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Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Malay Weddings, Musings, Outdoor Weddings, Tips + Ideas, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Unicorn Galaxy Wedding Dessert Themed Styled Shoot

The studio was abuzz with excitement over a styled shoot we were doing in collaboration with The Wedding Scoop, Shaun Teo Creations and Marble & Co. It was exciting because this was a Unicorn Galaxy – Themed Wedding Dessert Table styled shoot!

When the unicorn cake was brought out, everyone let out “oohs” and “ahhs” in unison. It was so pretty! And the cupcakes, cake pops, chocolates and pudding cups were equally as mesmerizing. The folks from Marble & Co went to work with laying out the lavish dessert table with all the goodies while we snapped away and videoed the whole process.

Nobody could bring themselves to cut into the unicorn cake but the honour went to the man who made the masterpiece, Shaun. We can testify that the cake tasted as good as it looked! It was such a fun session which was brought together by The Wedding Scoop, and we think a dessert table like this at your wedding would look stunning!

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Family Portraits in Melbourne, Australia: Lawrence & Grace

When Grace spoke to me about taking their family portraits in her daughter’s school and their house backyard, I thought it was a great idea! Naturally, Australian schools look much more interesting than Malaysian schools! These locations hold so much sentimental value for this family especially for Amber. Their backyard has a gorgeous, colourful cubby house assembled by Amber’s dad. When I showed the photo of this cubby house to my daughter Krysta, she immediately asked for one too! (Over to you, Alex).

Lawrence and Grace are going to be renovating this house in Melbourne sometime soon, so this photo session marks a season in their life. One day, they will look back at these images and remember how much fun they had together as a family in this backyard. Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Church Weddings, Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Weddings

Church Wedding: Vignesh & Rubini

The thought that struck me when I first met Vignesh and Rubini was that, “She is a really meticulous person, with perfect memory!” It was because of her comment… that she remembered meeting my son, Kyle, 3 years ago in church. I was amazed that she could recall such detail and Vignesh reaffirmed that she has the memory of an elephant. (good luck to you, Vignesh… *just kidding*)

Their wedding was simple and beautiful. I loved how Rubini’s dad surprised her that morning by walking out in a tuxedo when she didn’t expect it. Their family connections were strong and the love shared is real. Rubini looked gorgeous in a white saree and Vignesh looked pretty hot too! It was my first time at the Tamil Methodist Church in Brickfields, and seeing this quaint little church made me all excited.

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Leaving on a Jet Plane: Samuel & Griselda

We have photographed a number of expat families in Malaysia, which is really special, because we feel as if we are part of this transitionary stage of their lives. For expats, the experience of moving to a new country, settling in, finding new friends and then, finally uprooting again is one filled with emotions and nostalgia. Between these seasons, it’s wonderful to remember the place you called home for a few years. It’s quite common for us to have sessions in homes before the big move happens, just like what Samuel and Griselda did.

We are so honoured that they chose us to photograph their family twice in the time they were living in Malaysia. We’re glad that we are part of their special memories.

If you are an expat thinking of how to document your journey visually, have a look at this beautifully written article by a diplomat’s wife, and be inspired.

Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Musings, Portraits, Tips + Ideas

Photographing Children With Autism

We rarely photograph families with children with special needs like autism, and we wondered if it was because parents were simply too intimidated by the whole process. We decided to work with the nice folks from Early Autism Project Malaysia to equip ourselves as well as make a video to provide some tips on how to manage a family photo shoot session with a child with autism.

We started off with an interview with Jochebed Isaacs from EAP Malaysia who gave us some insights into the specialised therapy offered at their centre for children with autism. We were later introduced to Juan and Nancy, who welcomed us into their home for a photo shoot session with their sons Danny and Tommy. The experience proved to be quite tough but we soldiered on and even received hugs from Danny at the end!

Here are some of the pointers we picked up through this experience:

1. It is important to communicate with the child
Prepare in advance before the session. Communicate clearly what is to happen and what is expected of him. The use of visuals like schedules, social stories and role-plays help to familiarise the child to the event and venue, the people involved (especially if they are unfamiliar to the child), the flow of events and the special equipment used (like the camera!). It should also spell out the rules and expectations.
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