Wedding

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

Garden Hindu Wedding, Rasa Sayang, Penang: David & Nandini

Amidst lush, majestic and mature trees just alongside the Batu Feringgi beach, David and Nandini were wed at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort, Penang. The garden was beautifully decorated for their Hindu wedding ceremony, and all their guests came in traditional Indian attire. It was a tropical treat for David and Nandini’s guests from Ireland, who basked in the sun, witnessed a meaningful wedding ceremony, and enjoyed delicious Indian cuisine. Both Weiming and I were really blessed to have such thoughtful clients who really looked out for our best interests. Even Nandini’s mum made sure I was well fed since I was well into my 2nd trimester of pregnancy by then!

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0120 Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Church Weddings, Weddings

Wedding of Daniel & Alison at Wesley Methodist Church

20140719_WEDDING_DANIEL_ALISON_0452 It was the Easter weekend in Sydney. Daniel and Alison had already met in 2002 as family friends and then again in 2007 when Daniel visited Melbourne with his buddies and ‘coincidentally’ or perhaps, more ‘intentionally’ asked Alison to catch up. So now, it was Alison’s turn to travel to Sydney where Daniel was studying. Everything was still very platonic at this stage, but Daniel had developed some feelings for Alison by then. Somehow, a few things happened during this trip that made it so significant for them as a couple.

While walking along the Darling Harbour, a lady ‘statue’ in disguise randomly picked Daniel and Alison among their friends to come closer to her. In her hand, were some flowers, which she gave them to hold, and placed a flower crown on Alison’s head. In a simple gesture, she indicated for them to hold hands, which they sheepishly did. Then, there was the incident at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Daniel proved he was good at ‘aiming’ when he won a shooting game there and asked Alison to pick a grand prize that she liked. Together, they chose a giant unicorn which she brought back to Melbourne and subsequently to KL where it’s found it’s resting place in Alison’s bedroom till today. (it made an appearance in her wedding photos too!)

20140719_WEDDING_DANIEL_ALISON_0012 Though they were complete opposites in terms of personality (Daniel is the shy, quiet type – we had to work really hard to draw his cute dimples out during the wedding! And Alison’s the talkative, bubbly girl who doesn’t have any problems laughing or showing her expressions)… they worked well as a couple. Despite the distance between Melbourne and Sydney, they kept in touch and realised they had so much in common. After dating over 6 years, Daniel proposed to Alison on 17 December 2013 in Docklands, Melbourne…the place where he brought her on their first dinner date. Happiest day of their lives. And yes, Daniel is pretty good at his aim.

Congratulations, both of you! Be prepared for a whole series of images, taken by Grace, Nigel & Jamie.

20140719_WEDDING_DANIEL_ALISON_0020 Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Indian + Punjabi Weddings, Testimonials, Weddings

Hindu Wedding & Zebra Square Reception: Jonas & Yashoda

A perfect blend of two very different cultures. Two individuals, brought up in very different continents… one with a cold climate and snow, and the other in tropical humid weather with sandy beaches. But true love does not discriminate. It doesn’t care if you come from a different culture or grew up eating dhal or meatballs. When two hearts meet, all that matters is that connection.

It has been a few months since Jonas and Yashoda tied the knot at the Shree Lakshmi Narayanan temple. It was a Malaysian-Ceylonese wedding that was infused with Swedish culture – the traditional and cultural aspect of the wedding were reserved for the Hindu temple wedding and the dinner reception at Zebra Square was done in a more western way. It was obvious that Swedish family and friends from abroad really loved witnessing such a unique wedding ceremony. Jonas was a sport… I could see that he truly cherished every moment of the wedding, especially when he saw Yashoda all beautifully decked out in her saree.

20140418_WEDDING_JONAS_YASHODA_1327 Jonas and Yashoda met each other briefly in San Francisco in 2012 through a mutual friend. It was a short trip for Yashoda who lived in the UK, but in those 3 months, they fell in love. Every day in SF felt really wonderful for Yashoda who was truly well taken care of by Jonas, but soon, they had to be physically separated across continents. Despite the time and distance apart, it was inevitable that they would be brought back together eventually and Yashoda finally met the man of her dreams.

A huge romantic at heart, Yashoda had waited for a knight in shining armour but God sent her more than she asked for… he sent her an angel! According to her words, “Jonas is the kindest, most sensitive man I have ever met.”

So the Latin inscription on their ring “Tempus fugit, amor manet” truly encapsulates the nature of their relationship. It means, “Time flies but love remains”. A true romantic quote!

20140418_WEDDING_JONAS_YASHODA_0868 Continue Reading

Grace Tan In Life, Musings, Relationships

Our 8th Year Together

This morning as I sat on the golden throne which is my toilet, unhappily clutching my stomach from a bug that has decided to hit me at the most inopportune time, I thought to myself, “What a great way to start our 8th year anniversary.” We later joked about it especially when Alex willingly picked up the disinfectant and helped clean the toilet after I was done. What a romantic start to our day.

But what struck me this morning was that this really is an act of love, more so than just the gifts you get on special occasions, or the fancy-schmancy dinners that are planned ahead of time. It is these very things that get taken for granted on a daily basis. The little things we do for each other that demonstrate love in bite sized pieces. Though I love the large acts of love (like planning for holidays together, date nights etc), it is these little things that keep my emotional tank full on a daily basis.

I believe it is these very things that make me feel so loved and cherished these past 8 years. I just hope and pray that I am as good a wife as Alex is a great husband. Growing up as the youngest child in the family, I am used to being pampered, so my selfish nature is something I have to battle with constantly. Over the years, through our heartaches and arguments, I have learnt what it means to live less for myself and more for others. Marriage is one relationship instituted by God that truly brings out the best and worst in you.

So my dear, I am sorry for the times that I might have taken you for granted all these years. With God’s help, I hope our marriage will continue to strengthen through and through. Love you heaps.

Oh, and here’s a reminder of our wedding vows said 8 years ago!

20140713_FAMILYTRIP_PENANG_28

Grace Tan In Outdoor Weddings, Weddings

Beach Wedding at Andaman, Langkawi: Simon & Lisa

“Grace and Nigel were fantastic, both very professional, creative and great to be around on the day whilst not getting in people’s faces – as someone who hates having his picture taken, they were a pleasure to be around.” – Simon

I have traveled to Langkawi many times over the past few years, but every time we head there, it is a different experience. I loved Simon and Lisa’s wedding for a few different reasons… they were a great laid-back couple to work with (despite the fact that Simon hates posing for the camera!), there were lots of cute kids at this wedding which totally made my day, and the guests were just so friendly to Nigel and I. Langkawi is really popular wedding destination location especially for couples from Australia. The only drawback is the humidity, so hugging people at the end of the night can be a very sticky affair!

Simon works in the construction line, so he said being all ‘soft’ and romantic during the wedding was something completely different to what he’s used to! But looking at the way he shed his tears as Lisa walked down the aisle made me think otherwise. I think you have a really soft side to you, Simon!

I hope these images will remind you of your love for each other years down the road when the going gets tough. Come back again to Malaysia for another holiday sometime soon, or perhaps one day, we will meet again, when you celebrate your anniversary, maybe?

20140426_WEDDING_SIMON_LISA_455 20140426_WEDDING_SIMON_LISA_013 Continue Reading