Darrel and Nydia: Melbourne Wedding

As I was a little girl growing up, I watered my definition of love with stories like Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, and my all time favourite -Anne of Green Gables. In the process, I fell in love with fairytales, and allowed myself to believe that despite all the atrocity that existed in the real world - it was so very possible to find that someone you truly couldn't live without.

I think that idealistic hope, was what drew me to weddings in the first place. There's a certain magic spark about weddings, of which I am slowly beginning to realize and understand. I mean, everyone loves them. And I mean everyone. I've not met a single person who doesn't love watching a beautiful bride, glide down that isle and marry off with the one man who has enraptured her heart. And witnessing a nervous but very excited groom commit the rest of his life to the woman who has become his whole world in his eyes. Perhaps it's the happily-ever-after craving deep down in all of us, because really, who doesn't love a happy ending? Or in my definition, a happy beginning :) Or perhaps, really, it is that weddings show me that, just for a day, for two lucky souls, fairytales really do exist.

At least that is the case for Darrel and Nydia.

The more I had the pleasure to know about them, and watch how they love one another, the more I was certain to say that you could not meet two people who were more in love. I was going to tell their story, of how they met, and I was literally half way penning down my thoughts, when I realized that it wasn't the way they met that was a testimony of their union, but their union itself that needed to be shared. It was the way they looked at each other, like there was no one else in the room. It was the way Darrel gently brushed his finger past her chin and smiled. It was the way Darrel expressed "Nydia, you really are the most beautiful girl in the world." in the most earnest and ardent of tones during his thank you speech at the end of the night. You just had to be there to feel that kind of honesty. I'm not kidding. I nearly choked and had to hold back a tear.

It was the way Nydia, would clasp her groom's hands so tightly, and look up at him with eyes that piercingly said "I can't believe I am so lucky to marry you. To get to spend the rest of my life with you".

It was the way Darrel's brother cheekily described his perspective of the newly married couple, and said "Darrel was infatuated with Nydia", speaking of Darrel's first impression of his now bride, when Darrel mouthed silently to Nydia that moment "I still am".

You couple a love like that, with the most warm and genuine hearts I have ever had the privilege of knowing, and you get an experience that I like to term as remarkable. I am always honored at every wedding I get to shoot at, but yours - Darrel and Nydia - was seriously God given. How I was even lucky enough to have God send you my way, I will never know, but I really thank Him for giving me such an intangible fortune in the two of you. From picking us up at the airport so very early that morning, to always asking if we were okay and enjoying ourselves, to driving us back to our hotels even after your wedding was over. Vincy and I have never met a couple and their family as beautifully kind, warm and caring as yourselves.

Thank you for showing me that people as nice as yourselves and your incredible families are real, and that fairytales still happen today, not just in the books :)

Here are my favourite moments from your day:

Nydia's dresses were from Raffaela Cuica and Maggie Sottero






Nydia's sisters were a constant source of great fun and expression :)






Here is Nydia's sister preparing for her speech before everything happened.


And here is Nydia's other sisters mucking around on the piano. The sisters are all incredibly musically gifted. With Lydia being a fabulous vocalist!




The sisters were trying to spray bits of perfume onto each other. You can tell they were having way too much fun! haha :)




Just look how THRILLED Darrel is to be marrying his bride.


Love the emotion on Nydia's face.








Nydia is one of the most expressive and fun brides ever! She is always laughing and I love it :)




Blessing.


Lots and lots and lots of hugs after the ceremony!








This is a message from Nydia's sister after the ceremony :)


We were all majorly late for the location shoot, but here is what we managed to squeeze in!


Vincy discovered this AWESOME patch of white flowers!!




Some shots in some really yummoooo lighting! :)












Darrel and Nydia had their wedding ceremomy and reception at Poet's Lane. Its incredibly gorgeous! :)






The speeches were hilarous that night. I mean, at most weddings they always are, but this set caused a real riot of laughs. There were so many great moments, just look at them!




And the bridal waltz. Always always my favourite part of the night. They danced to "So Close" By Jon McLaughlin, which was the waltz song in the movie Enchanted, which I LOVED :)








Ring shot.


And do check out the slideshow for tonnes of more photos. Remember for smooth viewing, press the play button. Then when the bar starts to load, press pause and wait for the rest of the bar to load. When the bar has fully loaded, press play :) Do watch it! Even if you don't want to see the photos (you'd be missing out :p), at least play it for the song - its incredible, and will move you :)



HUGE HUGE thank you to Vincy, for travelling with me to Melbourne for this wedding, and starting so early/finishing so late with me. You have officially made shooting and travelling that much better :)

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ps: Darrel and Nydia had a reception in Malaysia recently, which I also had the utmost pleasure to photograph! I will blog about that soon. And Nydia, if you are reading this: THANK YOU SO MUCH for the awesome chocolates. It was your turkish delights that caused me to go into withdrawal after I finished all of them one day, because they were THAT good :D

I'm cooooommmminnnng!

As mentioned in my last post, I'd be travelling and roaming about this week due to Chinese New Year (it's a tradition to visit all the relatives during Chinese New Year, and our relatives are everywhere!) so I'm writing this while I am on the road. Just letting you know I'll be posting properly tomorrow! Promise :)

For now, here are a couple of shots I took while I was in Seville. I'm going to be compiling something very special with all my Europe/Travel shots later this year, and I can't wait to share it with you all :)

Sneak Peek and Tunes

Because the holidays are descending upon us again (Chinese New Year in Asia, and Australia Day in Australia), I've decided today that I won't be posting a shoot because I have this sinking and sneaking suspicion that no one will be reading this spot of the web for the next couple of days. So while I'll be playing nomad over the following days, I thought I'd leave you with a sneak preview of what I will be posting next week. It was my last wedding for 2008, and it ended with a bang. I can't wait to share with you, about how awesome this pair is soon :)

For now, enjoy the sneak peek:

... AND this fabulous new song by one of my favourite artists - Marie Digby. She rocks, and her music leaves ones ears tingling for more. Have a listen to this new audio byte from the fabulous lass! You gotta love youtube and all its audio treasures! :D

Happy Chinese New Year to you all, and Happy Australia Day to my fellow aussies! I miss you down there, but know that I will be back on your shores real soon :D

Thank You 2008

I know this seems incredibly strange to write this now, considering we are already 3 weeks into the new year. But only now, I have had a brief moment to reflect of late, over how incredible 2008 has been. On a professional front, we tripled what we booked in 2007, and its looking even stronger for 2009. Launched a new website and blog. Met some really awesome people in the industry. Got published a few times. And won a few things in between :) And on a personal front, I got married after 8 years of courtship. That was huge enough on its own.

2008 really was astonishing in so many forms and levels, I can't even begin to verbalize it in a way that does it justice. I know alot of it however, has been because God is incredibly gracious. I always tell people that I find it strange at how fast things have spun this way, because strangely enough I still feel totally undeserving of all of it. I mean, who am I right? I am thankful though. Very very much so. Especially for all the clients He has sent my way. I have become a better and wiser photographer because of each and everyone of you. I wouldn't even have the pictures you see on my site today, without you.

So this post is dedicated to you. My 2008 brides and grooms! :D There are some weddings that I haven't put up yet, which were shot in the latter part of 2008, but I will blog about you soon so don't fret if your picture isn't up here today :) In the next day or two, I will be compiling a slideshow for all the weddings and engagements I never got to blog...it wasn't because you aren't important. But because of my insanely crazy schedule and travel patterns (and also wanting to keep material as fresh as possible on this blog), I didn't always have the time I wanted to dedicate to you properly. So the slideshow is for all of you :) Know that I love you all just as much! So stay tuned for that :)

Here are my fabulous 2008 brides and grooms
(well, most of them! :p The rest you will see soon!)



























































haha, Tania, I don't know why, but I will always consider you as part of my 2008 lot. I know that seems strange since your wedding was so near NYE, but I have my reasons. Forgive me for my illogical brain, but you and Ken were the start of so many good things :)


My last thank you is to Ju. He puts up with so much from me, it should be considered illegal as a wife. No joke! I know if the roles were reveresed, I would be running around the place like a mad woman, tearing my hair out. He has stood by all the incredible highs, and the very lows of 2008, and he has made my business possible in many ways that all of you cannot see, but know that without him, its like me shooting without my heart or my eyes. The photos become souless. I will try to be a better wife for you this year. Try :)