STEVEN and Jane are another gorgeous pair of teachers who tied the knot in a resort-style wedding. True to their teaching roots they came well prepared with their wedding folder, an immaculate stationery box, tape and probably a hole punch somewhere.

Wedding date: Monday, 20 June 2011
Venue: Amara Sanctuary Resort, Sentosa, Singapore
Lunch: Shutters, Amara Sanctuary Resort

Congratulations Steven & Jane!

Related posts:

1. Claude & Angelina
2. Stanley & Anne
3. Adrian & Natalie

Wedding date: Monday, 2 May 2011
Venue: Amara Sanctuary Resort, Sentosa, Singapore
Solemniser: Dr Phua Tan Tee, PBM
Videography: A Cinematic Story

Congratulations Claude and Angelina!

Related posts:

1. Stanley & Anne
2. Adrian & Natalie
3. M.R. & D.W.

WEDDINGS don’t get more globalised than this. Take a bride from New Zealand along with her Brazilian groom — who both live and work in Tokyo — and drop them in a dreamy beachside wedding on the Indonesian island of Bintan with yours truly as their Singapore-based wedding photographer.

Looking back, the four elements of fire, water, earth and air figured so prominently and came together nicely for their wedding. And in a true Antipodean style they finished the evening with a barbeque on the beach.

Wedding date: Saturday, 26 March 2011
Hair & makeup: Miranda Wang
Venue: Banyan Tree Bintan and Angsana Bintan, Indonesia

Finally, the best part happens after I deliver your wedding photos:

Hi Yu Shan,

We received the photos! Thank you!

It’s going to be hard to choose which we want to print, there are so many great shots.

I really can’t thank you enough, you managed to capture every wonderful moment and keep the memory alive for both of us and our guests!

Maybe we’ll see you again some day in Singapore/Tokyo! Do let us know if you ever come visit Japan!

Take care,
Nicola

Congratulations Leandro and Nicola!

Related posts:

1. Aiden & Alice
2. Alvyn & Helen

SEAN planned sweet nothings for Joanne on their wedding day. He arranged a surprise ceremony at the Soka Centre knowing that it would mean a lot to Joanne, a devout Buddhist. For the evening banquet he whipped up a rendition of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” — electric guitar, band and all. For someone like me who shadowed them all day like a bodyguard, these thoughtful gestures say a lot about their beautiful life ahead together.

Wedding date: Saturday, 19 June 2010
Bridal gown: Allure Charix
Ceremony venue: Tampines Soka Centre
Dinner venue: Eagle Ballroom, Laguna National Golf & Country Club, Singapore
Solemniser: Mr Wee Pang Kiat, JP, PBM

Joanne’s loyal and faithful companion, the one before Sean that is.

Welcoming a new daughter-in-law.

Sean’s handsome brother looked like he just stepped out of an Abercrombie & Fitch photoshoot. Indeed, he’s pursuing a modelling and acting career in Hollywood right now.

Just so we know where the front of the cake is.

All of 5 months and cute.

Playtime. Teaching Sean to dance sexy to Joanne waiting on stage.

♪ It’s late in the evening; she’s wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long black hair.
And then she asks me, “Do I look all right?”
And I say, “Yes, you look wonderful tonight.”

Congratulations Sean & Joanne!

Update

And here’s a long thank you sms from Joanne I received at 10:58pm, after both of them spent the evening going through their photos:

Hi Yu Shan. Sean and I just finished looking through the photos
together on my computer! Seeing them really reminded us of so
many small details and moments of a day that went so fast for us,
and we were smiling so much the past 1 hour our cheeks hurt now!

Thank you so much for the really fantastic work, and we mean it.
We went through so many websites and still think your work is
really one notch higher than the others.  

There's a lot of expertise in your shots, in terms of colours,
lighting, angling, distancing, and just making sure we are the
focus in every pic from the best angle possible.  

Thank you once again. We are always proud to tell our friends
you were our wedding photographer. It's definitely one thing
we did very right. Thank you and take care   What a long sms
this is!!

Thank you Joanne.

No related posts.

YOU may remember Russel and J.D. from their pre-wedding shoot I did for them at ONE°15 Marina Club earlier in the year. Their wedding day finally arrived on 5 June 2010, the second wedding I attended on that popular day.

Having met in the fashion industry, you can expect the same fastidious attention to detail from Russel & J.D. for their wedding. They conceptualised and designed the wedding theme themselves; from the dominant blue hue (even blue matchstick heads!) to the huge logo of their initials they had pasted on one wall of the dining room. I love couples who can tell me exactly what font they want for their pre-wedding album. Hint: the same font appears on their wedding cake.

I’ve had a few brides asking me about J.D.’s unconventional dress. It was custom made by a talented, freelance dress maker. Contact me if you’re interested and I’ll put you in touch with J.D. herself.

Wedding date: 5 June 2010
Hair & makeup: Miranda Wang
Venue: ONE°15 Marina Club, Sentosa, Singapore
Solemniser: Pastor Wong Poh San
Videographer: Zephyrgraphy

A touching vow delivery…

…that melted hearts.

I love the second line: Say good things here.

Quickly, how many cupcakes are there in a cupcake stand?

Congratulations Russel & J.D.!

Related posts:

1. Russel & J.D.

Dark clouds, yachts and water came together for a potentially stormy brew during Russel & J.D.’s pre-wedding shoot at the ONE°15 Marina Club, Sentosa. Thankfully April’s weather held and allowed us to continue with the rest of the shoot that evening. Being fashion and design pros, I was sure that they would come well prepared with multiple outfits and accessories — and they did!

Hair & makeup: Miranda Wang

Do look out for Russel & J.D.’s wedding at the ONE°15 Marina Club to be posted in a few months time.

Related posts:

1. K.C. & Belinda

March was a turning point for me. It was goodbye Canon and hello to my brand new Nikon cameras. They really proved their worth at this wedding where I was able to work in near total darkness and the cameras delivered shot after shot without the use of ugly camera flash. This is particularly important for wedding receptions as they are typically only lit by candles and dim lights. No more fussing around and frustration at missing a moment in darkness.

stanley spared no expense in his celebration of love with his new bride, the divine and graceful Anne. I spent three days in the company of their friends and family, at the end of which I got to know them well despite me not speaking a word of French. Just about everyone flew in from France, not an easy task as many had babies and toddlers in tow.

In a whirlwind wedding weekend we started with a ROM at Il Lido, Sentosa, followed by a wedding dinner and party at the stunning cliffside Ayana Resort (the former Ritz Carlton Bali) and finished off with lunch the next day at the contemporary and opulent St Regis Bali.

Wedding dates: 18, 20-21 March 2010
ROM venue: Il Lido, Sentosa
Wedding venue: Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali
Lunch venue: The St Regis Bali Resort, Bali
Solemniser: Dr Eileen Aw, JP, PPA(E)

Parisian chic came to Sentosa with an elegant parade of hats — il est à la mode!

Three generations of Anne’s family helped her transform into The Bride.

Bliss.

Sunset at the Ayana Resort.

Unlike traditional sit-down weddings, the purpose of dinner here was only to provide a much-needed breather and bite between dance sets!

There’s no escaping the chair dance where the bride and groom are hoisted high onto chairs and paraded around. This came from the tradition of carrying royalty on chairs.

Love rekindled.

The party continued at the one-of-a-kind Rock Bar perched on a rocky outcrop at the bottom of the cliffs.

Champagne (French, of course) flowed freely…

…while men and women jumped into the crowd.

Best Friends Forever.

Sunday lunch was a stark and contemporary contrast at the St Regis Bali.

“Thank you, mum.”

Stanley and Anne, félicitations pour votre mariage! And enjoy decorating your brand new home in Singapore.

Related posts:

1. Adrian & Natalie
2. Alex & Anne
3. H & H Part II

Alvyn & Helen are jet-setting executives working separately in two far-flung countries. Looking back, I had no idea they were overseas and had readily assumed they were in Singapore! After booking me through email we all finally met at Banyan Tree, Bintan, where we spent a gorgeous afternoon basking in the warm sun.

In a nice change from the usual Tree Tops and Rocks beach locations, we visited the famed 8th hole green and the rest of the Laguna Bintan Golf Club.

Location: Banyan Tree, Bintan
Hair & makeup: Martha Tilaar Day Spa and Salon, Bintan

A quick touch-up just before sunset.

The long-awaited buggy ride home.

Congratulations Alvyn & Helen! And a big thank you to the lovely and accommodating Villa Manager, drivers and Helen’s entourage of hair stylist, makeup artist and stylist.

Related posts:

1. Aiden & Alice

The young doctors finally got married. You may remember H & H from their casual pre-wedding I did with them last year. Their sunset solemnisation at the waterfront lawn couldn’t have been more perfect.

They initially wanted to release candle-lit lanterns into the air as a fitting conclusion to their evening but permission fell through at the last minute. Nonetheless I saw H’s amazing talent at handicrafts with her floral ring pillow, the table settings and matching his-and-hers hong bao boxes.

Wedding date: Sunday, 24 January 2010
Venue: Waterfront Lawn, Rasa Sentosa Resort
Solemniser: Prof Low Cheng Hock, JP, PBM, PPA(E), PPA(P)
Hair & makeup: Miranda Wang
Videography: Zephyrgraphy

Prof Low congratulates them.

Their handmade hongbao “boxes”. I spy a Milo tin and perhaps Horlicks somewhere?

The obligatory fun and games with a medical twist. They had to draw cards with bits of the human anatomy written on them in Latin. And then proceed to pop a ready supply of balloons between the anatomy described.

Here the gluteus maximus meets the acetabular labrum.

Everyone took the pretty floral jars home!

Good night.

Congratulations H & H!

Related posts:

1. Adrian & Natalie
2. Isaiah & Matilda – Part II
3. Isaiah & Matilda – Part I

Not only do the Italians know how to cook, make luxurious leather goods and build exotic sports cars, they also know how to throw a real wedding party. For one night Adrian & Natalie transformed a little corner of Sentosa into Little Sicily. Their wedding was a delicious fusion of Chinese and Italian cuisine, traditions and customs. Think of Adrian’s parents partaking in the tea ceremony and of Natalie’s parents dancing the infamous tarantella.

Wedding date: Saturday, 9 January 2010
Church: Church of St Teresa
Solemniser: Rev Fr Michael Arro, MEP
Dinner: Waterfront Lawn, Rasa Sentosa Resort

Adrian’s entire, and huge, wedding entourage flew in from Australia. He was definitely well represented with family and his best mates! Not an easy feat considering many of them had babies and toddlers in tow. Given the church’s commanding hill-top location and the Anglo-Italian accents ringing in the air, I could have very well been in a church in a quaint European city.

Adian & Natalie named their tables after the surrounding islands of Sicily.

I witnessed the incredibly strong bond between Adrian and his sister. She broke down in tears during the tea ceremony.

And now for three things you won’t find at a typical wedding in Singapore.

Number one is the garter toss. Adrian slid the garter down Natalie’s thigh and off her leg in one fell swoop! And, like a men’s version of the bouquet toss, Adrian threw the garter to the eligible bachelors who leapt for it.

Number two is the tarantella, a traditional Sicilian folk dance. Holding hands, you dance to a fast tempo to mimic the delirium one feels after being bitten by a tarantula spider. Let’s say the balmy evening weather was enough to work up a sweat.

Number three is a groom who can belt out hits from the likes of Queen, UB40 and ABBA. The night went on. The professional singers begged to go home. And Adrian was still singing when I left. Sorprendente!

Congratulazioni Adrian & Natalie. What a wedding celebration! It was truly a beautiful day in every aspect and your wedding really highlighted the importance of Family wherever you are in the world.

No related posts.