He definitely wins the happiest baby of the year award. Since I started my photography career 9 years ago, I don’t think I have ever met a baby quite like Joash. He is such an amazing, happy smiley baby, who just completely worked it out for the camera! Look at that face, you could be having the worst day at work, but you would feel happy just seeing his image! I am sure he brings lots of joy to his parents Daniel and Spring. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Traditional Libyan wedding outfit
A few months ago, I was approached to photograph two very interesting weddings. Both were Middle Eastern weddings and required an all-female photography and videography team here in Kuala Lumpur. Since I love a challenge (despite not speaking Arabic) and have always been fascinated with Middle Eastern culture (I’ve read lots of biographies especially of women living in this region), I decided it would be wonderful if I could photograph these weddings! Somehow, I gained favour in the eyes of the couples, and my team was engaged to cover their events.
The first couple was from Yemen. They were originally meant to be wed in their home country, but because of the civil war that is still ongoing, they had to move their wedding to Malaysia. Up to one week before the wedding, they weren’t sure if their family could come for the wedding as the Yemen airport was closed due to unrest. Thankfully, the couple had already left Yemen by then, and were sure that at least they would be there to attend their own wedding! This couple have known each other for a few months before getting married.
The second couple was from Libya. I really had a tough time communicating in English for this wedding but thankfully, even though I couldn’t understand their verbal language, I understood universal body language! I found out that this couple have only known each other for 2 months and that the groom worked with the bride’s father.
One common theme during the two weddings were the separation of gender during the parties. I knew that it would happen, but I never understood how it would unfold on the wedding day. Interestingly, both cultures had different standings on how strict they were on allowing men to view them unveiled. I am not sure if it was specific to these families, or it was a cultural thing. The Yemeni family I photographed was particularly strict about this, so there were two grand entrances (one with the bride only to a roomful of unveiled women), and then the bride and groom to the same room of women who covered themselves again before the groom entered the room. There was a lot of cheering, clapping and singing as the couple made their entrance. Many of the women who were at the Yemeni party specifically told us not to photograph or film them, so it felt a little strange for me to mainly focus on the couple during the wedding. Naturally, I had to respect their wishes but it was not possible to completely ignore all guests! (one lady specifically made me delete her photo from my camera when she saw that I had photographed her). I found it challenging knowing who I could photograph and who I couldn’t.
However, at the Libyan wedding, the guests kept on asking for photos (repeatedly and in many different poses)! It was quite entertaining, really! Continue Reading
Zeen (Also known as groom)
Definition: Uncle-ish. Traditional. Quiet. Detail oriented. Organized. Smart. Superboy. Weirdo. Worries about being a weirdo. Shy. Not sure of the differences between onions and spring onions.
Janet (Also known as bride)
Definition: A bit out of this world. Has a wild imagination. Crafty. Slow. Stubborn. Loveable. Laughs a lot. Lazy. Messy. Optimistic. Childish. Loves pretty things. Loves quirky things. Very sticky with her groom (like glue).
Little Miss Quirky Janet introduced herself as an alien from Mars. That certainly caught Zeen’s attention at a friend’s birthday party. He thought she was silly and pretty much a cute girl, very childlike and happy. Somehow, these two hit it off, and it was as if the puzzle pieces just fit. Their conversations started off one way, but then the other could just complete it easily. Hours of conversations never bored them. The connection they share is so cute, their friends say they are like little children.
Somehow, their differences made up for each other’s lack, and that’s how the puzzle fit together. When they encounter problems, they never ceased communicating, and that was what brought them even closer together. Faith, hope and love were the key phrases that they hung on to, especially during the 2 years of long distance relationship when one was in UK and the other in KL.
And so, one day, Zeen decided he needed to spend the rest of his life with Janet. He proposed and their entire life’s history changed from that moment on!
It’s our favourite time of the year and we’re spreading a little cheer! We’re shaving off more than RM1,000 off our Luxe Pre-wedding package and have partnered with awesome vendors to bring you great value as you head towards 2016. Other pre-wedding packages (starting from RM1,500) also have a discounted rate of 10% if you book before 31st December 2015.
Terms & Conditions:
They came all the way from Mangalore, India to Malaysia for a holiday, and what better way to remember this trip than to organise a post-wedding photo shoot with us! It was also to celebrate Rakshita’s birthday, which I thought was such a nice gift! Nithin and Rakshita are such naturals in front of the camera, you would have thought that they were actors (In real life, Nithin’s a doctor!). I hope we made your trip very memorable, and please do come back to visit again one day. If I ever visit Mangalore, expect a call or email from me too! :)
