malacca

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

#NicHil wedding

If you have your very own Twitter hashtag for your wedding, you are automatically in the ‘cool but geeky’ crowd. And if you have no idea what a hashtag is, then you’d better find out, so that you can be cool. But Nic immediately upped the cool factor by chartering a bus to transport his friends and family from Singapore to Malacca for his wedding.

Cheng Leng (also known as Hillary) and Nicholas are friends of mine. Cheng Leng and I have known each other for years, since we were both in school. Then in college, we saw each other almost every other day… had meals together, went to pasar malam together, hung out with the same friends… we had a great time. After we graduated, Cheng Leng worked in KL for a while, but then she moved to Singapore a few years ago. I felt sad to see her go, but thank God for social media networks like Facebook. We kept in touch through the years.

It was great that I could witness the wedding ceremony of Nicholas and Cheng Leng. I wasn’t meant to be there for the wedding, but due to some turn of events, I could be there as a guest! I managed to sneak a few shots during the wedding (all the time a little worried if I was being an ‘Uncle Bob’ to the official photographer).

Presenting, the gorgeous bride…

The one thing that immediately stands out about Cheng Leng – Her smile. She is such a warm and sincere person. I miss her hugs a lot. :)

So I had to give her a BIG hug.

Grace Tan In Life, Musings, Relationships

Chinese New Year Musings

I am always really happy whenever my family gets together and is complete. Chinese New Year is one of those times… when my brother comes back from the States and we can all sit together, enjoy a Starbucks coffee or o-chien and laugh over silly things. This year, he’s only in Malaysia for a week. The problem about time is that it just flies by so quickly. Soon, it’s time to say goodbye. Unwillingly.

Speaking about goodbyes, my entire family, including my brother’s friend Ariel who’s visiting from the US, helped to clear up our Malacca house over Chinese New Year. Some say that it’s pantang or bad luck to do that during CNY, but to us, it’s about being practical. I wrote about my home in Malacca some time back. This Chinese New Year, we cleared a lot of things, and said goodbye to many items that held memories. Some things will be kept purely because it’s sentimental, but lots of stuff will just need to be put aside, just like these plants that were left to fend for themselves.

My mom’s collection of recipes. Sadly I did not inherit her cooking skills.

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Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Pre-Wedding in Malacca: Jasmine & Kwan Seng

Photographer: Grace, assisted by Weiming
Make Up & Hair: Angie Ng
Wedding Gown: That Special Occasion
Location: Malacca

Football was what connected the both of them. It helped too that they both supported the same team, Man U! In between games, while cheering on their favourite team, slowly but surely, Kwan Seng was scoring with Jasmine too. And so it happened. Two individuals with similar interests started sharing time together. And now it’s leading to a lifetime together.

Initially, it didn’t start out all nice and rosy. In fact, on their first date, Jasmine had to pick Kwan Seng up and drive him to their date location… According to her, he didn’t offer to drive. In another incident, a few dates later, he apparently ‘forgot’ to bring his wallet out. Guess who paid. But I guess it was all part of Kwan Seng’s endearing plan to charm Jasmine. Good thing for him, Jasmine is a forgiving and accepting person. :)

It’s been a while since I went back to my hometown for a photo shoot. I had heaps of fun doing their portraits, from classic poses to fun photos… you can tell that they are extremely versatile! We started our shoot at the beautiful Peranakan themed Courtyard@Heeren hotel.

Grace Tan In Life, Musings

Meaningful objects

I guess I am a little sentimental. These things make me feel a little sad. You see, it reminds me of the past. Of laughter, sadness, anger, love… all the emotions that were experienced in this home. And then it brings my thoughts to the present. And what life is really like right now.

I visited my old home in Malacca today. It’s been empty for almost a year now. My parents have moved up to KL since it is no longer feasible for them to live on their own. But when I opened the doors and stepped onto the dusty floor of my living room, I felt as if time had just stood still. Everything was there where it was left months ago. The towel still on the chair, the toothpaste at the sink, the old Maggi mee that I had to throw away, photos of my family…

It was just there.

As if waiting for someone to claim them back.

It is inevitable. My siblings and I need to make the time to pack up the old things and sell the house, but there’s been many memories of this place and I’ve always called it home. But life is temporal and things change.

So, it is time to move on.

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Weddings

Pierre & Lay See, Holiday Inn, Melaka

One week prior to Pierre & Lay See’s actual wedding day, they had another grand dinner. This time, it was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Malacca. The theme: Chinese. I absolutely love the thought that went into every little detail of the wedding. Definitely one of the best decorated dinner halls I have ever seen! Don’t you agree with me?