According to Lee Chng, Shaun’s proposal to Lee Chng was apparently unromantic but was funny in a way… It happened one evening when the couple was about to go to bed when Shaun asked Lee Chng to help him get something from his backpack. Lee Chng agreed and when she opened the bag, she saw a tiny box. At the very same time, Shaun got up from the bed and knelt before her (in his boxers!!), grabbed the box out of Lee Chng’s hand and proposed!! “So that’s the story… no fairy tale proposal,” says Lee Chng  “..but I was thrilled nevertheless” she shared.

Despite the couple living in away from Penang for quite awhile, the couple still wanted to hold the wedding inPenang, the place where they both grew up. As such, the wedding banquet was held at E&O Hotel Grand Ballroom on 28th April 2012. For someone who is fairly young, the groom has a very old heart. He chose the E&O hotel for its rich history and its authenticity. “The hotel is the oldest inPenang(since 1889) and you might be amazed by the people who have stayed there before, the likes of legendary Charlie Chaplin, Chinese greatest revolutionist Dr. Sun Yat San and many more,” enthuses Shaun.

The couple particularly liked the British colonial design of the grand ballroom for it’s space and strategic views of the stage. There was also a beautiful garden just outside of the ballroom which had an ocean view and it was so perfect that at Shaun made up his mind to hold the event there without looking around at any other hotels which was a very bold decision.

In terms of themes or colours for the wedding, the couple felt that there was no real need of it and they did not want to overwhelm or burden their guests with any specific themes or colours to adhere to. Instead, they wanted the wedding to be as memorable as possible.

Much of the couples motto during the planning of the wedding was to have a wedding that was as simple as possible, so when it came to looking for the a gown, Lee Chng didn’t spend much time looking for  her ‘dream gown’. Instead Lee Chng selected two gowns, a dress for a cocktail session held outdoors at the garden and another dress for the dinner in the ballroom. “My view on the wedding gown is that it doesn’t really have to come with a “big” design, instead, be confident and you will definitely be the centre of attention on your wedding day and sometimes simple dresses can also look elegant,” says Lee Chng.

Shaun on the other hand wanted to wear a tuxedo for the evening and started to look for it through various bridal houses but he had no luck finding what he wanted. So in desperation, he tailor made his tuxedo 2 weeks before the wedding and it cost more than both of Lee Chng’s gowns!!!

During the entire wedding banquet and even during the planning process, both Shaun and Lee Chng enjoyed themselves and had a lot of fun. The band entertained the guests with their lovely songs, the ambience was grand and beautiful, the food was delicious and the speech by the groom was a very touching one indeed! The couple like many others, sincerely believe that the key to enjoying your own wedding is to have things as simple as possible.

Vendors

Photographer: Sunnysan Photography

Florist: E&O Hotel

Baker/Caterer: E&O Hotel

Wedding favors: Happy Yin

Attire: Ideal Wedding, Penang & DID’s Tailor, Miri

Band: Jazzhat

More than 5 years ago, Paul Kong a.k.a CK had a chance to view a wedding slide show which was prepared by a master photographer and he was inspired. Realising that photography was a passion he wanted to grow, Paul began his career in wedding photography by first starting out as an assistant of a master photography and after a couple of years, he decided to branch out and become a full time wedding photographer. Paul’s work has been featured in a few international wedding blogs in 2011 and 2012 and Paul was also awarded 11 Bronze Awards out of 11 submissions entries in the ‘Creative Asia Photography Competition 2011 (wedding Category)’ and 2 of his entries was selected as ‘Top 175 Finalist Images (Engagement Category)’ as well.

We decided to speak to Paul to understand a little bit about what truly inspires him and how he sees Gallerie CK standing out from the other photography studios.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU PAUL?

I attend photography courses, seminars and workshops every year as it is a great platform to share ideas and knowledge with other like minded people. Instead of just normal posing for shots, I study and explore other wedding photojournalism styles and how photographers in other parts of the world use lighting as an element and also their different editing styles. This usually gets me thinking about wedding photography in new and different ways.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE WEDDING EXPERIENCE THUS FAR?

It was happened during my first assignment in Brisbane, Australia 2 years ago. It was honestly, the most tiring assignment ever! I was almost awake for 2 nights due to the tight schedule. The engagement portrait shoot started just 2 hours after I arrived in Gold Coast at 8am. I didn’t even have enough sleep in the plane . The shooting continued on till it was night time and then I had to prepare the slide show for their wedding event and help the couple to prepare their childhood montage slide show till 4 am. To make matters all the more crazy, I had to wake up at 5.30am to prepare to shoot their wedding event and it was unlike any traditional Chinese wedding, there was not resting time in between sessions. The shoot started from 8am (the preparation) followed by the garden ceremony at 3pm and lastly the reception dinner at 6pm. It was tiring but I was excited as it was my first overseas assignment. The rest finally came when I was treated to a one night stay at one of the tallest and most beautiful hotel in the Gold Coast before I returning to KL.

IN YOUR OPINION PAUL, WHY SHOULD COUPLES CHOOSE GALLERIE CK AS THEIR OFFICIAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS?

I believe it is about the complete experience! The experience starts from the consultation when we first meet where I am able to demonstrate my passion in wedding photography. Couples will be able to see the amount of dedication and passion I pour into my photography and at the end of the day, couples choose Gallerie CK because they trust us and they like our work; they trust that we’ll deliver the service as promised, and as seen on our blog and website. Many of our couples are referrals from previous clients and we always love knowing that our couples trust us to the point where they can refer us to their friends. It’s an honor to witness clients’ special days and I enjoy every moment spent capturing the whole event.

Our photography style is a mix of journalistic and artistic which allows us to capture a large variety of candid photographs as the day unfolds. We always believe that an album is the only true way to archive your photos for future generations and it represents our final work, style and effort. Weddings are always such fantastic and I love being a part of the fun and excitement that comes with them.

If you would like to know more about Gallerie CK or view other inspirational real wedding and wedding portraiture from  Gallerie CK, visit their website or call 6012-3312563 or drop an email to info@gallerieck.com

For more inspiration and ideas from Signature Wedding’s Vendor snapshots and features, follow us @signatureweds or join us in facebook

Multi-award winning Australian wedding and portrait photographer Marcus Bell of Studio Impressions, who in 2011 was named by American Photo Magazine as one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World, will be heading to Bali in June / July 2012 and offering a special “BALI LOVE” pre-wedding shoot for couples.

Couples can now engage with this international photographer without having to worry about travelling all the way down under to Australia. What’s more, Bali has simply amazing and breathtaking natural landscapes which will be a lovely backdrop for a wedding shoot. Combine natural beauty with an amazing talent in capturing wedding portraits and you will have a wonderful set of pre-wedding photographs that you can treasure for always!

So what are you waiting for dear couples? This special “BALI LOVE” pre-wedding shoot with Marcus Bell begins Friday, 22nd June to Tuesday, 10th July. For more information email marcus at info@studioimpressions.com.au or visit the Studio Impressions website to view Marcus Bell’s inspiring, beautiful and breathtaking photos.

For YC and ZQ the guiding principle for their big day was that it should be simple but memorable for them and for their guests. They wanted to make sure that they had time to spend time with each other and to also mingle with their relatives and friends, to ensure that they were happy and enjoying themselves. With this in mind, the details worked out naturally, and this cozy gathering of relatives and friends was enjoyable celebration for all of them, YC shares.

YC and ZQ held an intimate lunch reception at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on a Saturday so that most of their guests would be able to attend. Initially, the couple explored the possibility of holding an outdoor wedding, but decided against it because of the afternoon sun. Eventually, they decided on Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel because of its location and their good service.

Before the lunch reception began, the couple had their solemnization of their wedding and their tea ceremony for their relatives at the hotel. Later, the couple presented a bouquet of flowers to each of their mothers while all female guests were given a gerbera. In the end, the kids had the most fun with the pretty flowers. The rest of the afternoon was filled with shared laughter and smiles especially when the ‘surprise segment’ arranged by the emcees, which caught the couple totally off guard. It was fun nevertheless to be surrounded by so many friends and relatives and to receive their blessings.

The most eye-catching, cheeky and unconventional bit about the couples attire was the matching red Converse shoes that YC and ZQ wore. Not only were they retro cool, but it was also comfortable to walk in as both the bride and the groom went around the tables chatting with their guests. The gown for the bride was tailor-made to their requirements by Vivian from Vivian Gown, an online boutique in Singapore. The couple shared that Vivian was very patient with the couple’s requirements and provided them with good advice on the types of gowns that would match the shoes they wanted. For the groom, they bought the attire from various shops.

During the planning of the wedding, the couple tried to use as many bright colours as possible to brighten up the ambience of the event. Many elaborate items were excluded to keep the cost comfortable. The couple strongly believes that the most important thing is to enjoy the whole wedding and to no compare your wedding with that of other couples simply because your wedding was uniquely yours alone.

Dream Team

Photographer : Steph Tan Photography

Florist: JM Flowers

Attire: Vivian Gown

Makeup: Chris from Light Box

Alex & Yu Xin got married on the September 9, 2011 (9911) which was an auspicious day. The couple had met in 2004 in university and Alex proposed to Yu Xin on the eve of Christmas 2008. While planning their wedding, both Alex and Yu Xin were very clear about the things that they had to do. As such, the banquet’s design and decoration was handled by Yu Xin while Alex was in charge of the location and the event management. For the decisions on customs and traditions for the wedding, it was done by both sets of parents. That way, the planning of the wedding went pretty smoothly.

The wedding banquet was held at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore because its ballroom could accommodate a huge number of guests (the couple had about 70 tables) and of course the food and service was pretty good. The couple felt that the hotel provided excellent assistance throughout their pre-wedding preparation and wedding coordination which certainly eased their troubles tremendously so that they could enjoy their night more fully.

If a word could be chosen to describe their wedding banquet, the couple says that the word would be “simple” and they truly believe that simplicity is bliss.  The hotel ballroom was simply done up with fresh flowers as the couple wanted their guests to have a memorable evening in a soothing, yet grand environment. Light color table cloths were chosen to blend together with the interior design of the ballroom and the couple engaged a live band to play throughout the  banquet.

The couples theme of simplicity was also cascaded down to the wedding attire. Besides simplicity, Yu Xin valued comfort as the most important criteria while selecting a wedding gown, and everything came together when she found her “love at first sight” gown. It was just a comfortable and plain white gown with a unique touch of black roses but it was the dream gown for the bride. Alex’s suit was also very easy to pick out as anything in black and white would go perfectly with the bride’s gown.

When it came to memorable moments, the groom shared that he gave Yu Xin a surprise during the second march into the banquet hall where she had to walk in alone wile he was on stage singing a love song to receive her. How romantic! Both Alex & Yu Xin was glad that their family and friends helped up a lot during the wedding planning and are convinced that the wedding wouldn’t have been as successful without their help and guidance. At the end of the day, the couple truly believes that keeping things simple was the key to their smooth and wonderful wedding.

Vendors

Photographer: Eric Tan Gallery
Florist: JM Florist
Baker/Caterer: Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Wedding favors: Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Attire : Thomson Bridal

Jenny from Singapore and Juan from US met online through one of the largest dating websites in the US, E-harmony and little did the couple know that their friendship would later blossom into something more. After months of connecting via email, Skype and phone calls, Juan flew to Singapore to meet Jenny for the first time and that’s when the both of them knew that they were meant for each other. The next time the couple met, they were in Langkawi and when Juan got down on one knee at their beach front chalet and delivered a beautiful proposal and a diamond ring to Jenny, Jenny said “yes”. In less than 2 months, Juan moved to Singapore to be with Jenny and the couple finally tied the knot in March 2011 in Penang.

The wedding was held at 32 Mansion inPenang. The couple exchanged vows outdoors at the Babylon Lounge which was followed by a buffet dinner in the dining hall.  The venue of 32 Mansion was lovely and romantic as it had a lot of greenery and was by the beach.

Both Juan and Jenny did not have a specific theme for the wedding but they had hoped to create a romantic,  easy and elegant ambiance for their guests hence they chose light colours for the night. The decorations were mostly fresh flowers with white and pink heart shaped balloons. Jenny’s 9 elder sisters definitely helped make the wedding special by decorating the registration table and having jelly bean and pistachio buckets for the guests.

The night was also filled with entertainment such as slide shows, piano performances from Jenny’s nephew and nieces and Jenny even sand a song for Juan. There was even a DJ for the after party! Being very sporting, both Jenny and Juan had a very special first dance where they incorporated MC Hammer’s “You can’t touch this” into their dance routine.

For Jenny, one of the most memorable moments was when she walked down the aisle with her mother and all 9 of her sisters. It was a unique experience and a good one for the family as Jenny had lost her beloved father a year ago. Another special moment for Jenny was when Juan began to say his vows. Juan expressed his sincerest feelings and his love for Jenny and as soon as he began to read his vows, he was so overcome with emotions that he began to tear. Not only did Jenny start tearing as well but the guests too teared up over this sweet display of love.Both Juan and Jenny agreed that the whole wedding was magical and the couple was so happy to be surrounded by their close friends and family which was simply perfect.

Vendors

Wedding planner: Emily Yap  – Jenny’s niece

Attire: WindsorBridal, Toronto

Hair & Make up: Julia Ong

Photographer: Milan Teh Studio

Florist: Floralsense Weddings & Events

Baker/Caterer: SK Homemade

Venue :  The 32 Mansion

Their Story

Chun Pong (from Hong Kong) and Xiang Ning (from Singapore) met in National University of Singapore where Chun Pong was Xiang Ning’s Orientation Group Leader. The proposal happened on Xiang Ning’s birthday on a roof garden. Chun Pong had given Xiang Ning a bouquet of flowers and a photobook containing photos of the couple and on the last page, he had written a special message for her. After she was done reading, Xiang Ning knew that Chun Pong was proposing to her. Chun Pong did not need to get down on his knees because there were a lot of people around at that time. However, he had to wait a couple of minutes (which Chun Pong felt like ages) until Xiang Ning finally said ‘yes’ to him.

The couple held their wedding at the panorama room on the 24th floor, Hilton Singapore as it was the only place they could find that was big enough and available for the date that Chun Pong’s grandma had selected.

A touching and happy  moment for the couple was when their friends had decorated their wedding suite with pink helium balloons and red rose petals during the last part of the dinner as a surprise for Xiang Ning.

Most of Xiang Ning’s inspiration for her dream gown (a tube gown with a criss-crossed back) came from bridal magazines and of course browsing through bridal stores. As for her Chun Pong, he had two suits, a black one and a silverish-grey one. On top of that the groom had a custom mandarin collar suit in a cream and the bride had a qipao. The bridesmaids all wore grey convertible dresses that they could wear according to their own styles while the groomsmen wore simple white shirts (for the day) and pink shirts (for the dinner) with dark pants.

Both Chun Pong and Xiang Ning felt that the most memorable moment was when they shared a kiss after the ROM and it hit them that they were now husband and wife.

Vendors:

Qipao: Lady Xiang

Photographer: Steph Tan

Video: Treasure production

Baker/Caterer : Neo Garden

Attire: Bridal de Couture

Car:  Wedding Cars

Their Story

Caroline was originally from Sitiawan, Perak while her husband Sid was originally from Laos. The couple met at work in Melbourne,Australia when Sid became Caroline’s mentor and it was then that their relationship began. Both Sid and Caroline has been going out for more than six years before Sid finally proposed on Valentine’s Day 2010. Sid placed an advertisement in the local newspaper, the Herald Sun, with his proposal and on top of that,Sunrise on Channel 7 a popular breakfast show, found out about it and subsequently did an interview with Sid. On Valentine’s morning, Sid woke Caroline up really early, turned on the TV and left the newspaper right in front of her.  Naturally Caroline was very surprised to see him on national TV but proud of him at the same and of course Caroline said ‘yes’.

Location

Sid and Caroline’s wedding was held in Pangkor Laut Resort on 26 January 2012. What the couple loved about Pangkor Laut Resort was the natural beauty of the island, the marine and wild life – there were monkeys, hornbills, peacocks roaming the island and that it was a private island and was definitely very romantic with mood lighting throughout the island.

Theme and Colour

Because it was a beach wedding, the couple chose pale yellow / daffodil because it was such a happy and cheerful colour and blue to match the sea. Their style throughout the wedding was casual, light-hearted and enjoyable. What the couple loved most was the floral gazebo and all the other floral arrangements that Pangkor Laut Resort provided. However, they agreed that nothing could beat the natural beach setting in Emerald Baywith the beautiful sunset and sparkling blue water.

Attire

Caroline found her dream dress by BCBG Max Azria at Nordstrom department store in San Fransisco along with a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and jewellery by Nadri. Sid chose his outfit from Wedding Tropics, an online store and the best thing was that he could custom make his outfit along with his best men’s outfits. The bridesmaid dresses were long flowy daffodil dresses.

Most Memorable Moments

Sid shared that his most memorable moment was when he saw Caroline walking down the aisle and he realised how beautiful and lucky he was. For Caroline, her most memorable moment was when Sid got up to sing, “How Deep is Your Love”, with a two-piece band during dinner. It was really sweet, funny and unexpected.

Vendors

Photographer – Steph Tan Photography

Florist – Meng Yee Florist & Costume Jewellery, Wisma Ganda, Sitiawan, Perak

Stationer – Hanson Ellis

Baker – Toh Jo Cyee from Jo’s Piece of Cake

Wedding favours – Light in the Box and Candylicious

Wedding dress: BCBG Max Azria, Nordstrom San Francisco

Shoes: Jimmy Choo, NordstromSan Francisco

Jewellery: Nadri, NordstromSan Francisco

Veil: from Light In the Box

Groom’s and best men’s clothes: Wedding Tropics

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Light in the Box

Makeup: Andrea from A Purr-fect Beauty.

And so, from me to all of you … our readers, our Little Black Book members … my wish for you this weekend is to find peace and to celebrate love!

award winning photography by adrienne maples

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award winning photography by johnstone studios

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award-winning photography from angela stott

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award winning photography from q weddings

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award winning photography from carla ten eyck

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award winning photography from genevieve nisly

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award winning photography from doug mcgoldrick

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award winning photography from raznikov photography

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award winning photography from wayne yuan

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award winning photography from david murray weddings

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merry everything … to everyone …

enjoy the simple moments

and stay safe!

Go to Source

The bride & groom strike a pose!

HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS F11 PHOTO BOOTH?

We met F11 Photo Booth when we attended our friends, Sharon & Eric’s wedding back in November last year. Sharon & Eric hired them and it was our first time experiencing an actual ‘photo booth’ moment at a wedding. Our group of friends (including ourselves) enjoyed dressing up with the funny props and looking silly in front of the cameras so much that my husband and I decided there and then that we must hire the F11 team too for our wedding and we were so glad that we did! Our guests had a whale of a time posing with all the props!

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ROLE DID THE PHOTO BOOTH PLAY AT YOUR WEDDING?

To me, the photo booth was a source of entertainment for our guests through the entire night. What’s more, it made our wedding unforgettable as our guests were provided with the 4R photos of themselves which they could take back with them as a memorable wedding favor!

HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOUR GUESTS?

We received many positive and enthusiastic responses from all our guests ranging from the kids to the older guests. Many of them kept retaking the photos as they couldn’t get enough of posing with all the interesting props! Till today our relatives and friends still talk about the photo booth and shared how much they enjoyed this ‘new feature’ at our wedding. Most of them have never experienced the joy of posing with props at any weddings before.  A couple of engaged friends even asked us for F11 Photo Booth’s contact. So to sum it up, I believe the photo booth was one of the main highlights of our wedding!

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE OR TIPS FOR HIRING A GOOD PHOTO BOOTH PROVIDER?

If you have never experienced a photo booth first hand, ask couples who have recently hired a photo booth provider or guests who have experienced the fun of a photo booth. This will give you an idea of what to expect. Next, when you meet up with a photo booth vendor, don’t be afraid to tell them about what you want and would like to have at your wedding. It is important to also share the theme of your wedding with them and get to know them before the wedding day.

So if you want to add some fun and laughter to your wedding with a dash of drama and props, do check out F11′s Photo Booth website or contact +6019 3 111 926 (Agnes).

For more inspiration and ideas from Signature Wedding’s Vendor snapshots and features, follow us @signatureweds or join us in  facebook

Their Story

Kevin and Jenny were secondary school friends but they lost contact for many years. It was fate that actually brought them together again at one of their mutual friend’s wedding dinner in their hometown. Kevin proposed to Jenny on her birthday on 3 June. He brought her to a dinner and popped the question in the car and they got married the following year on 10 September 2011.

The couple’s wedding was held at Faith Christian Centre with a fairy tale theme in mind which created a unique, romantic and fairy-like ambience for the couple and all the guests.  The colour purple was the chosen colour for the wedding and elements of that colour can be seen through the car decorations and flower arrangements. Both Kevin and Jenny agreed that the decorated stands for the church ceremony was one of the things that they loved most about their wedding.

The hardest part of the wedding planning would definitely have to be the budgeting. Both Kevin and Jenny shared that they had definitely spent more than what they had originally planned and this was mostly due to the pre-wedding photography shoot as they decided to top-up more money for the photo selection.

As a tip, the couple encourages other couples planning their own weddings to always begin planning and preparing as early as possible as it took the couple almost a year to plan their wedding.

Hair & Make up: Desmond
Photographer: Crossroads
Florist: Jesly

From candid photos to glamour shots, how to look gorge on your big day

Photo by Marry Me Bridal Gallery

It happens to everyone. You smile, say cheese, and happily check out the photo only to find that you have somehow transformed into a pale, wrinkled, wild-eyed, double-chinned spitting image of your 85-year-old Aunt Edna. Not a good look. So how do you make sure that you will take good photos at an event as important as your wedding? Don’t hide under your veil! Now is your time to shine. We talked to wedding photographer extraordinaire Nicole Goddard about everything you need to know to get fabulous wedding photos.

Her tips for the perfect shot:

Photo by Clement Lee Photography

Start Early: Tell your makeup artist to be done 30 minutes before the photographer arrives. Everyone runs late on the big day; this way your photographer can capture all the last minute touch-ups and stay on schedule.

Photo by Edmund Leong Motion & Stills

Do an Engagement Session: In many cases these are usually included your wedding photography package. It’s a perfect time for you to get to know your wedding photographer better and your photographer has a chance to learn how to direct you. It will make you feel so much more comfortable — not to mention, you will get to try a bunch of poses and see what works for you. Let your guard down and work that camera! Now is the time to channel that inner diva. You will get some rocking images with much less stress and if nothing else, you will have a great laugh.

Photo by Trinity Wedding Gallery

A Timeline Is Key: Let your photographer (and all of your wedding vendors) review the timeline at least a week prior to the wedding. They will know how long stuff will take realistically — first glance, getting ready, family photos, etc.

Create a family must-have list so the photographer doesn’t miss any key players during this limited time.

Photo by Steph Tan Photography

Get Silly With It: Your wedding is an important, meaningful day — one of the most important in your life. But don’t forget to have a little fun. Take a few silly photos — grab his tie, let loose on the dance floor, and just let your personality loose in front of the camera. Conversely, if the fun stuff comes with ease, make sure to get a few serious poses that capture the importance of the day. And remember, this is your wedding — so be romantic. A little PDA goes a long way in your wedding photos.

Photo by Maxtography

Capture the Beginning and the End: Everyone knows the key photos — walking down the aisle, saying “yes,” the first dance, and cutting the cake. Equally important are those beginning and ending moments of the wedding: getting ready with your girls, leaving in your car and all the great candid shots in between. If you can afford it, make sure that your photographer comes early and stays all the way through the end. But if it’s not in your budget, don’t worry, just enlist a friend or family member to capture these bookend moments!

Photo by Marry Me Bridal Gallery

Practice the Pose: You may not be a supermodel but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a photo like one. Certain poses are simply more flattering than others. Pose with one leg slightly in front of the other and twist your torso to elongate the body. Raise your chin and push it out a bit. It will feel awkward at first but it will lengthen the neck, thin the face, and keep all signs of a double chin in check.

xx, The FabFitFun Team

This photos reflects the love story of Sam and Leila.

Sam proposed and Leila said yes, the next thing they want to have is to have their beautiful love stories captured in Malaysia, a country they both love.  They find the perfect match with Jackal Cheng from Click4Loves Photography.

The photos and stunning, and above all, their love for each other is like the perfect love story.

Congratulations Sam and Leila! Your love for each other in inspiring.

XOXO, the cupids from Signature Weddings.

The concept
Terry: Kenneth and Hui Wen have love for two things at that stage of their life: wedding and their marital home. You see this sparkle in their eyes when they talk about their new home (it was undergoing renovations at that time), boy they were absolutely dedicated to making their nest a dream home, as with their dream wedding. During the discussion, we came up with the concept of photographing their engagement shoot at their home, I love the idea, excited at the notions especially that it’s still in construction stage – what a good metaphor of them building their lives together.

Dream team
Location – Couple’s home (undergoing construction)
Photographer – One Eye Click
Attire – Couple’s own & wedding attire
Props – Their home, chalks for drawing, paper cuttings, a bicycle & a yellow balloon

Fast forward a few more years, celebrated photographers  like Joshua Koh, dedicated to capture your wedding more beautifully than you’d imagine, emerges.  To many professional  photographer like Joshua, capturing your wedding moments beautifully is like their divine call. Not to anyone’s surprise, Joshua who helms Eye Shot Studio won 3rd placing in WPPI First Half 2011 Online Competition, competing against many professional photographer’s around the globe.

We, the cupids caught up with Joshua to get  a little insight to his work at Eye Shot Studio

What encouraged you to join the WPPI competition?

I have been in the wedding industry for 11 years, and have never join a single competition. One day, I was encourage by a friend and so I did. Months later, I received an email from the organizers at around 12 am to tell me that I had won 3rd placing, it was one of my proudest moment in my career as a photographer.

The photo who won 3rd placing at WPPI 2011 entitled Bride and Groom

 How and why did you choose wedding photography instead of other photography?

I love weddings and the beautiful moments in wedding, so choosing wedding photography comes naturally. What I enjoy the most is meeting different couple each day, getting to know them and their love story. Then, from getting to know them, I am en task to tell their story through my photography and that is something I truly enjoy.

What was your most memorable photo shoot experience?

Last July, a couple wanted to shoot their pre-wedding photography in Paris. Despite the smaller budget, I could see that it was her dream to have the shoot in Paris. So to make that happen, we all had to crash in a budget hotel for 4 nights and that’s not to say that I am willing to crash into a hotel room with all my clients hahaha but that was what it took to make their dreams came true. For me, the ensuing friendship with the couple made it all more meaningful. Plus I love those set of photos taken in Paris.

What advice would you share with your clients before their wedding photo shoot?

One word, relax. Most couple will find wedding photography a little awkward. It’s true because they are not professional models who knows what looks good and what don’t. Instead of being technical and instructive, our team tries our best to make them feel relax and comfortable. After awhile, the comfort shows and naturally, the shots we capture gets prettier.

Thanks Joshua for sharing your time with the cupids of Signature Weddings.

Note from Cupids: If you are loving what you see, contact Joshua at Eye Shot Studio here or check out their website.

Cupid’s Bridal Tip: Perfect twirl, perfect post. This oh-so-perfect photo is not easy to pull off. You need to have loads of fun and get into the moment. Choosing the right photographer that understands your personality is very important too. Oh yes, her yellow evening gown is a beautiful contrast to the checkered floor.

Tune in for more Signature Wedding’s Vendor snapshots and feature. Follow us @signatureweds or facebook

The groom and his besties getting ready for action.

With the help of the groomsmen, Donald had no worries in getting his bride.

The beautiful bride

Joean: Donald!?!?!? Help me get these pests away!

Donald: No worries my dear, come away with me…

The happy couple.

Cheers to Donald and Joean, may your love for one another will never age nor fade with time!

Plan ahead
Good photographers are often booked in advance. To avoid disappointment, start your research at least 12 months before your wedding. A great way us to look through your friends’ wedding albums and ask about their experiences.

Choosing Your Photographer
After you have shortlisted possible photographers, meet with each of them individually before picking one. During these sessions, get to know your photographer personally to assess his/her personality and look through his/her portfolio and previous works to determine if you like his/her style. Other than fulfilling your requirements and budget, your photographer should be open to your ideas and preferences.

Booking Your Photographer
Make sure you have a written quotation for each photographer. The chart on page 170 will help you make a well-researched decision that is not based solely on price. Once you have decided on your photographer, place your deposit immediately!

Shot list
Sit down with your honey and plan ‘essential photos’ you want for your wedding album. One of the most common mistakes couples make is assuming that the special photos are magically snapped. If you want to ease the process, use the checklist to help you determine the shots you want.

*Photo by Brookelyn Photography

*Photo by Chris Humphreys Photography

Signature Weddings Magazine 2012

In conjunction with the current photography issue, we ran a small contest at our Facebook page to find out, which photo our readers- you, love most. May we present you (drum roll please…) the list of 25 Most Love Wedding Photos.

#1 by Bigapple Photography

#2 by Bigapple Photography

#3 Kevin Tan Photography

#4 Kid Chan Studio

#5 Alextan Art Works

#6 Kevin Tan Photography

#7 City Image Wedding Studio

#8 Avenue 8

#9 Avenue 8

#10 Fixer Photography

#11 City Image Wedding Studio

#12 39 East Photography

#13 Milan Teh Studio

#14 Milan Teh Studio

#15 PhotosByMarbles

#16 John Poh Photography

#17 39 East Photography

#18 Moco Bridal Gallery

#19 39 East Photography

#20 East Photography

#21 Edwin Tan Photography

#22 PhotosByMarbles

#23 One Eye Click

#24 Tuckys Photogaphy

#25 John Poh Photography

For more cool feature in this issue, grab your copy today at store nearest to you.

Image by Apertura Photography

With thousands of images submitted to us by hundreds of photographers across the globe, Blair, Kim and I were in heaven editing them down to what we considered the best of the best- the images that blew our minds, made us gasp and tear up and grin from ear to ear at the same time, and quite simply, made us love photography even more than we already do. We salute every one of the hard working photographers out there who sent in their images for consideration. It has been an honor to see such stellar creative work, and we sincerely hope that all of you, our readers, are as moved by 2009′s Best from the Best as we have been. Here is a little taste of the Fashion Report to get you started. Be sure to click over to check out the full retrospective, and stay tuned this week for even more photographic goodness!

Image by Amelia Lyon Photography

Image by Jose Villa Photography

Image by Jennifer Skog

Image by Ivan Franchet Wedding Art Photography

Image by Jean Pierre Uys Photography

Image by The Image is Found

Image by Garrett Nudd Photography

Image by Laurel McConnell Photography

Go to Source

Go to Source

Led by chief photographer Ahmad Fairuz Ismail, every single shot is always creatively captured to enhance the heritage of the bride and groom. Fairuz’s forte, besides his expert eye, is to always ensure that the couple he works with is comfortable, particularly those are camera-shy. And as he sets his sights on capturing your love, he always awaits for that spontaneous moment of beauty because he believes that “people are full of surprises”.

With a keen on his surroundings, Fairuz is sure to capture more than what you expect as plenty will be going on around the couple. Great possibilities are found in every angle, and he strives to capture those too for your cherished wedding album.

Avicenna Studio is confident in your being satisfied with their services; so much so they have taken the idiom that ‘pictures are worth a thousand words’ to a greater height; as they will ensure the pictures they take of your wedding day are worth ‘millions’.

“I am an Aussie girl from Sydney who moved at the age of 10 to Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. I recently moved back to Kona with my husband (where he was born and raised) and I love living in this beautiful place. I am so fortunate to have an amazing community of friends here who I’d be lost without! I do however long for city life… ! I make it a priority to go to a big city as much as possible. I get so much inspiration from places like NYC and Bangkok, it fills my creative soul.”

On her path to photography as a career:
“I have loved photography since I was a teenager. In high school the only time I wanted to be in school was when I was in my photography class’ darkroom. After I graduated and friends were heading off to university, I decided that wasn’t my path. I wanted to travel and let my life experiences be my education. My camera was my journal.  It was my way of documenting these experiences in different cultures. The more I traveled the more I wanted to travel! It was my amazing husband who really encouraged me to start a photography business.  He said ” You love photography and you love traveling… why don’t you get paid for what you love?!” What a concept… I only officially started my business a year ago and it has been phenomenal!

Ruth tells us why she ventured into underwater photography:
“I love the water and I love photography, so I thought why not combined the two and see what happens!  I love the movement of hair and clothes underwater and how amazing the light and reflections are below the surface of the water.  It is a look that is so different and whimsical and can only be achieved in the water. If you have any interest in doing an underwater shoot I’d say do it!!  Your images will be something completely different from any other portrait you have, you won’t regret it!”

We grow up reminiscing over thousands of images taken by our loving parents, it’s about time someone gave them this privilege too..

“Nikon has been extremely tight-lipped about their newest camera system, but tonight they pulled back the curtain and unveiled a pair of interchangeable lens compact cameras that bring the company full-force into the ILC war.

The guts of both cameras revolve around a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor in what Nikon is calling the CX size. That’s 13.2mm x 8.8mm which makes it smaller than its four thirds competition, but bigger than the upcoming Pentax Q system. That gives it an overall crop factor of 2.7, which comes into play when using the F-mount adapter (more on that in a minute).

One of the main talking points for Nikon about the sensor is its ability to do focal plane phase detection AF at hugely fast speeds. When phase detection is wrong for the shooting situation, it automatically switches to contrast AF for speed. First impressions from technical editor, Phil Ryan suggest that it’s fast, but not really noticeably faster than Micro Four Thirds in terms of AF. It also helps that it has 73 AF points in phase detection mode. That’s a serious array — more than any other interchangeable lens camera according to Nikon.

Image processing is handled by the Expeed 3 processor, which allows for a burst rate up to 10 fps with AF tracking.

One of the big new stories here is the introduction of the Nikon 1 lens mount. At launch, the J1 and the V1 will have the 1 NIKKOR VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 1 NIKKOR VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6, 1 NIKKOR 10mm f/2.8 and 1 NIKKOR VR 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM. The FT1 mount adapter will allow you to slap any F-mount lens on a 1-series body, which may be a substantial advantage considering their current user base.

There are two models to choose from: The V1 and the J1. The V1 is the higher-end model and includes an integrated electronic viewfinder with 140k dots of resolution. It covers approximately 100% of the frame. It also has a 921k dot TFT LCD display, a mechanical shutter and a flash sync speed of 1/250th of a second. All of that is wrapped up in a magnesium alloy body tougher than that of the J1.

The J1 loses the integrated viewfinder and drops the resolution of the LCD display to 460k dots. It also has an electronic shutter, to help keep the price down.

The V1 also has the advantage of an accessory shoe into which you can plug a flash — neither have one built-in — or a GPS module, neither of which have received official pricing info yet. The J1 has a pop-up flash to make up for its lack of shoe.

Nikon has also spruced up the shooting modes in their new little cameras, some of which blur the line between photography and video capture. Both cameras can capture 1080p video at 60i with simultaneous still image capture at full-resolution.

The Motion Snapshot mode records “about a second” of video footage surrounding the shutter press. It’s recorded at 60fps and plays back at 24fps. It actually sounds a lot like a non-repeating cinemgraph.

Both cameras will be available October 20th. The cheaper J1 will cost $649 and come packed with the 10-30mm zoom lens. The V1 will cost $899 packaged with the same lens.”

- Article taken from PopPhoto.com

Let’s find out what this little one can do in Pop Photo’s gallery!

Get in touch now – darren.jee.photography@gmail.com.