I love akad nikahs, not only because the room is always beautifully decorated with drapes and flowers, and that the room smells of fresh flowers but also because it is one of the least stressful ceremonies to shoot. (I leave all the stressful hand shake with the imam shots for by forever faithful partner Steve to shoot!) I love akad nikahs because they are calm, collected and serene. It’s straightforward and if you find yourself a good spot, you settle in and snap away. No fuss. No hassle. And they are so easy to shoot as well. I mean, how could you not get a pretty shot when everyone is so nicely dressed and when the place is just as beautifully dressed up as well! And For Salina & Raees’ nikah, it was no exception! Salina, looking elegant in her very modern laced Baju beamed from ear to ear as the imam kept it light-hearted and humorous throughout the ceremony. Meanwhile, a slightly more nervous looking Raees was seated at the corner. But he was all smiles again after he recited his lafaz with ease…

Salina’s family is a true representation of 1 Malaysia. Looking 100% Chinese, she is 100% Muslim and her family is a perfect representation of a splendid assimilation of Chinese-Muslim cultures. Her parents and siblings who all wore Baju Melayu conversed fluently in Hokkien!

Congrats to Saline & Raees! May your new chapter be filled with love and laughter, always!

A few days after the nikah, Steve, Wei Jun & I shot the “chip san leong” and tea ceremony on Raees’ (Formerly known as Alex) side of the family. The bride looked radiant in an intricately embroided Qua (I absolutely love it when brides where the traditional Quas for tea ceremonies as the colors turn out so well in photos!) The dinner reception that night was photographed by Steve and Wei Jun at the ParkRoyal…

The following week, we gathered once again for the fourth and final reception for Salina’s side of the family. The theme that night was “Shanghai”, the place where Raees proposes to Salina! Thanks to folks at Wishing Tree, the ballroom at the Intercontinental was lavishly decked out with red lanterns and fresh orchids giving the place it’s Shanghainese origins.

With performances by famous local artist Adibah and a guest serenading songs to the lovely couple, the night was an unforgettable  one!

Flowers by Wishing Tree

Photography by Fiona, Steve & Wei Jun

Filled with joy & excitement to be back at Pangkor Laut Resort for the 4th time round, I was equally nervous. Not because the wedding was on an island, not because it was the smallest wedding I’ve ever shot, but because this time, in my 6 years of shooting weddings, I was going to shoot it alone. Being the paranoid and kiasu (there, I admit it!) freak I am, the thoughts just kept playing in my head… what if I miss the shot? what if I miss the exchange of rings? What if my shots are blur or out of focus? There’s no Steve or David or Jason or Nic to back me up, or hold the flash up, or lift the veil! Oh no! Despite all that drama that was going through my head, it went well. Perfect, in my opinion! Jessica and Gav’s wedding is by far the most intimate wedding I’ve been a part of. And by intimate, I mean 12 of them, bride and groom included!

The wedding ceremony and exchange of vows were held at the beautiful sandy beach of Emerald Bay. It was a short and sweet ceremony followed by a portrait shoot of the cute couple at sunset. Luck would have it, there was Ben, an intern at PLR who was eager to help! And so, I had found my assistant! The highlight of the night for me was the Chinese wishing lanterns. Everyone wrote a wish on a paper lantern, lit it and released it to the sky. It was a pretty sight indeed and definitely a photo opp!

Congrats to Jessica & Gav! Wishing you both all the love & laughter in the world! (with Gav’s sense of humor, we can be sure of it!)