May has been a busy month for the Stories team. There’s just so much to share but I haven’t had time to organize my thoughts into a blog post! So here’s a quick summary of the most recent weddings that we photographed in May. Congratulations to all of you!
20th May – Fahrizal & Shirah
21st May – Fun & Dong Liang
28th May – Ben & Angela (by the way, this is one of the largest group photos I’ve ever photographed)
This week and part of next week, I’ll be away in Singapore, Nikoi Island (an island near Bintan, Indonesia) and Kuching, Sarawak. Do keep in touch via Facebook or Twitter!
Photographers: Grace, Johan, Weiming & Ben
Bride’s Wedding Gown (akad nikah): Wan Zakaria
Bride & Groom’s dinner attire: Calvin Thoo
Make Up: Eric (akad nikah) & Naseeb (dinner)
Cake (nikah): Truly Scrumptious
Videography: RF Media
Dinner Entertainment: Orkestra RTM
Dinner Reception: Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
When Shirah first approached me to enquire about our wedding photography services, it never crossed my mind that I would be photographing my first royalty group photo a few months later. We had a good conversation then… she told me she teaches French in Sri Cempaka school, which amazed me! It was only on her wedding day that I realized she had a YM in front of her name. :)
Fahrizal & Shirah’s story began during their university days in London 9 years ago. They were on different paths of their lives and even though they didn’t show any interest in each other at the time, there was always an underlying chemistry between them.
Here’s Fahrizal & Shirah’s story from her perspective:
After graduating and moving back to KL, we became closer and eventually started dating in 2006. Back and forth dating for over four years and at the end of 2010 we decided it was the right time to get married. Our families were eager for us to be married quickly hence only 5 months preparation till the wedding day in May 2011!
I couldn’t be more delighted with the way the wedding ceremony and reception went – a complete success despite the typical unplanned and last minute difficulties a wedding presents, such as rain! Grace, Johan and the rest of the Stories team were so great in accomodating all of these issues and were incredibly professional in dealing with all the formalities and protocol. The sneak peeks of the photos have been beautiful and I would highly recommend anyone looking for a fun, happy and eager photographer who knows what they’re doing to hire Grace and her team!
As with most Malay weddings, the akad nikah was held on a separate day as the wedding dinner reception.
During the nikah, Fahrizal was a little… nervous. :)
But he made it in the end… !
Just a glimpse of the many different hantaran that was exchanged that day…
Some decorations from the lunch reception. The cake below was created by Truly Scrumptious. It looks beautiful!
After the luncheon, we took some portraits around Shangri-La itself.
Johan’s image here below makes things look so magical…
The next day, we were back at the Shangri-La ballroom for Shirah’s dinner reception. It was a huge function with about 800 people attending, including KDYMM Sultan & Sultanah Kedah, DYMM Raja Perlis, DYMM Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan… the list is long!
During the dinner, there was the screening of a thank you video made by Fahrizal & Shirah. Shirah talked about her late mom which made her siblings tear.
At the end of the night, the two flower girls were really exhausted. I love this shot done by Johan. He has such an eye for expressions and catches them just at the right time…
Thank you for giving the Stories team the opportunity to photograph your wedding, Shirah!
There’s just so much to love about this wedding. I am absolutely thrilled whenever I walk into a wedding and see lots of delicious details that beg to be photographed. Add to that equation two really talented, arty and creative people – Nora & Along, and also all of Nora’s friends who were from Parsons School of Design, New York, (especially those who contributed so much to the wedding day)… everything turned out just perfect. Tears flowed freely during the dinner reception. It was really obvious that Nora & Along are deeply loved by their family and friends.
Some time back, Johan photographed Nora & Along’s engagement ceremony, and a few months later, we were there to photograph their wedding day. Thank you, Nora & Along, for this opportunity to document important moments on your wedding day.
To start off the post, I’d like to point out these lovely invitation cards that were designed by the talented Emma K, who is also Nora’s sister.
It pays to have designer friends. Nora’s nikah gown was designed by her friend Sapto. Gorgeous details!
Look at the details at the back!
Looking at someone’s room can tell you so much about that person. I love Nora’s little wall, filled with important little things. And Along’s toys are cute!
While the guests arrived to the peaceful rhythms of gamelan music, Nora and her friends got ready. Almost everyone traveled from various parts of the world to be there for her wedding. These beautiful outfits worn by the bridesmaids were customized by Nora’s dear friend and neighbour at Trio-Os Fashion Cafe, Empire Gallery. The caftans were customized to match the traditional Javanese batik sarongs, which were a special gift given to Nora by Didit’s mom.
The decisive moment in every akad nikah ceremony…
And he did it!
There is a whole story to this gorgeous ring that you see here. This Georgian period antique ring was purchased in London while Along and Nora were in UK for a work trip some time back. They were there to do some coffee research (gee, I wonder what that entails… lots of long hours sipping mugs and mugs of coffee?), and while there, they discovered this amazing ring! Coffee led them to their ring by chance.
Now, what about Along’s ring? Since Along loves photography, he opted for an M8 Leica camera instead of a wedding band! Now that’s a practical wedding gift! At least Nora would be guaranteed a lifetime of amazing photos!
The next day, we were at JW Marriott Hotel for the dinner reception. When Johan and I walked into the ballroom, we were in awe. I had never seen such elaborate and beautiful table decorations before. Everything was so green and eco-friendly!
Don’t you just love the wedding favours? I don’t usually take home wedding favours, but I have to admit, Nora & Along, I ‘adopted’ a little pot for myself after the reception ended!
Each guest were also given scrolls – and when unfolded, it revealed a personalized note for Nora & Along! So everyone had to fill in the details and return the scroll to Nora and Along at the end of the night. Some of the really creative things that were on it were…
You two are (fill in an adjective) together…
When you have children, name them (Boy’s name) and (Girl’s name)…
Take a romantic vacation to (place) together…
While Nora’s nikah outfit was designed by Sapto, her evening gown was also specially custom made for her by her friend Didit.
Heartfelt speeches…
And warm moments…
Nora and Along, I am glad to know that whenever you look at these images, you’ll be reminded of the joyous spirit of your wedding day. Thank you for everything and all the best for the future! And make sure Along uses his Leica!
While thousands of Malaysians took to the streets of KL on the 9th of July 2011 supporting the Bersih 2.0 cause, a group of 100+ people were out for a different purpose – to celebrate the wedding of Arif & Natassha. A few days before the wedding, Johan and I were concerned about the road blocks and not being able to reach the wedding venue on time. Truly it was a blessing that Arif and Natassha’s wedding was held at Holiday Inn, Subang… relatively far away from the events in KL city. I read in the newspaper the next day that some weddings had to be called off due to the massive road blocks.
I am sure Arif and Natassha’s family breathed a sigh of relief when the Coriander Garden hall was packed with their friends and family who were there to witness the akad nikah. No road block was going to stop them from celebrating this joyous occasion!
Arif & Natassha, the wedding was beautiful… and I am so honoured to be able to capture the strong relationship you have with your family members at your wedding.
Three generations of women… Natassha, her mom and her grandmother.
Arif & Natassha’s love story started some time back when a coincidental meeting over lunch connected them. Their first official date (according to Arif, but not Natassha!) was at Starbucks… but Arif was so late for the date that Natassha thought she was stood up! Luckily for Arif, his personality and company was good enough to impress her on that day.
That evening, hundreds of guests piled into the ballroom of Holiday Villa for the dinner reception.
And the following day, they had a luncheon at a different location for Arif’s side of the family. These photos were taken by Johan & Weiming.
A few months ago, I photographed Adam and Dalilah’s engagement event, held at her beautiful home. Considering the engagement event was done really tastefully, I could not wait for the nikah and wedding reception to see what they had planned. I was not disappointed, for on that day, I was greeted by beautiful decorations that satisfied my taste buds and my shutter happy finger. Adam and Dalilah were surrounded by friends and family who were extremely warm and who obviously loved them very much.
I felt a little sad for them though that Adam’s mum was not able to attend the wedding as she fell ill during that period. Luckily for her, the videography team recorded every moment and she even witnessed the event online as it happened.
The dinner reception was held at the Mandarin Oriental for a large group of 800 people. There were royalty and VIPs present for the dinner that night. The ballroom was transformed into an elegant and grand space – the entire ballroom was covered with dark purple curtains. I love the colour theme and I think purple just looks great in every wedding! (That was why my wedding had a purple and white theme too!).
Hope you like this series of images, as much as we enjoyed creating them! To start off, here are some more decorations from the day of the nikah ceremony.
Some of the many hantaran that were exchanged that day.
Dalilah, you look gorgeous!
And Adam, you looked a little nervous! :)
And now, some dinner reception images…
Love the main table decorations…
And this amazing cake by Delectable by Su and of course, who can go wrong with Jimmy Choo’s?
Look who was the emcee… Yasmin Yusoff…
Congratulations, Adam & Dalilah! Thank you for giving us the honour to photograph your wedding and for booking us even though you did not meet us in person till much later. I appreciate your warmth and thoughtfulness towards the team. Have an awesome marriage.
Hi everyone! We’re involved in a really cool, upcoming project and we’d love to get you involved too! It combines 2 of my favourite topics: Travel and Weddings.
For those who have been reading this blog for sometime, you might know that I started out my career in the local film and television line. For many years, I edited TV programs, dramas, films, documentaries… and also directed some episodes of various television programs. Then in 2007, I began to explore the world of weddings through my camera lens. You can read more about my history here.
So how is this relevant to what I am about to say?
Well, basically, we will be involved in a new project involving an international travel channel that broadcasts to 120 countries worldwide. No, this doesn’t mean that we are no longer photographing weddings. Every now and then, I believe in doing new things that will help fuel creativity, and though it’s been a while since I directed a TV program, this is something I’m excited to do.
So… this is where you come in.
We are looking to feature weddings in Malaysia, Indonesia (Bali), Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore. For each episode, we will feature one local couple and one couple who are traveling to that destination for their wedding. If you are getting married in these locations within the months of May-August 2012 and would love to have your wedding featured internationally on television, do contact us!
Please email grace.tan [at] stories.my with these details:
1. Your name & your fiance’s name
2. The location and date of your wedding
3. Why you think your wedding should be featured (or perhaps some unique details about your wedding plans)
4. Include a photo of the both of you
And that’s it! This is not a contest. We will select the couple based on the best story that fits our requirements. We are excited to hear from you, so do email us soon!
I’m really excited to announce that we have officially expanded our team to include Euwing – videographer and storyteller extraordinaire! In the past, we’ve been so focused on expanding our photography team and skills, so now it’s time to tell stories through moving images. Videos are able to capture those heart-felt vows that you promise to each other on your wedding day. It can record the speech from your best man, and the sound of laughter from your aged parents. Everything you remember (or don’t!) from your wedding day is captured through our HD cameras. We will carefully edit and craft your wedding film into treasure troves of memories that you’ll cherish for years to come.
Here we go… a little about Euwing…
Euwing graduated from Monash University in Melbourne as a software engineer, and spent the past 6 years working in Intel, Penang. One fine day, while he was playing with a Canon 7D, he discovered that he has a creative side, and soon enough, together with his wife, they started a brand, With Love. It began with a Christmas party, which led to weddings, events, corporate videos, short films and recently, music videos. The initial idea was really to just go at it as a hobby, but it quickly became a passion that drove both of them. Euwing then decided to take the step of faith and quit Intel to join Stories.
Here’s one of the many weddings that Euwing has filmed in the past.
Yay! Who doesn’t love a discount!?
And since we’re in this super excited mood, we’ve decided to share some love with all of you! Our full day wedding videography rate starts from RM5,000, but it is only RM4,200 for the first 5 couples who sign on! If you’re interested, please contact us at hello[at]stories.my for the full details.
I was rather excited when Grace informed me that I will be travelling to an Island in Sabah to second shoot with Benjamin Lim. Ben is our latest addition to the Stories team. He’s a well experienced and talented photographer. It was my very first time to Sabah and I love the lush tropical forest with its majestic green mountains and the clear blue waters where I spotted some fishes swimming around! (It’s indeed a rare sight but a great delight for me since we seldom encounter such things in Peninsular Malaysia). And not forgetting the warm and friendly people of Sabah – The Land Below The Wind.
On the wedding day we were ferried over to a private Island of Bunga Raya Resort, about a 30 minute speedboat ride from Kota Kinabalu. That was the first time we met Azzidyn & Josephine. My first impression of Azzidyn & Josephine is that they are such a friendly, approachable, & down-to-earth couple. It was such great fun working with them and we enjoyed their company very much.
I love the elaborate stage with its colourful, details and the best view – overlooking the sea. What a wonderful sight!
Since we are just by the beach might as well use shells as decorations for the “wang hantaran“!. Lovely presentation! Check out the cute mini teapot door gift.
Azzidyn and Josephine met at a birthday party in Mandarin Oriental some time back. On that day, he was already smitten and wanted to get to know her, but she ignored him the whole night. Azzidyn did not give up, and soon after, he organized another meeting to include Josephine and her friend, on the pretense that it was a group outing to a comedy show. He must have done something right then, because Josephine warmed up to him, and from that day onwards, a friendship was born.
Malique & the Essentials, a famous and talented band of musicians were flown all the way from Indonesia to Sabah to entertain the guests.
Azzidyn & Josephine, the wedding was gorgeous, full of elaborate decorations and smiles of happiness … Ben and I feel so privileged & honored to be given this golden opportunity to capture the strong, lovely bond you two have with each other and also with your friends and families. Have a wonderful marriage!
Lovely. Down to earth. That’s how I would describe Fariz and Nadia. Johan and I were glad that we were given the honour and privilege to capture their special moments from their berinai ceremony to their akad nikah and finally to their grand dinner reception.
We kick start this post with some pictures from Nadia’s berinai ceremony. The berinai ceremony involves the staining of the bride’s hands and feet with henna, which is similar to the mehndi ceremony in an Indian wedding. Usually guests participate in the event too. It was held at Nadia’s beautiful home…
Nadia you looked amazing!
Beautiful designs on the hands…..such intricate patterns.
Next up is the Akad Nikah. It was held at Nadia’s home too but with a completely different and amazing decor set up! Her home was transformed into an indoor garden. What a romantic setting!
Thumbs up! You did well Fariz!
The dinner reception was held at the grand Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Purple seems to be a very ‘in’ colour! I adore the purple hues of the pelamin which was extremely captivating.
Don’t you agree that Fariz and Nadia look every inch a Raja sehari?
Malaysia’s famous celebrity songstress, Sheila Majid was there to entertain the guests.
It was indeed such an awesome setting fit for a king! Not forgetting, Nadia was such a beauty to behold.
On behalf of the Stories team we wish both of you an awesome marriage!
I am stoked to share that the TV programs I have been working on for the past few months are finally completed and will be screened next week! With Red Communications Sdn Bhd as the production company, my team and I provided the research, scriptwriting & direction for 3 episodes of Destination Weddings, a program that will be aired in 130 countries worldwide via the Travel Channel. Initially, the program was meant to be aired in selected countries only, but everyone did such a great job that it is now a worldwide release!
Deborah Henry is the travel host, and together, we visited various South East Asian countries to experience 2 very different weddings in each country. Here’s the episode synopsis for the programs I directed, including the episode’s air time for Malaysia. You can view it every Thursday, starting 6th December 2012 at 7.30pm on Channel 145 if you have HyppTV. For other countries, check out the air time by clicking here.
View the launch promo video below!
* The team for Bali, Indonesia
Destination Weddings: Episode Synopsis
INDONESIA (13 December 2012, Malaysian time 7.30pm) Deborah Henry travels to the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia to witness 2 very different weddings; one, a Western style beach wedding and the other, a traditional Balinese Hindu wedding. Stephen and Anne-Maree’s beach wedding and reception were held at 2 different hotels along the famous Nusa Dua stretch. The couple planned their wedding from Australia and flew in 50 guests for an intimate wedding celebration. From the city to the village, Deborah attends Sita and Ketut’s Balinese Hindu wedding. Bali is all about tradition and religion, with the biggest one being marriage. Prayers are offered for the safety, health, future and happiness of the couple. In this episode, Deborah tries her hand at fire dancing and also discovers that a tooth-filing ceremony is mandatory at every Balinese Hindu wedding.
MALAYSIA (20 December 2012, Malaysian time 7.30pm) From the historical island of Penang to the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur, Deborah Henry witnesses a beautiful garden wedding at the Tropical Spice Garden and also a traditional Malaysian Muslim wedding. The Tropical Spice Garden was built upon the rich history of the spice trade between the east and the west during the 18th century. John’s history also dates back a few years ago when he left Australia to work in a hotel in Penang as an executive sous chef and subsequently fell in love with the country. It’s no wonder then that Malaysia became the obvious destination wedding location of his choice. In Kuala Lumpur, Deborah meets a contemporary Malay couple and speaks to them about balancing modern ideas and tradition.
TAIWAN (23 January 2013, Malaysian time 5.30pm) Taiwan’s 8 national parks, majestic mountains, beautiful coastlines and subtropical climate has made it a tourist magnet to many couples who are planning on taking wedding photos against a magnificent backdrop. Couples travel from as far as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and even the States prior to their wedding day to photograph bridal portraits, which in turn, fuel the wedding industry in Taiwan. Deborah Henry meets Hu and Vivian, a Chinese national couple and follows them around on their pre-wedding photo shoot. In Taipei, she also witnesses a traditional Taiwanese wedding and discovers that there are lots of superstitions and beliefs that the Taiwanese take seriously.
They have known each other since they were 12. From Form 1 till Form 3, Adam and Dalilah were in the same class at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur. They were never really close friends but they always had a thing for each other throughout secondary school. Their relationship became official at the end of Form 5. And with all teenage romances, there were some difficult moments. A few months into their relationship, Dalilah had to leave Malaysia for boarding school in England to pursue her A Levels.
But love perseveres. They survived the long distance relationship, and a few years later, Adam followed Dalilah to England to complete their undergraduate degrees in University of Nottingham.
Now, they are engaged.
The ‘secret’ room where Dalilah would wait for her future mother-in-law to sarung cincin (place the engagement ring) on her.
The beautifully decorated hantaran (gifts). You can’t tell by looking at these photos, but the cake in the middle is REALLY heavy! And it’s not just the silver tray that is heavy! Dalilah’s friends who were the dulang bearers tried lifting it…and so did I… it was at least 5-6kg I think! Oh, and don’t you love the colourful macaroons on the right?
Congratulations, Adam and Dalilah! Looking forward to your wedding in a few month’s time!
I am still reeling from the excitement of this wedding. From the beautiful akad nikah in the heart of KL to the spectacular beaches of Langkawi, Nathan and Ayu’s wedding was definitely a memorable one. Our relationship started over the phone when Nathan called me months ago to make a booking for their wedding. A year ago, I had photographed Amy and Stuart’s wedding, where Nathan and Ayu were guests. They loved our photos from Amy and Stuart’s wedding, so with a phone call, we were booked for their wedding! Some time after that, I met Nathan and Ayu at their condo in the heart of KL… with the gorgeous view of KLCC from their living room!
They struck me as a very friendly couple. Instantly, I knew that Nathan is a really organized person… because he gave me their wedding program months before the actual wedding day!
Nathan first laid eyes on Ayu on his first day at work in May 2008. He had traveled halfway across the world from UK to work in Malaysia. She was assisting his manager giving the onboarding briefing for new staff. He thought she was gorgeous… but little did he know, that she thought the same of him that day! Months passed by… and their work relationship changed to a more casual one when they started playing futsal together a couple of times. That August, Ayu asked Nathan out casually as he wanted to experience the youth clubbing scene in KL.
The 8th of August 2008 was the starting point of their courtship… and eventually, their love for each other grew deeper and stronger till it led to Nathan’s proposal to Ayu on Valentine’s day 2010 in Krabi.
I have heaps of photos to share from this wedding, so it’ll have to be spread across a few blog posts! The first part is the akad nikah or Muslim solemnization ceremony in KL. By the way, you have to watch their slideshow at the end of this post. The music chosen by Nathan and Ayu works so beautifully with the images!
The groomsmen flew in all the way from UK to attend the wedding. I love how everyone got dressed in the same baju Melayu.
Ayu on the left looking so gorgeous… and Nathan looking smashing too!
The men and women below look so amazing in these traditional outfits! Both group photos were taken by Johan.
The poolside of K Residence, where the lunch reception was held.
Some portraits after lunch, especially with Nathan’s new outfit.
For more photos, view the slideshow below!
Nathan sent me a really lovely testimony which I’d like to share here:
We first met Grace and her Stories team when she was shooting the wedding of our good friends Amy & Stuart Watts on the lovely beach at The Andaman in July 2009. In February 2010 Ayu & I got engaged and began planning our wedding(s). It ended up being two weddings in the space of three days!! One Malay wedding (Akad Nikah) in Kuala Lumpur followed by a beach wedding at The Westin Langkawi 2 days later.
The photo’s from Amy & Stuarts wedding were nothing short of spectacular, so we got in touch with Grace and commissioned her to shoot our weddings.
We wanted to show the photographs from the Kuala Lumpur Akad Nikah (Thursday) during the dinner reception at the Langkawi wedding (Saturday). Grace and her team produced a stunning photo story in less than 24hrs – which we showed to our guests. It far exceeded our expectations and was one of the highlights of the day.
The photographs Grace produces speak for themselves. Spectacular, professional with an eye for detail and imagination.
A stand out qualities that the photographs don’t show is the manner Grace and her team dealt with the photoshoot(s). Happy, bubbly, friendly and above all patient – consistently over a number of hours.
Thanks to you & your team. We can’t wait to see the finished product.
We would recommend Stories to anyone who wants fantastic wedding photos taken with great spirit and enthusiasm.
Best Regards,
Nathan & Ayu
Thanks, Nathan and Ayu, for the wonderful testimony… and here’s a teaser image for the Langkawi blog post that will be coming up soon!
This 8th December (Sunday), come and meet the Stories team at Intercontinental Hotel from 10am – 6pm and get some really awesome discounts, potentially saving hundreds or more than a RM1,000 for your wedding in 2014! Discounts apply to all pre-wedding and actual day photography & videography packages signed up on the day itself.
You’ll also get to try on beautiful couture wedding gowns from Carven Ong, have your make up done by Bridal Glam and a photo taken by us as a keepsake.
Up for the experience?
Head on over to Intercontinental Hotel and look out for the signages that say “Nuptial in the Know” which will lead you to the Sakura and Lotus room (level 2) that we’ll be in.
And we have a brand new website! It’s been 3 years since Stories first opened its doors to brides and grooms, families and children. Since then, we’ve photographed more than 200 bridal couples and 100+ families. From a business that started with one person (me!), we now have 5 full time staff.
I am truly grateful to God for providing for our needs. Running a business is probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever embarked on in my life. Even during the low seasons when we didn’t have a single booking in a month… God saw us through. Honestly, I never thought that one day, I’ll be running a photography and videography business. The worry that business owners face is something I never wanted for my life. I just want to live a carefree, easygoing life… pretty much take on whatever comes my way.
But I guess He had other plans.
I read this verse in the Bible recently.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
It sounds simple but often times, worry is a condition that usually doesn’t just ‘go away’. How often have you heard someone say, “Don’t worry…” but it made no difference whatsoever to your lives?
However, when I read the verse before that… “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.” The little devotional I was reading reminded me that I can’t just start by praying and then expect my anxiety to simply vanish into thin air. We have to start by habitually drinking at His well for joy, with an inclining of our heart toward Him throughout every moment of each day and every moment of life. (Quoted from Worklife.org)
If this doesn’t really make sense to you, what it basically means is that I should focus on the positive things that God has blessed me with, and not on the negative. And ultimately, my source of joy… God Himself.
I look forward to another year with our team, creating amazing images for our clients and making a difference in people’s lives.
And so, with a thankful heart, we are feeling generous this season.
We hope you will join the hundreds of Stories alumni who have graced our cameras with their presence.
Have a look at the promo details here or contact us to make an appointment.
If I could sum up everything in one word, it would be LEGACY. What connects us and brings us together as visual storytellers? It is the idea that we are creating something that will far outlast ourselves. The love that you share as a couple, the memories of your parents, your child as she takes her first step… we want to record these precious moments and build a family legacy that you can look back on, years from now… and remember.
I hope this video will give you a glimpse into our thoughts and motivations and why we keep on doing what we do.
Lots of love,
The Stories Team
Credits:
Filmed by: The Stories Team, Edited by Felicia.
“When did you both meet? How did you fall in love with each other?” I asked. And very demurely, Ishnnal says “We met at a friend’s house-warming party… A year later I contacted Raihan via Facebook and we started chatting and decided to meet up for our first date at Ben’s KLCC. And the rest is history.”
Not satisfied with my sleuthing skills, I asked them to describe each other. And again, in a very matter of fact manner, they describe him as “loving and romantic” and her as “bubbly and fun loving”. Ok. They seem like a very simple and straightforward couple. It should be a very straightforward wedding shoot. I was dead wrong.
Nothing could prepare us for their colourful wedding reception, his crooning and their loving moments with each other throughout the night. I simply loved the theme of the wedding hall and the atmosphere of the night. Weiming did a great job at capturing so many lovely detail shots and candid moments while I was upstairs photographing the delectable couple in their regal and elegant outfits.
Oh yes, did I say that Ishnnal is my cousin? And Oh Boy! Did my handsome cousin “croon” to his lovely wife that night, or what.
“You’re a falling star, You’re the get away car. You’re the line in the sand when I go too far. You’re the swimming pool, on an August day. And you’re the perfect thing to say.”
“And you play it coy, But it’s kinda cute. Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do. Baby don’t pretend, that you don’t know it’s true. Cause you can see it when I look at you.”
“And I can’t believe, uh that I’m your man! And I get to kiss you baby just because I can. Whatever comes our way, ah we’ll see it through, And you know that’s what our love can do.”
“And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times It’s you, it’s you, You make me sing. You’re every line, you’re every word, you’re everything.”
“You’re every song, and I sing along. ‘Cause you’re my everything.”
Dearest Ishnnal and Raihan, I’m sure you’re both going to enjoy being each other’s everything. Warm hugs, Cousin Johan and the Stories team.
Come and join us for an informal tea session this 27th April and meet some amazing wedding vendors while you’re at it. We’ll be sharing some tips for couples planning their wedding and you can ask us anything at all during this gathering! Light refreshments, tea and coffee will be served. Here are the list of vendors that will be there on that day, other than ourselves.
He keeps tarantulas and poison dart frogs as pets. He enjoys camping, regardless of the weather and loves everything about nature. If Steve could choose, he’d probably say that he’d feel comfortable living in a jungle. She however, balks at outdoor activities. Though she did try once to climb Ben Nevis in Scotland but froze when she saw the steep cliffs. That was the start and end of her outdoor days. She has not left the sofa since.
Despite their differences in personality and culture, they have managed to make things work. And that is the beauty of Stephen and Dayana’s relationship.
Their History
Dayana: Steve and I have been together for six years. We met at the University of Manchester, when we both studied for our Ph.Ds. Steve was at the beginning of his final year, meanwhile I had just started my first year. It wasn’t love at first sight, but I could feel the attraction. I honestly thought he fancied someone else then. But the endless teasing from my colleagues made me wonder. It turned out everyone in our office knew that he liked me. And that’s where it all began — at the School of Chemistry!
We were together for about a year before Steve had to move over 200 miles away for a new job. We weren’t sure if a long distance relationship could work, but decided to give us a chance. We saw each other twice a month, but we made sure to speak on the phone every night. It wasn’t easy. That went on for nearly a year and half. Like any other relationships, we’ve had our ups and downs. We haven’t been together for a lifetime (yet), but it has been the most fulfilling and challenging relationship of our lives. Along the way, we’ve learned to compromise and to respect both of our cultures.
About the proposal
Dayana: I do love a good surprise. But I admit, it’s not easy to surprise me. Somehow I always accidentally manage to spoil the surprise and beat myself up over it for days. But I still go along with it and feign surprise. Last year when Steve whisked me away to Paris, I had my suspicion. He asked if I needed a visa to enter France… out of the blue. So, totally not my fault. I knew there was a proposal coming before Steve proposed too. He did act weirdly and asked what kind of rings I liked when we were out shopping. Again, I don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out. At least I didn’t know when he was going to do it.
But Steve proposed to me not once, but twice! The first time he proposed to me was in April 2012, two days after I had passed my Ph.D. viva. It was a simple and private proposal, nothing elaborate or public. The ring was slightly big for me, so Steve took it back to get it re-fitted. At this point, I already said yes.
Then, I waited for weeks. And nothing happened. I wanted to go to the jeweller to ask about my ring, but Steve persuaded me not to. It turned out that he had already picked it up, but didn’t want to give it to me straightaway. He wanted a “re-do”. On the Queen’s Jubilee weekend, in June 2012, we went camping in the beautiful Cornwall… and there he was, surrounded by nature, on his one knee once again… I said yes to him for the second time. It was perfect.
About the wedding
Dayana: The wedding planning process really tested our relationship as a couple. There was a brief moment when I thought the wedding was never going to happen. We didn’t get our marriage license until four days before the wedding! Steve and I are the eldest and were the first among our siblings to get married, so naturally, the families were really excited. All year long, people asked if I was excited about the wedding, but the truth was, I was too stressed to get excited. On the day itself, I was too nervous to feel any emotion. We wanted to have an intimate wedding that would embrace both cultures, like east meets west, and thought Carcosa Seri Negara was the perfect venue to portray that. Hey, if it was good enough for Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip, it’s good enough for us!
For the reception, I wanted a 1920s-inspired Old Hollywood Glam, with an Asian twist. I bought a Lucille gown by British designer Eliza Jane Howell from a boutique in London and asked for it to be altered to make it more modest. My matron of honour’s gold bead embellished dress was chosen to compliment mine. I was extremely happy how it all came together. If only there was an excuse to wear the dress again!
The stress of the wedding finally took its toll on me. As soon as we got back to England, I was ill for over a week. I wish someone had told me about post-wedding blues though. I consider myself as a perfectionist, so obviously when things didn’t go “perfectly” at the wedding, it bothered me. But I slowly learnt to let the small things go and to just enjoy the fact that we are married… because after all, that is all that matters. Seeing the official photographs brought back so many memories. Thank you very much to Grace, Weiming and the rest of Stories team for capturing our special moments.
Just some of the many hantaran / gifts that were exchanged that day.
Lovely touch as gifts for their overseas guests.
The next day, their lunch reception was held at the Wisma Perwira ATM.
Congratulations Steve and Dayana. We are so happy that we were part of your beautiful day. I am glad that we immortalised these moments through our lenses. Even though you might have ‘suffered’ from post-wedding blues, I hope that whenever you look at these images, you would remember the day as if it just happened yesterday. Lots of love from us!
In collaboration with The Wedding Notebook, the hidden actors in us made an appearance in a fun video, featuring guests are a little lacking in wedding etiquette. It’s just a little tongue in cheek video. We hope you like the video. We are planning on coming up with a series of videos with all sorts of topics related to weddings, so if you would like to follow us, head on to our Youtube page and subscribe. (It would make a difference because we need a minimum of 500 subscribers to get our personalised channel name, The Wedding Stories).
Oh, and do see if you can identify our Stories team in the video by looking at our family page!
This couple seems to be complete opposites – he is an extrovert, loves the outdoors, enjoying time with friends, and taking photos. She, on the other hand, prefers to cuddle up at home reading a book or watching light hearted romantic comedies. A bit like a yin and yang, seemingly opposite in some ways, but still sharing and holding the same principal values that are important to them namely family and friends.
The fact that they are opposites is what makes the relationship work. They make sure each other is grounded or at times flying high. They balance each other’s extremes well, be it work, or leisure. Each personality trait complements the other, and it only brings out best of each other.
We love how their personalities really shone through in this wedding, and how relaxed Amir looked as he said his vows (though we’re pretty sure he must have been nervous!). The pantun exchange was a really nice touch, and we love the candid moments caught on video. Watch their highlights here!
The first time they met…
Halina: I did not realise it was a set up till months later, but Amir realised what was happening as our common friend kept nudging him to find out about what he thought of me. We only met up a couple months’ later, at a friend’s birthday event. The next day, he messaged me to ask about my New Year eve’s plans. I was surprised as to how he had my number, only to later realise that our common friend passed him my number without telling/asking me first! He invited me to meet with a group of friends for New Years eve, which i declined. However, at the last minute, i attended it in the end. That started the ball rolling and we had our “First” date on 1 January 2013. And here we are now :) .
Amir – I didn’t know it was a set up either, but got the hint during the course of dinner. I wasn’t really sure at first what I needed to do and since she was travelling for work a lot, it didn’t cross my mind to immediately ask her out. It was at a second meeting that I told her friends I’d be interested to date her. And they helped out during the NYE party at the friends house. It was till a few months later that we decided to seriously date, but we both had some hectic work schedules at the time. Our first movie date was “Oz the Great and Powerful”.
Though we don’t necessarily share a similar taste for music and movies all the time, but we both give each other our space and enjoy it doing things together.
* The team for Bali, Indonesia
MALAYSIA (20 December 2012, Malaysian time 7.30pm) From the historical island of Penang to the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur, Deborah Henry witnesses a beautiful garden wedding at the Tropical Spice Garden and also a traditional Malaysian Muslim wedding. The Tropical Spice Garden was built upon the rich history of the spice trade between the east and the west during the 18th century. John’s history also dates back a few years ago when he left Australia to work in a hotel in Penang as an executive sous chef and subsequently fell in love with the country. It’s no wonder then that Malaysia became the obvious destination wedding location of his choice. In Kuala Lumpur, Deborah meets a contemporary Malay couple and speaks to them about balancing modern ideas and tradition.
He keeps tarantulas and poison dart frogs as pets. He enjoys camping, regardless of the weather and loves everything about nature. If Steve could choose, he’d probably say that he’d feel comfortable living in a jungle. She however, balks at outdoor activities. Though she did try once to climb Ben Nevis in Scotland but froze when she saw the steep cliffs. That was the start and end of her outdoor days. She has not left the sofa since.
Their History
About the wedding
Just some of the many hantaran / gifts that were exchanged that day.
Lovely touch as gifts for their overseas guests.
