Wedding

Nathan & Ayu: Akad Nikah

Photographers: Grace & Johan, assisted by Weiming

I am still reeling from the excitement of this wedding. From the beautiful akad nikah in the heart of KL to the spectacular beaches of Langkawi, Nathan and Ayu’s wedding was definitely a memorable one. Our relationship started over the phone when Nathan called me months ago to make a booking for their wedding. A year ago, I had photographed Amy and Stuart’s wedding, where Nathan and Ayu were guests. They loved our photos from Amy and Stuart’s wedding, so with a phone call, we were booked for their wedding! Some time after that, I met Nathan and Ayu at their condo in the heart of KL… with the gorgeous view of KLCC from their living room!

They struck me as a very friendly couple. Instantly, I knew that Nathan is a really organized person… because he gave me their wedding program months before the actual wedding day!

Nathan first laid eyes on Ayu on his first day at work in May 2008. He had traveled halfway across the world from UK to work in Malaysia. She was assisting his manager giving the onboarding briefing for new staff. He thought she was gorgeous… but little did he know, that she thought the same of him that day! Months passed by… and their work relationship changed to a more casual one when they started playing futsal together a couple of times. That August, Ayu asked Nathan out casually as he wanted to experience the youth clubbing scene in KL.

The 8th of August 2008 was the starting point of their courtship… and eventually, their love for each other grew deeper and stronger till it led to Nathan’s proposal to Ayu on Valentine’s day 2010 in Krabi.

I have heaps of photos to share from this wedding, so it’ll have to be spread across a few blog posts! The first part is the akad nikah or Muslim solemnization ceremony in KL. By the way, you have to watch their slideshow at the end of this post. The music chosen by Nathan and Ayu works so beautifully with the images!

The groomsmen flew in all the way from UK to attend the wedding. I love how everyone got dressed in the same baju Melayu.

Ayu on the left looking so gorgeous… and Nathan looking smashing too!

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Weddings

Hun Young & Ju Yee’s wedding

Photographers: Grace & Mark
Wedding Highlight Videography: Alex
Hair & Make Up: Remy Ngon
Wedding Gown Boutique: Neoromantic
Cheongsam: Jason Yek
Guy’s Suit: Lord’s Tailor
Wedding Planner: James Kon
Dinner Reception: Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, KL
Decoration: Favors Essence

Since they were teenagers, Hun Young had his eyes on Ju Yee. She’s that pretty girl in school whose smile and laughter captivated him. In that school hall, as Ju Yee played table tennis with her friends, Hun Young could not stop thinking about how she stood out in that crowd. She thought he was cute, but as with all teenagers, the definition of cute is rather ugly but adorable.

Luckily for Hun Young, Ju Yee’s perception of him changed over time and soon, they started going out. His first impression of her as a tomboy was quickly crushed…and now, many years later… they are married!

In my eyes, Ju Yee looks gorgeous. I cannot imagine her in short hair and behaving like a tomboy! I had the privilege of shooting their pre-wedding photos as well in Dusun Garden Fairies, so if you’d like to have a look at the photos, click here.

Grace Tan In Malay Weddings, Weddings

Rudi & Puteri’s Akad Nikah

Photographer: Johan, Grace & Sri
Wedding gown boutique & Make up: Freda Couture
Groom’s attire: Bon Zainal
Wedding Planning Company: Alam Ritz Catering & Wedding Planner
Dinner Reception: Bukit Mewah Club

Rudi fell in love not once, but twice. Firstly, to this part of the world, but most importantly, to Puteri. You can tell when someone is completely in love with another person. It’s all in the eyes. With Rudi and Puteri, you know for a fact that these are 2 individuals whose hearts are totally and utterly committed to one another.

Puteri looking gorgeous!

And here’s Rudi, looking so dashing in his outfit.

Rudi’s family and friends flew all the way from Holland and Indonesia to attend his wedding.

Grace Tan In Chinese Weddings, Weddings

Vernon + Denise

Photographers: Grace & Johan
Wedding Gown Boutique: My Dream Wedding
Make up & hair: Carol
Flowers: I Do
Videography: Lam
Dinner Reception: Top Hat Restaurant

There are a few facts that I know about Vernon & Denise.

Firstly, when you have such a close knit family like Denise’s family, you know for a fact that lots of fun is sure to follow. Even though I didn’t understand the many different Chinese dialects that was spoken that day, I knew for a fact that everyone had a great time.

I know for a fact too that Vernon and Denise are a creative couple… Vernon works as a video editor and Denise as an interior designer. But I think Denise’s family members trumped them in the creative department… because the games played that morning were just soooo creative!

And lastly, I know for a fact that Vernon and Denise cherish close relationships. That’s because they chose to have a small intimate dinner at Top Hat Restaurant with a small number of guests, instead of a large dinner reception in a ballroom.

Denise’s cute dog that was dressed for the occasion! If you’d like to see him in another outfit, click here.

Grace Tan In Musings, Tips + Ideas

That rectangular shape…

At approximately 1pm everyday, the postman would arrive in our neighbourhood. When I was a child, I looked forward to letters in the mail box. Did it contain a letter from my penpal in Turkey? Or was it a postcard from my brother in New Zealand? Or perhaps some photos from my aunt in Australia? Whatever came through that mail box, I would save all the stamps from those envelopes, some more special than others. But the years went by, and soon, the letters would be few and far between.

Nowadays, I mainly receive junk mail and bills in the mail box. And so, whenever the odd mail with the handwritten address finds its way to my mail box, I know for certain that it’s a wedding invite. Like an excited school girl, I would usually tear the envelope ungracefully, and peek into the envelope, excited to see the contents of that mail.

And what delight it is to find that people do pay attention to their wedding invites. I love it when I receive beautiful cards in the mail. The texture, the fonts, the colour… everything screams perfection. Just like this Save the Date card that was sent to my home recently. What creativity!

And as a note to my clients, I do enjoy receiving thank you cards in the mail too! :) *hint hint*