Photography

Beach wedding at Four Seasons, Langkawi: Chris & Lydia

Langkawi’s one of our favourite locations for beach weddings in Malaysia. The blue skies and gorgeous sunsets never cease to amaze us. No wonder some city folk I know have uprooted themselves and made Langkawi their home over the past few years! Chris and Lydia had their KL wedding ceremony a week before their Langkawi leg, and what a good choice it was! After their church ceremony in KL, it was party time in Langkawi! The vibe was relaxing and everyone was just out to have a good time. Enjoy the wonderful photography by Weiming and Nigel.

20150711-WEDDING_CHRIS_LYDIA_LANGKAWI-01 Here’s some advice from Chris and Lydia on how to plan a beach wedding:

We chose Four Seasons because we wanted our guests to feel like they’re on holiday at a resort the moment they arrive. Furthermore the beautiful architecture of the bulidings and the landscaped gardens by the beach helped add to the getaway feel.

It is essential to have a Plan B for outdoor weddings and we felt comfortable with Four Season’s in case it rains. The rhu bar at Four Seasons is an open air shaded area overlooking the beach which can be converted to accommodate the wedding ceremony if needed. And since we wanted to be as close to the beach as possible, rain or shine, this was perfect!

The beach can be extremely hot especially during the dry, hot months. So choose the cooler months and dress appropriately. We wanted a more casual wedding and thus didn’t opt for the full suit and tie. Our overseas guests certainly appreciated that they could pack light :)

We also provided some additional items for our guests like sunglasses, mosquito repellent, heel stoppers, sun block, hand fans, and snacks. There were also rental cars for their use in case they needed them to head out to the city. Guests will definitely appreciate these little thoughts when they arrive at your location.

Lastly, it’s important just to enjoy the moment and the whole occasion with the family and friends who have made the journey. Talk and mingle, laugh and reminisce. Time really flies when you’re having fun and before you know it, the day will be over.

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Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Family Portraits: Andrew, Lani & the kids

It was through my sister’s friendship with Lani that I got to know her. Random conversations at my sister’s home in Malaysia, usually over Chinese New Year or some BBQ/mee siam party that my sister is always organising. When my team and I were in Singapore for shoot some time back, we had the opportunity to photograph Lani’s family. Since I was not available then, Jamie went to do this shoot, and I think she had a great time with this young, energetic family. I must say, Lani and Andrew look really really good together. You would hardly think that this youthful looking couple would be the parents of 3 teenage (or almost teenage) children. I think the glow must come from all that love and connection in this family. So much heart. :)

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Grace Tan In Portraits, Pre-Wedding & Engagement Portraits

Portraits at Fort Canning, Singapore: Dave & Cynthia

Years ago, Cynthia and I were just college students, talking about which mamak to go to for a yumcha session, or which movie to watch with our group of friends. We talked about life, about friendships and our future. Since then, we’ve both moved on to build our own lives… and Cynthia is now married to Dave, with a life of their own in Singapore. But she’s still the fun-going (yet ever responsible) Cynthia I know. Nothing that much has changed. And yet so much has. We had fun going around Fort Canning Park one evening, just doing some casual portraits. Lots of love to the both of you!

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Grace Tan In Casual Portraits, Family + Children Portraits, Portraits, Studio

Graduation Shoot: Jolina & Janisha

Graduation portraits have since moved on from being stiff images posed in front of a fake bookshelf, holding certificates with an equally forced smile. Come on…everyone is young, energetic, about to take on challenges that the world is about to give them… these portraits should be bursting with energy! We’re pleased to have had Jolina and her friend Janisha over at our studio recently for their graduation photos.

It’s obvious they were really good friends as the session was filled with lots of fun, under Jamie’s direction as photographer. Jolina is no stranger to us, as years ago, I photographed her sister Angela’s wedding and also Angela’s graduation photos. So we’re really pleased to have photographed her family again this year. I was also excited to hear that they have a wall full of canvases at home, covered with photos that we have taken through the years. :)

Oh, and there was also something special that happened at this session… our other photographer Nigel who assisted Jamie at this session met Jolina for the first time at the studio… Well, all I have to say is that we at Stories sometimes provide matchmaking services. *GRIN*

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Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

Holy Rosary Church Wedding: Chris & Lydia

It was 2012. Lydia and Chris had just returned to KL from their respective stints studying and working abroad. Chris was in Melbourne for 8 years and Lydia on the other end of the continent in UK for 6 years. It was somehow a simple twist of fate that brought them back to Malaysia at that same time, and to the same company.

They bonded over having to adapt back to the Malaysian lifestyle….chats ranging from anything to everything, including conversations about weird old/new Malaysian coins, crazy Asian bosses, terrible drivers, triple flyovers, having to live with parents, good food, and shopping after 6pm. In the end, those late nights at work paid off for the both of them.

His cheeky and extroverted nature coupled with his knack for planning and organising events attracted Lydia to him. (and Lydia says, it makes her a lucky wife!). Chris says that Lydia may be tough on the outside, but is a total softie at heart. She loves her alone time at home and secretly loves to cook and clean. Which in my opinion, makes for a lucky husband!!

Chris and Lydia had a 2 part wedding – the first was their church wedding at the Holy Rosary Church in Brickfields and a dinner at Grand Hyatt, KL and the second part was a beach wedding at the Four Seasons Resort in Langkawi. These set of beautiful images were photographed by Weiming and Nigel. Enjoy part one!

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