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Grace Tan In International, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Weddings

Highlights for 2009

I have much to be grateful for in 2009. Through the brand Wedding Story, the team has traveled to many different locations and countries for wedding shoots. It’s been an exciting journey for me, as I’ve grown in my photography career and as a business owner. I’ve lost weight, felt the size of my eye bags growing, but it’s all worth it. The joy that I experience from doing something I am truly passionate about is overwhelming.

Working out of passion instead of the call of ‘duty’ creates meaning in my life. It’s because I truly believe that in every wedding I photograph, I am creating a legacy of images for the couple. That when they look at these images, and remember the joy they felt on that day, it is all worth it. There is a purpose to it, greater than just taking ‘pretty images’.

I appreciate Kee Sitt, Sharon and my husband Alex for all their advice and for journeying together the past few years. Life is exciting, and I am sure that 2010 has more surprises in store for us around the corner!

Here are 2 highlights that I’d like to share with you. They are compilations of various weddings & portraits photographed in 2009.

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Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Outdoor Weddings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Weddings

Sam & Caryn’s Garden Wedding

Sam & Caryn exude a warmth that makes it hard not to like them. Even from the moment I got to know them, they treated me like an old time friend. Caryn loves to laugh, and she has an amazing smile. They have such attention to detail, I love every bit of the deco they created for their wedding! Mark was so awed by the beauty of their garden wedding that he told me, “I’m seriously considering a garden wedding now!” It was a pleasure photographing their wedding.

Look at their deco! Everything was so well thought out.

Grace Tan In Life, Musings

Jerry Ghionis Seminar, KL

The room was packed with photographers. Of course, who would miss out on the chance to meet world renowned photographer Jerry Ghionis for only RM350? Naturally, this wasn’t a personalized workshop with Jerry, but we had the privilege of hearing him speak for a full day. Before we started, the kiasu 3 of us – Mark, Ian and myself got a photo with Jerry. I was surprised when he lifted me! Must have been easy peasy since I am really light.

Jerry shared with us his life, about how he started in the business of wedding photography, how to market ourselves, how to pose, how to look at light… etc. In a couple of hours, we absorbed as much as we could. If you sign up for his 5 day workshop, you’ll get to learn all these in detail.

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Outdoor Weddings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Weddings

Albert & Michelle, Garden Wedding at Cyberview Lodge, Part2

In any outdoor wedding, there is some sort of anxiety about how the weather will turn out. Will it rain? Will it be too hot? Will there be a breeze? But for Albert & Michelle’s wedding, it was just… perfect. The sun was up, but it wasn’t scorching. Makes for lovely light!

The theme was purple, white and silver.

I love the way these rose petals sat in Albert & Michelle’s wedding invite.

Albert sang as Michelle walked down the aisle. So lovely!

Grace Tan In Outdoor Weddings, Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits, Weddings

Albert & Michelle, Garden wedding at Cyberview Lodge

Michelle probably planned her wedding years ago. While some couples are uncertain about where to start looking for reliable vendors, Michelle knows them all. And this is because she has planned many other weddings before. No, she’s not married multiple times – Michelle is one of the wedding planners in my church and she has helped countless couples in their wedding preparations.

She knew where to go for the best bargains, where to purchase unique wedding favours, and also scouted all the cool locations in town.

And so, there are lots of yummy details that went into their wedding. Photos by Grace & Ian Chong.

Lovely gown by That Special Occasion.

The cool heng tais…

The things they had to do!! Since Albert & Michelle are close friends of ours, my poor husband Alex had to be one of the heng tais as well! (he’s the one of the right)