet, easy going and easier to manage than boys. Also, it’s fun to dress them up. Honestly, I am not too sure how true this claim is, but as a parent of a little girl, I must say, I enjoy her very very much. Of course, if you have TWO little girls, that is double the fun. Especially when they are cute and sweet as Marcus and Su Leen’s kids – Isabel and Caitlin.

Diane and I truly blessed to have met this family recently. We had a good time eating roti canai and walking the park together. I first tried breaking the ice by singing my favourite kids song “Wheels on the Bus”. But I was told by the kids that their favourite song was “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift. Gee, within half a second, I felt outdated. Haha…

It did take them some time to warm up to us, but at the end of the session, we were like good friends.

Thanks for the fun, girls!

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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.

Turning 30: Joanne

How strange it is that the older we grow, we realize we’ve never truly left our youth? When my dad was in his 70s, he kept telling us stories of when he was in Kirby College, how he almost got frostbite during a particularly cold winter. Last year, I also celebrated my brother’s 50th birthday…and during that celebration, we partied like he was 20. I am also reminded of my 50+ year old aunt turning 60, but still doing bunny ears in photos.

I sometimes wonder if each of us really does have an inner child within us, even though our exterior doesn’t say so.

Joanne recently hit a huge milestone in her life. She turned 30. An age where you begin to feel that you have this idea of identity all figured out in your life. The 20s is an age where you discover the world is your oyster… you can do almost anything you want in life. Almost. (If only money was not a problem!)

But in your 30s… you feel more secure, confident, and wiser. I like how Joanne puts it…

“I wanted to do this photo shoot cause I’d like to have something physical to look back on, as the years pass me by. At 30, i feel wiser than i was at 20. At the same time, i know I’ve still got some way to go, and life has lots more to teach me. What’s in the year/years ahead?”

Joanne, I hope the years ahead will bring you to more places than you’ve ever dreamed was possible. I hope you also never lose your inner child. One that has innocence and wonder at the world around us. May God bless your journey.

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