He would walk to the American Protestant Church at The Hague every week and she would drive by, noticing him. Soon, after many outings to Clingendael Park with friends, playing frisbee during summer days, they fell in love. Really in love. And I am so honoured to have this opportunity to photograph Chee Su and Christina in Holland. The first few photos were taken around Zwijndrecht and Kinderdijk.
The past one week has been a whirlwind of an experience. From the moment I touched down in Amsterdam on the 4th of August till the wedding day, I’ve been running on adrenaline. After spending 2 days in Amsterdam, I came down with a full blown fever and flu on the third day. It was a really challenging time for me since I was by myself and having to lug heavy equipment and bags all over Holland while blowing my nose at the same time is not something I was looking forward to do.
Some sights around Amsterdam.
But I had to muster whatever strength I had and travel about an hour away by train to meet Christina and Chee Su at Zwijndrecht. That evening itself we were supposed to have our pre-wedding shoot but since I was not feeling too well we decided to postpone the main part of it till the next day. Instead we went to a nearby river for some quick shots.
The next day, we went to Kinderdijk, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The place is covered with mindmills and the landscape is absolutely stunning! We spent about 2 hours there and I even had time to climb up one windmill (as a 10 minute touristy thing). That afternoon, I crashed for 4 hours since I was still weak from the flu. Later in the evening we came back for more photos! Christina and Chee Su braved their fears and went out onto the water in a really unstable row boat. Thank God it didn’t overturn! Here are some teaser shots from the shoot.
I am so excited to share this set of photos. They are special because it features really really cool people from the wedding industry. People whom I work with, and people I admire. Ever since meeting Kee Sitt, Sharon, Mark and Ian, the colours of my life has doubled drastically. Not to forget, Alex too! They add so much fun to my life, and I truly cherish the friendships that have been built over this one year. They have challenged me in my art, my thinking, how to run my business, marketing it, to creating wacky ideas and then executing it.
Through these relationships, I’m glad to have known Mun Tzin and Lai Yeen too. Thank you for being so generous with your love and support. We took so many lovely shots that day, it was hard choosing favourites. These are my personal favs from the collection. Photos were taken by Mark, Ian, Kee Sitt, Alex and myself. Unfortunately 2 other people could not be with us on this trip as they were overseas – Choon Ean & Chua who are part of the video team.
First up… Kee Sitt and Sharon!
2nd: Mark & Mun Tzin. I love this shot of Mun Tzin.
Yummy flares! And these next 2 shots are just soooo like Mark & Mun Tzin.
They have extra photos featured here since they are getting married next year! :)
The akad nikah was held in their apartment with a small group comprising family and close friends. It was really sweet and simple and extremely personal. Amri and Daphne decorated their bedroom so well, with rose petals all over the bed. I had a great time photographing their wedding, and also getting to know their family and friends. I love it when I get to interact with the couple and also their family members. Thank you for the privilege!
After the akad nikah, we had a short tea ceremony.
After lunch, we proceeded to Hyatt Saujana for some portraits in the garden.
He was the Malaysian club president in university. She was the secretary. Apparently they attended the same high school and college in Malaysia but funnily enough, they only got to know each other during university in the UK. One of her first thoughts of him was “Isn’t he my senior from highschool? What is he doing here in the same university?!” whereas his thoughts were “She’s quite a cute secretary. Must try to have some personal meetings with her to discuss about ‘work’! ” After numerous encounters, they discovered a spark for each other. And then they started dating. Now, 6 years later, Amri and Daphne have jumped through many hurdles and have finally tied the knot!
Here are some photos from their pre-wedding session. The akad nikah shots will be coming up soon in another post!!
Amri is so cute. He loves making faces at Daphne and she keeps telling him to “stop it!”
I love the Malay / Chinese elements in the next few photos. So representative of their relationship. :)
