Photography

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Testimonials, Weddings

Wedding at Grand Hyatt, KL: En Ruey & Jas Min

One of the most wonderful things about being a wedding photographer is the ability to connect with others on a deeper level, one that goes beyond a client-vendor relationship. Ever since I discovered the wedding photography industry, my life has changed for the better. I have developed friendships and have photographed families as they grow through the years. En Ruey and Jas Min are one of those couples who are now my friends. To date, we’ve photographed their pre-wedding shoot, wedding, En Ruey’s family portraits and Jas Min’s parent’s birthdays. I look forward to spending more time with this wonderful family as we mature in life.

I’ll let them share their story and thoughts about the wedding as you view the photos below.

20140111_WEDDING_ENRUEY_JASMIN_0636 How They Met

“We both were classmates in high school during F4 & F5. Amazingly we never really met each other until then. I think our classmates were even more amazed that we even got together despite all the bantering, yelling and slinging books at each other across the classroom. To be honest, at that age, there wasn’t really any “he’s the one” sort of moment and this was of course compounded by our breakup 6 months into the relationship.

But after two years of being apart, he realised he had made a mistake and asked me to be his girlfriend again. It didn’t help that about a few weeks after, we went to uni in different parts of the UK separated by a very expensive 4 hour plus train ride. To me, the gradual pacing of our relationship coupled with his maturity in handling all my ‘crisises’ allowed me to see him as someone very suitable for the long run (read: husband material). It also helped that despite the distance and only being able to meet up every 2-3 months, we very rarely had any fights or arguments. That to me proved that we were very much in sync with each other.”

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Grace Tan In International, Life, Musings, Relationships, Tips + Ideas

Reconnecting: New Zealand and Australia

I recently took 2 weeks off and headed south to the beautiful land where orcs, hobbits and dragons reside (if only in movies). It was a good time spent with my husband Alex, daughter Krysta and my 2 elderly aunts, Yan (from Melbourne) and Choo (from Malacca). Our main purpose in traveling to Australia was my aunt Yan’s 70th birthday celebration in Melbourne. But before that, we had a little road trip of our own.

I had a marvellous time driving past scenic mountains, quaint villages and lots and lots of sheep. It was a good time reconnecting with family members and just making time for each other. I spent hours playing with Krysta, moving stickers from the sheet to the floor, to my face… lots of time walking and having long conversations about life and family, jumping on the trampoline with a friend’s 6 year old in Auckland, and playing charades in a picnic with all my relatives in Melbourne (age group ranging from 16 months to 70+). What a blast!

It reminded me that we need to take time off to smell the roses and connect with people around us in the midst of our busy schedules. I read this article recently about 50 reasons why you may be unhappy in life, and one of the many listed were neglecting personal relationships. I believe that with all my heart. There’s this desire in every one of us to connect on a deeper level with other people around us, and if that connection is broken, our lives feel a little empty. Perhaps it is from a hurt or unforgiveness from the past. Maybe it is time to let go, and find out way back again, and reconnect.

OnthewaytoMilford

On another note, I often get comments on how easy Krysta is as a little traveler. Here are some of my thoughts on how to make life easier while traveling with a baby.

1. Pack light, wash clothes and only bring what is absolutely necessary! (Leave that flask behind… including all sorts of ‘nice to haves’ at home. You can probably make do without some of your usual comforts. We only packed these items for Krysta – some clothes, 2 milk bottles, milk powder, diapers, pacifiers, 2 pairs of shoes, a pack of stickers, a small amount of dishwashing liquid to clean the bottles, stroller, Baby Bjorn, no toys)

2. Find creative ways to keep the child entertained – This includes letting her play with everyday items like clothes pegs found at the apartment where we stayed at.

3. Train the child to sleep anywhere – Ok I guess not every family is like ours, but Krysta has been traveling since she was 2 months old, so she is used to sleeping anywhere and everywhere, including on top of a table at a street hawker stall in Bangkok while she was 2 months old! (I might get some bad rep here for doing things like these by other parents!)

4. Be flexible – Well, don’t be too stressed about planning every little detail for your trip. If it doesn’t work out, or baby is cranky, just take it in stride and be flexible enough to change plans at the last minute.

Hope that helps! Here’s a little smattering of photos from my trip.

The beautiful and most photographed church in Lake Tekapo – The Church of the Good Shepherd.

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Grace Tan In Family + Children Portraits, Portraits

Law Family Portraits

Julia is a dear friend who shares the same faith, (almost) same passion in scuba diving – she is definitely more passionate on this one, and is someone who is fiercely loyal when it comes to friendships. I truly appreciate all the years of sharing our hearts out, our makan sessions, and fun trips with the cell group to Taman Negara etc.

It was a beautiful sunny morning when we headed out to a nearby park for some family portraits. Her family hadn’t done something like this for years… so naturally Julia was a little hesitant about how the photos would turn out! I totally understand that if you’re used to taking photos in a studio with a tie-dyed background, these kind of portraits would be something out of your comfort zone. My first ever professional family portrait was taken when I was 21, so yeah, I know how it feels!

But everyone had a blast, and Julia’s family was easy to photograph. It was entirely our pleasure, Julia. :)

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Grace Tan In Church Weddings, Wedding Films & Videos, Weddings

Christian wedding at Holiday Villa: Desmond & Sheila

“I was the first one to confess to him, I was the first one to ask him to marry me… I was all out for this man.”

Sheila was one determined girl. They had been together for 15 years, through a friendship that started online during their college days. And what a friendship that has been. One that developed a deep sense of trust, and a huge faith in God that He would make things work between them. Desmond is one who takes his commitment to marriage seriously. It is a serious covenant between a man and his wife, and with God.

I think that is such an amazing quality, one that every woman looks for. Someone who would commit their life to you till ‘death do you part’ and mean it totally and utterly with all their heart. That there are no exit doors, no ‘what if’s’, or perhaps we should think of it as ‘commit till we can’t take it anymore’. No, this is a man who commits to his vows with his entire soul… and what a sense of security it is for any woman!

Their faith in God has brought them through many ups and downs, and I am sure their marriage relationship will be tested again in the future (as with ALL marriages)… but I am absolutely certain that this is one couple who will work hard to make things work no matter what.

And that is what a marriage is.

Enjoy this entertaining video filmed by Felicia, Wee Liem & Delvin, and the beautiful photos by Johan and Ben.

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

Whimsical balloons and turning 30: Gladys

“Many a time, life is about self-discovery and it is a continuous learning process. I wanted to celebrate just that by capturing moments of my life approaching the BIG 3-0 this year. Looking back 10 years ago, I have perhaps been quite clueless about myself although I thought I knew what I was doing. I would let people shape me with their opinions. However, as time passes, I have grown more comfortable in my own skin, believed in myself and gained more confidence. Each one of us has our own strengths and flaws and we should all embrace these as that makes us unique. At the same time, I always believe in improving yourself and pushing your own boundaries. Like they say, the sky’s the limit.

My family also plays a monumental part of my life, especially my mom. She is one of the strongest women I know! Since the passing of my dad many years ago, she is the pillar that holds our family together. I know it has not been easy raising the 3 of us single-handedly. Even though we are all grown-up now she still worries about our everyday meals and safety when we are out. Therefore, celebrating my BIG 3-0 would also mean giving gratitude to my mom for all her years of love and patience.”

Gladys

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