Trevor is an award-winning photojournalist with the TODAY newspaper. As some of you know, I was a photojournalist from Today, and Trevor was the one who replaced me after I left. And why I started this entry by announcing his credentials is because during the four years I was there, I won nothing. A year or two after after he joined the photo desk, Trevor managed to bag the S-League Picture of the Year! 
Well, it was with great honour then that he and his lovely wife Shaoying wanted me to document their wedding day. True to their profession (Shaoying used to be a journalist too), the thoughtful couple produced an 8-page flyer, complete with coloured pictures, that chronicled their growing-up days and courtship anecdotes and also included a list of acknowledgement and people to thank. What touched me most was my name was in there as well. It felt differently when one sees the “thank you” note in print.
The creative duo also held a special and meaningful ceremony: the Unity ceremony. Unlike couples who light unity candles in church, theirs involved coffee and tea. You see, Trevor loves tea while Shaoying loves coffee. By uniting the two different beverages to form a new concoction (in Hongkong, it’s called yuen yong, or yuan yang in Chinese). It symbolises the union of two people. There is no more just coffee or tea, but coffee, tea and we!
At this moment, the couple is in Tokyo braving the 8 degree celcius cold. I hope the pictures can warm their and your hearts.
More can be seen on facebook.
Kelly (the groom) travelled thousands of miles from Los Angeles to Singapore, alone, to fetch his bride. He was told beforehand how arduous a task it’d be….and that if he could take all the abuse the bridesmaids had to dish out, he could take marriage in his stride.
Luckily, he hired a band of brothers to help him out. Why “hire”? That was because the “brothers” are all friends of the bride. At first, I was a little worried for Kelly, doubting the commitment of “brothers for hire”. I was proven dead wrong because they were very “professional” and into character. Singing from the ground floor of the flat? Chek. Sampling the four different tastes? Check. Gyrating with boxer shots on? Check. I thought they did more than most other “real brothers” whom I have come across.
At the same time I was impressed by them, I was even more curious about the size of their pay…..I mean red packets.
Jokes aside, Kelly and Ilane really looked good together and they were very sporting and enthusiastic about the photo-shoot. They would have gladly cross-dressed for the camera had I asked them to.
Having held their wedding in L.A., the Singapore event was more of party with family members and friends. Although it was a short, to me, it was very intensive. I hope they had as much fun exploring the under-belly of Singapore as I did.
Can’t help it, sometimes. The truth is such that I am left with a limited vocabulary and adjectives to describe Alvin’s & Kiara’s wedding that I have to resort to cliches. Fantastic couple, sporting groomsmen, gracious and vivascious bridesmaids and a very, very close-knit family…..all contributed to a fun, heartwarming wedding that I was priviledged to cover.
Wedding aside, I was also sincerely touched by the kind, loving, gentle and unassuming demeanour of Kiara’s father, who is a stalwart of the Worker’s Party. Being an ex-photojournalist, I have had my fair share of contact with various members of the opposition parties….Mr Chiam, the late JBJ, Chee Soon Juan etc. Contrary to reports carried by mainstream media, which constantly paints a negative picture of the opposition, some of the members are normal blokes like you and me…..a husband, a father, a servant who wants to contribute to the society. I could sense the deep love and respect the bride had for her father, especially from her thank-you speech.
I think that’s one good thing about our job as a photojournalist or wedding photographer: it allows us to go beyond the surface and see things from within.
Paris pre-wedding photo shoot. Call/email today and secure a slot. Early-bird receives discount of up to $500!
I had a recent wedding where the bride and groom were so caught up by the arrangements and last minute preparations that everything started late for them. We had actually planned for a short portrait session around The Sentosa resort area just prior to the wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, it had to be scrapped due to time constraint. I think between bride, groom and me, I was the most disappointed because to them, there are many other things to think about, while all I think of on a wedding day is pictures, pictures, pictures. To not be able to exploit one of the most beautiful sunsets in recent weeks seemed like a cardinal sin to me.
Well, all I could do to preserve the light that the couple couldn’t enjoy was this:
I find this photo wickedly funny because I seemed to have seen something familiar when I was in Bangkok? Or is it Macau?
Two years ago, I was lucky to be placed second in the inaugural Vivo City Photo Contest 2007. The adage “Nobody remembers No. 2″ rings so true because not only did the first prize winner received $4,000 more than me, his works were also displayed this year at the mall in conjuncr=tion with the second Vivo City photo contest.
This year, the chances of me winning are even slimmer because of the lack of preparation. First, I almost forgot the deadline. Second, the competition came at a time when there were lots of wedding shoots. Third, it didn’t help that I only went down to the mall to take some pictures on the eve of the deadline, sandwiched in-between by two weddings, and I was deadbeat by the time I was there with wifey at 9+pm. The original plan of doing some night shots with light painting proved unsuccessful because wifey didn’t know how to hold the torch properly (sigh…). The fact that large sections of the water-play area were cordoned off for maintenance didn’t help either. I also saw a group of photographers giving it their last-minute shots at glory; some of them, to my horror, were using the torchlight much more effectively than us. There goes my “original” idea.
Desperate, I started to look around for some inspiration, snapped a few of my favourite subject—children, and alas, the battery has gone flat faster than I expected, after a day of shooting wedding!
Well, by a stroke of fortune, the judges like one of my pictures (which is similar to something i shot last year…I suspect it’s the same judge haha) and it has come in top 20. The shortlisted pictures are now exhibited at Vivo City and there is a “Guess the winner” sms contest too. But I think to save your time and money, vote for some other pictures. This is as good as it gets.
by kcwong
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