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Yearly Archives: 2010
The wedding of Keemin and Holly last night concludes my string of shoots for 2010. It’s been a fabulous year! YAY! And I’m so happy to finish it at such an emotional wedding, filled with great speeches.
Keemin and Holly are a lawyer and a scientist based in Los Angeles and New York who have made love happen from the east coast to the west coast of America. They met as friends at Drew University in New Jersey and fell in love later, which makes their long distance relationship so rare and sweet. Holly said during her speech, that her parents did not have passports until now as they have not stepped out of America all their lives, but when she announced she was holding a ceremony in Singapore, they all said Yeah, they’ll get themselves here for the occasion. Some other guests present had survived a 60-hour flight delay at the JFK airport in New York, due to winter blizzards, to get here, and were still awake. The wedding was also an introduction for Holly’s family, meeting Keemin’s very warm extended family, plus so many other friends eager to catch up, what a reunion!
Wedding Photographer: Mindy Tan
Wedding Videographer: Why Keen from Ichiro Films (so easy to work with!)
Venue: Hotel Intercontinental Singapore, Ballroom
Hairstylist: Haslina
Received a note from Keemin:)
“Mindy, we loved working with you – it was hardly any work! Can’t wait to see what you’ve captured. Happy New Year!”
Which bride, on her wedding day, sends well wishes to her photographer at her own tea ceremony? Which bride cooks a sumptuous meal on her day-off to thank you for your hard work?
Yup, its Regina, and most wonderful Jason, one of the reasons why I feel so blessed : )
We’ve just got their wedding album designed and proofed, you may have remembered a video I posted way back. Here are some images to share from the morning.
Gown: Tan Yoong
Make-up: Cindy Ong
Hairstylist: Dexter Ng
Wedding and Solemnisation: il-Lido, Sentosa
The bulk of wedding photography is almost done for the year. Survived a string of intensive shoots last week, with just one more wedding to go, Holly and Keemin’s wedding, before I start again with a big bang – Daphne and Keeseng’s wedding on the 1st of Jan!
This also means lots of couples are waiting for their pictures to be edited in time for their own celebration and picture-sharing with friends. (I’m working on it!)
Since I won’t be celebrating Christmas this year, I’ve decided to blog on the last during coffee break! Yeah, it’s taken a long time for these pictures to be up, well, all of them private pictures and moments. Looking at them gives me so much pleasure – having lived all my life in the tropics, this was my very first full-fledged white christmas. Can’t believe these happened a year ago. Where did time go? Wow. A blink of an eye it is.
Just before it snows… Water droplets start to freeze, like jewels hanging off barren branches. What a pretty sight.
One of the benefits of not living on the equator! For a photographer, its the long shadows to play with, the longer time for the sun to set, hence, a really golden hour. Regrettably in Singapore, we often get a golden five minutes.
Brandenburg Gate. Where East Berlin meets West.
On the way to the Christmas market.
A blurry self-portrait of Maddy and me. I like it, this blurriness, like my memory
Hilarious buskers, they’re pretty good at what they’re doing and take pride
A taste of Gluhwein, a traditional beverage drank on Christmas. It’s like smelly Toufu. In liquid form. Scorching hot, and shiok!
Got really happy after the wine.
On the steps of Gendarmenmarkt overlooking the square and the market. I was so amazed people bring their dogs everywhere – shopping, flea market, christmas markets.
Aren’t the lights simply gorgeous?
On a quiet night…
Fresh snow
Random dog comes up to say hi.
Another random dog walking towards me…
Turns out I was standing on his pee spot. Damn!
The magic forest of Spandau covered in snow
And even more dogs, surely, I have to focus on being a dog photographer someday.
Along Unter den linden and its row of lights.
The horse and carriage, its click-clock click-clock and the snow, just manages to take you back in time.
Even Mr Lego Giraffe, outside the Lego Museum, had a snow cap and snowy nose.
Smint, who wears my scarf, gloves and beanie. Androgynous, he/she’s the first snowman I’ve ever built. Boy, that was quite a workout! Build a snowman everyday and it will strengthen your back muscles I swear! The next day, Smint was gunned down by the boys in the park. A week later, it died a terrible death. His head dislodged and found under a nearby tree.
Pink bluish sunset, and golden afternoon light. Seriously, who needs photo filters?
Summer palace Charlottenburg in the snow, shot from a car
Ducks in the river! They must be freezing, tough cookies!
In one of my most favourite alleys in Berlin.
A Morris covered in snow, how cute
Self portrait successful
Thanks Maddy for taking these nice shots of me. I should hand you my camera more often.
Lena, Rif, Mad, and me.. We went sleigh-riding up a hill
Wheeeeeee
Once the fun is done, you have to climb back up.
Yes, it really hurt.
Three on a sleigh, hah.
This evening, a bride whose wedding I photographed two weeks ago called me up to ask for some wedding pictures. Only because her uncle had passed away suddenly and these were the most recent pictures taken of him, at the tea ceremony and at the wedding banquet. I dug through the lot and also found an image of her uncle carrying a baby niece, and sent the lot to her, hopefully it will be in time for his funeral.
Last night, at another wedding, when I asked the groom if there was anything extra special I should pay attention to, he requested for more photographs of his grandmother, and also of his father, because he seldom has pictures of them, especially in recent years, even though they are the two people closest to his heart.
Later when the groom gave a speech, he dedicated a segment spoken in perfect Hokkien, for his grandmother, a tiny but feisty woman in her 80s, who had dedicated herself to bringing the groom up after his mother passed away when he was 12. It was a moving thank-you speech. Looking at old lady, from the camera lens, I could see her nodding, her wrinkled face wrenching with so many different emotions.
On stage and in front of hundreds of guests, he also thanked his father, speaking intimately of his feelings, and the family’s difficult times.
I was kneeling beside the groom’s father, trying to get a shot of the moment… of (I guess) a typical Singaporean Chinese Parent-Child relationship -one that does not openly show nor speak of love – now out in the open, acknowledging and giving thanks from son to father, on this special day – a momentous day for parents, where his child gains full adulthood, a rite of passage.
Tears welled in the father’s eyes. I cannot imagine the complexity of his feelings.
It is in these moments, I realise how important wedding photography is.
The pictures are not just memories for the present generation, but also to be passed down to future children, where family albums show faces of family members gathered together, in positive emotions, togetherness, and shared joy.
When I was a reporter, I always felt seeking and addressing truth for society was important, especially for injustices of the underprivileged. It was about problems, issues that had to be addressed.
Witnessing the gathering of families at every wedding, is quite the opposite of trouble and bad news. It is about cherishing beautiful moments, about real, common lives, history and heritage, and the most wonderful memories we will keep.
Last night and this evening, I am reminded again, how important wedding photographs can be, and how important the photographer is to every wedding. It is a job for humanity and being human.
It was written in the wedding schedule “Dress Up Kopi”. So I knew the couple were going to decorate their car before coming to church, and to my surprise, it was a lovely old mini-cooper! For all vintage car lovers out there, this is a real head-turner!
As Yuwen and Rivai drove away from the Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, onto the ECP, and to their dinner venue 1-twenty-six, seeing Kopi in action drove me nuts, so click click click click…
Wedding Solemnisation: Blue Room, Westminister Registry Office, London
Wedding Suite: Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten Hotel
Drinks and Canapes: Haymarket Hotel
Wedding Gown: Maggie Soretto
Make-up and hair: Aveda on High Holborn
Cupcakes: Primrose Bakery
Wedding Favours: Home-made
Dear Kenneth and Christine, thank you for feeding me during your wedding, and most of all, thank you for letting me photograph your special day. You and your guests that made everything about this wedding was extra special.
Kenneth and Christine are Singaporean couple living and working in London, who met and fell in love there. It is such a sweet love story, I’ll leave it for them to say it!
Above: Kenneth with his groomsmen, and Christine with her bridesmaids
Kenneth wore a caveat and the classic British groom’s combination of a grey jacket and black pants. According to English tradition, only the groom wears this colour on his wedding day. So though Christine had changed out of her gown into a peppermint Cheongsam, strangers we met on the street were congratulating the couple.
The day was simple but filled with details, from Christine’s polka dot umbrellas, Kenneth’s surprise flower bouquet for his mother-in-law, to the couple’s dating pictures on a picture wall, and the careful selection of jazzy tunes Kenneth’s little brother, Kelvin had prepared for the evening.
Above: Christine takes the hand of her father, moments before she walks into the Blue room to get married.
At the Westminister registry, everyone blinked away tears as the couple said exchanged their personal vows, it was such a joy to see them get married.
At lunch, Christine’s dad stood up and told everyone how much this daughter had brought to her parent’s lives since the moment she was born. I feel you, uncle!
Together with their families, the couple baked and packaged their own jars of cookies as favours for guests.
Above: Sergio, the groomsman who flew in from Seville, pens a note for the couple.
The part I loved best, was their first dance, which happened unannounced. While guests were too busy mingling, the couple at their own time had their dance, watched on by Kenneth’s dad who had been holding on to this trusty compact camera all evening, standing quietly in a corner taking pictures of his son and daughter-in-law.
I’ve so glad to have witnessed and partaken in their beautiful wedding day, and learnt from their love. It’s what makes my job so worthwhile and reminds me to treasure my loved ones each passing day. This Saturday, their Singapore wedding will be held, yeah, looking forward to capturing it.
Many more photos from the wedding are uploaded in a Facebook album.
It rained in the early morning and cleared the day for a cool morning for Clara & Ben, who had the gate crash and tea ceremony in the morning, in both their parent’s homes, before proceeding to the Four Seasons Hotel for the Banquet at night.
Clara getting her make up done in the morning. A clear flush of window light from Clara’s room, yay.
The sisters, co-ordinated in a theme of red and black.
An emotional prayer for Clara before the day’s proceedings began.
Shoes! Red Shoes! Love
Ben arrives to pick his bride up.
Oops, a bit of wardrobe mal-function there and Clara’s brother rushes to adjust Ben’s jacket before he heads upstairs to the flat.
Peeping out during the gatecrash
It’s quite a puzzle to solve here as the groomsmen are given song lyrics to piece together. The only problem is, the song is sung in cantonese but the lyrics read in Chinese.
Clara’s niece wants to join in too. Cutest little girl I’ve ever seen!
The Beautiful bride arrives at her in-laws. I love clara’s dress, a ball gown shape, for its simplicity and lace details at the bottom.
Tea-ceremony with the in-laws
Heading to our photography session in Orchard Road.
At the Ion
The march-in at Four Seasons Hotel
It was clever of the couple to hold their ROM (registry of marriages) ceremony just before the dinner banquet, witnessed by everyone.
Presenting the newly-weds!
Check Facebook for more pictures from this wedding – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=248549&id=103762129544
Good news this morning.
Wouldn’t have known if Maddy hadn’t alerted me to it, Thanks!
And Thank You to my clients for your beautiful weddings – Priscilla & Andy’s wedding in the first photo, and Nick & Jenni’s church ceremony in the 2 and 3 photos. I found out from Priscilla’s gate crash games that she has a fetish of shoes, so there you have it!
2010, Q3:
4th Place – Details (Found)
15th Place – Musicians
16th Place – Ceremony
“The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association proudly recognizes the accomplishments and creative excellence of Mindy Tan. The following awards have been earned by Mindy from the AG|WPJA. These achievements come with great merit considering the high level of competition that a member faces in the contests.”
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With reference to your of course..hee
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