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Grace Tan
In Life, Musings, Relationships

Life, Love and Death

Video from KarmaTube

My sister shared this video with me recently. It was really sad and yet heart-warming to listen to this true story about a couple’s love for each other. If you’re super Malaysian like me, it’s pretty hard to understand the thick accent, so you need to listen really carefully to catch what they are saying. I don’t think it was just my pregnancy hormones, but I cried when I watched this video.

Everyone wants to be loved.

Everyone wants to feel a love so deep, so true, so faithful and so everlasting in life.

In some ways, I feel blessed. I have this amazing relationship with Alex and I can truly say that I love this man so much, much more today than the day I  married him 6 years ago. He’s traveling a lot this month, leaving me alone for days at a time. Even before he leaves, I start missing him already… sometimes I think I might have attachment issues. But this time alone makes me think about life…and also death.

I pray that God will allow us to grow old together, experience many wonders together, build a beautiful family and go on many adventures together. I think about all those newspaper articles where I read of people going through accidents and losing a loved one before their time is up, or people suffering from terminal illnesses. It really saddens me.

Alex is always very candid about this issue – if God takes him back early, it’s always because He allows it for a reason. And he always jokes… “I’ll allow you to marry again!”

Our conversations always end up the same… I argue with him that it’s better if God allowed me to go first, then I don’t have to suffer the agony of being here on earth without him.

Sigh. Who can predict the future? How will I know how much time I have with my loved ones? All that matters is today.

Show them love. Unabashed, not holding back, wholehearted.

Grace Tan
In Outdoor Weddings, Weddings

Cyberview Lodge Garden Wedding: Chris & Anusha

She thought of her early conversations with him, and how he envisioned her in this gorgeous white wedding gown… and she felt sad. Not because they weren’t going to tie the knot, in fact, he had already proposed… but she felt sad that if she only had a Hindu temple wedding, his dream wouldn’t come to pass.

Though finances were tight, they went ahead and planned for a garden wedding ceremony too. And his dream of seeing her in a gorgeous white wedding gown came to pass.

Chris and Anusha, the both of you look stunning!

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Grace Tan
In Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Weddings

Hindu Temple Wedding: Chris & Anusha

It was a case of love at first sight.

It felt almost like a fairy tale, except this story came true. Christopher had traveled all the way from UK to Malaysia, for his brother Robert’s wedding in early 2011. Incidentally, Robert was marrying one of Anusha’s girlfriends. About a week before the wedding, everyone went out for a party, and it was there that Chris met Anusha for the first time. At that moment, they clicked instantly and chatted for a long time… and they were both smitten. It happened out of nowhere, yet it felt so right.

The next few days, Anusha brought Chris around KL sightseeing and even met his parents for dinner within the short 2 days that they got to know each other. By the time they left for Langkawi, they were practically inseparable and started to really fall for each other…

“We were totally oblivious to our surroundings… What was even more romantic, was that he told me during dinner what he’d wear one day when he got married and that he could imagine me in a white dress and that I’d be really beautiful. It was all so genuine and real. Even my friends were noticing that this was more than just a holiday romance. It was something really serious, especially for a couple who had just met.” – Anusha –

Soon, realization set in that Chris was due back in England in a couple of days. They had a serious conversation about their relationship and mutually decided that they were going to do what it takes to make this relationship work. That was the start of a heartbreaking long distance relationship (not to mention expensive!). But thank God for technology, they could also date via Skype, whatsapp, viber… and what was amazing that the distance did not break them apart, but brought them even closer to one another.

Chris started making plans to move to Malaysia, but he didn’t have a job… yet. He googled for potential expat jobs in Malaysia and Anusha was scrutinizing countless recruitment websites and newspapers. Some time in June 2011, Chris heard from a local international school who wanted to give him a phone interview as a design and technology teacher. Within 2 weeks, he got the job, and he would have to start work in Malaysia by August!

However, Chris had to pack up his 27 years of UK life, all the way from North Yorkshire, into a suitcase and move to a totally foreign country, to the hustle and bustle of PJ!

“We had no doubts, no fears… just excitement of being together and starting a life. I sourced for potential accommodation for us (made sure it was near a gym, supermarket, etc so that it would be accessible for him) and helped him make the move. It was not easy, initially leaving everything he has been used to in the UK… the lifestyle, his flourishing DJ-ing and music career, his parents and family members, his best friends, the food (he still can’t take nasi lemak!), the weather, the culture… but I can honestly say that going through this journey together has brought us a lot closer. And I too, was willing to give up my time and effort to make sure that he was truly happy and settled here in Malaysia. 

On Sept 28th, my 27th birthday, much to my surprise and happiness, he proposed to me and of course I said yes! I had no idea it was going to come this soon, but it felt sooooo right and we were ecstatic!” – Anusha – 

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Grace Tan
In Chinese Weddings, Testimonials, Weddings

The Wedding of Tim & Doreen

I have good intentions to blog a wedding immediately after the shoot, but my good intentions never seem to become a reality. Currently, my blog posts are about 2 months behind schedule… we have so much to share but I have a hard time trying to catch up! So today, I am going to break the trend and skip a few other weddings at the moment to blog Tim and Doreen’s wedding photos.

Honestly, our first conversation over Skype and subsequent meet up felt a little tense. They were disagreeing about a few things regarding the wedding, and I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. But on the wedding day, everything changed, and Tim and Doreen were just grinning from ear to ear. They were just so relaxed with each other in front of our cameras. Ben and Weiming did a great job photographing alongside with me, and supporting me whenever I felt exhausted. All the night shots were taken by them since I was already home resting by then! :)

Tim and Doreen wrote a really wonderful testimonial for us which I’d like to share here:

“We would like to thank you and your team for our special day. From when you met us the day before to go through all the proceedings and putting up with us at a time when we were both stressed out beyond belief, you made everything seem easy and it was one less thing for us to worry about knowing we were in good hands. Your enthusiasm and energy carried us through the wedding and all our guests said how great you were plus the fact you were carrying a ‘mini me’ in your tummy.

The impromptu photo shoot after the tea ceremony for me was unexpected but we are so grateful you did this for us and it has made our day even more memorable.

The slide show for dinner which was made in such a short time still has my mum in tears and you captured Doreen’s amazing beauty which made me so proud to be her husband (you also made me look good in a couple of pictures which must make you a miracle worker).

Again a big THANK YOU from us, you and your team were brilliant. ”

Cheers,
Tim and Doreen

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Grace Tan
In Portraits,

A funky pre-wedding in KLPAC: Kenny & Grace

The 3 of us have something in common. Kenny, Grace and I. Of course, the fact that Grace’s name is Grace, scores like, 100 points with me.  All Graces are cool. :)

But no, Kenny’s middle name is not Grace. The common ground we all share is the fact that each of us worked at the same place at one point in our lives. Many years ago, when I was a freelance video editor, I was based in a company called Edit House, and that was where I met Kenny for the first time. My first impression of him was that he was a really friendly and chatty guy. After my 2 month job ended, I left and we didn’t really keep in touch after that. Some time later, Grace joined the same company and that’s where they both met.

Sometime this year, I got a call from Kenny, and surprisingly I still had his number stored there! We chatted and he told me about his wedding and wanting to do a pre-wedding photo shoot – sorta gothic style, sorta street grungy and yet silly. When I met Grace for the first time, I thought…wow, they seem sooooo different! She came across as this sweet, gentle girl who spoke softly. Opposites attract?

But then again, as the shoot progressed, I realized she also had this funky and silly streak in her that matched Kenny’s. :)

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