ambi photography » Church

Oktavia & Dian

Yu-Shan — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:31:12 +0000

I have survived the two hottest dates of 2011: 11.11.11 and 20.11.2011. I can’t described how these two dates were vigorously fought by couples since the year began, ultimately going to the ones with the foresight to book me early and with a firm deposit. The moral of the story is to book early and book with confidence.

OKTAVIA and Dian’s story is one of heartwarming love. He finally married his childhood sweetheart, flying not just her but their entire families from Indonesia for their wedding celebration. And in addition to their newfound responsibilities to each other, they’ve also made Singapore their new home.

Their wedding was also a chance for me to see the Blessed Sacrement Church up close. For years I passed its iconic blue roof on the way to IKEA Queenstown. The interior is classic 1950s modernist. An Eames lounge chair would not look out of place in there.

Wedding date: Saturday, 9 July 2011
Church: Blessed Sacrement Church, Queenstown, Singapore
Solemniser: Rev Fr Gerardus Suyono
Videography: A Cinematic Story
Lunch: My Humble House, Esplanade

Congratulations Oktavia & Dian!

Shawn & Nita

Yu-Shan — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:58:20 +0000

SHAWN & Nita’s wedding day finally came after their little pre-wedding shoot with me back in March. They celebrated their union with style at the Church of St Vincent de Paul with what appeared to be a free flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne!

Wedding date: Saturday, 14 May 2011
Venue: Church of St Vincent de Paul, Singapore
Solemniser: Rev Fr Augustine Joseph
Makeup artist: Miranda Wang

Congratulations Shawn & Nita!

Patrick & Lynn

Yu-Shan — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:29:16 +0000

THE atmosphere of weddings just gets better in the lead up to Christmas. Laughter and drink flow freely in the magical month that is December.

I first spied Patrick and Lynn at Patrick sister’s wedding at the start of 2010. I enjoyed watching the dynamics between them as they manned the wedding reception table. Instinct told me that something good was coming.

True enough, Lynn contacted me later that year. “Oh-my-gosh-Patrick-finally-proposed-to-me-and-would-you-be-so-kind-as-to-be-our-photographer?”. Sure thing.

Wedding date: Sunday, 19 December 2010
Wedding dress: Vera Wang
Makeup: Bride’s own
Church: Church of St Vincent de Paul, Singapore
Solemniser: Rev Fr Michael Sitaram

Congratulations Patrick and Lynn!

Mark & Nathalie

Yu-Shan — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:35:12 +0000

IT’S always a treat to work with gorgeous couples like Mark & Nathalie. And it’s a rare groom that out-hugs the bride on their wedding day. Always ready with plenty of smiles and free laughter, I could see why Mark garnered a loyal following of guy and gal friends over the years.

Nathalie, on the other hand, has an enviable ability to cast a hush over a room when she enters it. Standing at something like 5′ 10″ (in her heels) she was a picture of composed elegance and graciousness on a day that belonged to her (and Mark!).

Wedding date: Saturday, 4 December 2010
Gowns, hair & makeup: Di Gio Bridal
Church: Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Singapore
Solemniser: Rev Aries Santoso Zulkarnain
Dinner: The St Regis Singapore

Congratulations Mark & Nathalie!

Dennis & Sara

Yu-Shan — Mon, 09 May 2011 13:40:12 +0000

DENNIS holds ambi photography’s record for the longest booking period ever. He booked me a good 18 months before his wedding from the comfort of his home in Perth, Australia. And with good reason too. 20 November turned out to be one of the hottest dates in 2010 after 10.10.10.

When we finally met in Singapore they treated me to dinner. “It’s not all business y’know,” he said. Nice chap.

You may remember Dennis and Sara as the young lovebirds who are building their dream home right this minute in Perth. Well, their house is still being built. Buildings don’t sprout up so fast as they do here.

Wedding date: Saturday, 20 November 2010
Church: Living Hope Methodist Church, Singapore
Solemniser: Rev Luke Thuraisingham

Amazingly, Dennis’ mother baked that wedding cake you see in the top right. Truly a labour of love.

Congratulations Dennis and Sara!

Alvin & Jessica

Yu-Shan — Tue, 03 May 2011 06:49:41 +0000

WELL, whaddya know. I just found out today that I was a recipient of an award for a photo I submitted to the Wedding Photojournalist Association – Artistic Guild back in 2009. It was one photo from lovely Kimberly’s wedding in July 2009. You can see the award-winning shot here. I haven’t entered any more competitions since — I’m far too busy for that! — and I’m not going to plaster AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER all over my site just because of one win. Look at my recent weddings and judge my consistency for yourself. But it’s nice to know one photo made it through an international field of thousands.

WEDDING lunches are typically a marathon affair for both the wedding couple and the photographer. Unlike an actual day dinner there’s no luxury of a well-deserved afternoon nap.

It’s a 10-hour non-stop stretch from the word go and it can test the concentration of the photographer (and the couple) in the eighth or ninth hour. In the same amount of time one could fly to the Pacific paradise of New Caledonia and have an hour to spare on the beach.

Wedding date: Saturday, 13 November 2010
Church: Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lunch: Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Towers, Singapore

Congratulations Alvin and Jessica!

John & Lena

Yu-Shan — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:12:10 +0000

YOU can often judge the popularity of a couple by the length of their receiving line at the end of the church ceremony. In John and Lena’s case some 400 people must have filed past me to congratulate, hug, kiss and shake their hands. Regular readers will know that this is my favorite part of the day.

Wedding date: Saturday, 9 October 2010
Church: Covenant Evangelical Free Church, Woodlands
Solemniser: Rev Tony Yeo

P.S. Spot my trademark moving picture somewhere below. I try to include one with every post.

A quick prayer before the march-in.

Mama bought me new shoes!

Lovely Lena, all jubilant and resplendent.

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The many faces of joy.

No balloons for me mister!

Even the security guard joined in the carnival atmosphere and obliged with a snapshot.

Congratulations John and Lena.

Mu & Esme

Yu-Shan — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:39:10 +0000

IN the company of lawyers is how I would describe Mu & Esme’s wedding. Esme, her dad, aunt (who did all the decor and flowers), uncle (who multitasked as the MC), cousin and me are all lawyers. There were probably many more in the guest list. I had to tread carefully.

Wedding date: Saturday, 2 October 2010
Hair & makeup: Christopher Tan
Gown and dress: Allure Charix
Church: St Joseph’s Church, Upper Bukit Timah Road. A quaint church on a hill built in 1846!
Solemniser: Father Edmund Chong
Dinner: Au Petit Salut, Singapore

Esme’s name means beloved, esteemed in French.
There’s was no shortage of either on her wedding day with all the attention and affection showered upon her.

Joy.

The receiving line at church weddings is my favorite part. Lots of lovely unscripted emotions to catch.

Best friends, forever.

Just about all of Mu friends’ flew in from Britain. The bridesmaids would no doubt be happy to hear that two of these fine and extremely eligible bachelors are making Singapore their home in the next couple of months.

Mu (on the right) and his friends performed with the same steely concentration as they did when they were back in Imperial College.

Esme’s uncle, in the true manner of a learned law professor, delivered a witty speech on what he should call this new union.
His conclusion: Esme-Mu → E-Mu → Emu.
He thus presented them a famed golden Emu and a pair of Emu-imprinted kitchen aprons, both Australian no doubt.

Congratulations Mu and Esme!

Julian & Cheryl

Jimmy & Jasmine

Yu-Shan — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:07:01 +0000

JASMINE had the unenviable solo task of planning both her wedding in Singapore and her immediate move to Hong Kong to join Jimmy there. Not an easy job for anyone. But they pulled off a perfect day around City Hall despite a light drizzle and the formidable National Day Parade road closures.

Wedding date: Saturday, 7 August 2010
Makeup artist: Shaun Lee
Church: St Andrew’s Cathedral
Solemniser: Rev Dr Titus Chung
Lunch: The Ballroom, Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

Star attraction.

Gives new meaning to “gate crashing”.

Neighbours.

Some Quiet Time before their marriage ceremony.

Ouch.

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The Toss.

The talented Shaun Lee.

An appreciative audience.

“Thank you, Mum.”

The reception and farewells are my favorite parts of the day. Genuine, unscripted emotions here.

Congratulations Jimmy & Jasmine! Best wishes for your new home in Hong Kong.

Rico & Fiona

Yu-Shan — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:00:11 +0000

FIONA had all of 45 minutes of sleep the night before her wedding. Rico did slightly better with 1 hour’s worth. But fatigue was definitely not on their faces when these dynamos tore through their wedding day with a photoshoot in the early morning, the church ceremony, another photoshoot in the afternoon, tea ceremony and then finally dinner.

Wedding date: Saturday, 31 July 2010
Church: Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (OLPS), Siglap Hill
Solemniser: Rev Father Gregory Van Giang
Dinner: Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

The Cartier Trinity ring can be a tricky one to put on.

Tea ceremony at the Harbour View Suite, overlooking the National Day rehearsals.

The Garden Suite.

What kids get up to during wedding dinners.

In the running for ambi photography’s Most Sensational Hug of 2010.

Congratulations Rico & Fiona!

And this wraps up 6 weddings and 1 pre-wedding for the month of July.
Thank you August and September brides for your patience.
Your weddings are being worked on and you too shall soon laugh and cry at your highlights.