FIFOTO Blog » pre-weddings

A Destination Pre-wedding!

fiona — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:16:04 +0000

John & Sumana Pre-wedding

fiona — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:48:56 +0000

We went out to a ranch (not really), just outside of KLCC (literally) and managed to capture the lovely morning light with Ms Daisy, happily grazing in the background while John & Sumana giggled and caressed in the foreground. What a start to a beautiful Monday morning!

John & Sumana met about 4 yrs ago, at work. Apparently, it’s a very common thing if you’re in the advertising industry – you work and play together in the office because you don’t have time to outside of work to have a personal life. In many ways it’s a good thing I guess, you totally understand where your partner’s coming from – working late nights everyday, most days of the week and even on public holidays. Having chatted with the two of them and with Jason who also has a history in the same line, I’m certainly not envious of the lifestyle people at the agencies lead. But I guess there must be something magical about it too, for John to be it for 15 years and some friends of mine who have been in it longer.

Magic happens when you put John & Su together. Su’s laugh is contagious and you can tell the joy it brings to John when she does. And with their background in advertising, they knew exactly how to portray their characters behind each storyline we gave them and shooting them was a breeze!

The theme for the day (well, the 2nd part of the day) was Shanghai Tang and we shot at the Old China Cafe in Petaling St. The place looked authentically old school which worked well with that they had in mind! I especially loved John’s red suspenders and Su’s interesting red heels!

We had lunch there afterwards and I must say, the food is not bad at all! If you’re looking for Nyonya/Peranakan food, or a nice place to shoot, vintage oriental style, this would be the place to go!

Hair & Makeup by Shahnaz Baharuden

Flowers by Mng Bouquets

Photography by Fiona & Jason

Aileen & James Pre-Wedding

fiona — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:25:06 +0000

It must be a banker thing. A culture, perhaps. A good one to have, actually. I know a few people from the banking industry and they all seem to share two very prominent traits. They are all very DETAILED and ORGANIZED. Aileen is one of them and it’s so good to work with brides who know exactly what they want! No need for uncertainty nor guessing games! I was given moodboards for the look and feel, and photos of her beautiful gown and cheongsam. We worked together and carefully planned the route to shoot at at Putrajaya.

We started out at Taman Botani and as we made our way to Pullman hotel, we made a few pit stops along the way. Both Aileen and James needed little direction and knew how to work the camera. My favorite part of the day was in the open field where the “lalangs” (switch grass) were waist-high. The lighting, weather and props she brought along for the shoot were just perfect!

Later, Aileen changed into a beautiful red, low back, lacy cheongsam and we explored the Pullman grounds for sunset/dusk shots. Another favorite shot of mine for the day was the little surprise we got as we captured the tiny insects lit up by the flash! It was also my first time that night I tried out the Metz Flashes sponsored by Schmidt Marketing. After so many years of using my EX580′s it needed a little bit of getting used to but worked seamlessly once I got the hang of it! I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised that the Metz flashes were easy to navigate and pretty user friendly!

Photography by Fiona Lim & Ng Hsien Ming

Makeup + Hair by Remy Ngan

Flowers by Mng Bouquets

Keith & Leeza’s Pre-wedding

fiona — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:55:08 +0000

It’s certainly not uncommon these days, that people meet through cyberspace. With the widespread of the Internet and how it’s played a major for most of our teenage to adult life, it’s not uncommon to hear of people meeting people online. Keith & Leeza’s history is one of such and in fact, the second FIFOTO couple to have met their other halves through online gaming! They met 7 years ago through playing MMORPG (don’t ask me what that meant, I only know RPG), Dragonraja. Who would have known, the Cyber Gods were working their magic and they found themselves having much more than just Dragonraja in common and 7 years later, they are sealing the deal!

I looked forward to their shoot as they were open to back alleys and abandoned fields, right in our area of expertise! Despite the usual humid heat and blood-sucking mosquitoes, the photos we took at an empty grassland turned out great! The early morning sun was warm and soft and reflected the connection they have for each other…

Later on, we headed to the studio for a change of clothes and they both put on 2 really cute outfits! Thankfully for sporting and adventurous couples like Keith & Leeza, they didn’t mind the smelly back lanes we brought them to! And in fact, they even brought with them the coolest attitude, those you find in Chinese gangsta movies starring Andy Lau and the entire crew of Hong Kong veteran stars… Yes, they brought on the look once the aviators came on, and it made the perfect “Yao Yeng” (got style, aka ban cool) photos! It was so much fun shooting the bubbly couple and I just can’t wait to see what Steve & Jason come up with for their wedding photos in June!

Happy Friday y’all!!!!

David & Jin Jin Pre-wedding

fiona — Mon, 16 May 2011 11:14:23 +0000

It’s hard to believe that a few years back, I had met David at a wedding I was shooting and he was the amateur hobbyist photographer shooting at his relative’s wedding. A fresh grad out of college working as an SAP consultant and the youngest to join the FIFOTO team then, he’s all grown up now and getting married to his college sweetheart, Jin Jin!

They opted to shoot at the quaint lot in Bangsa, Sekeping Tenggiri and what a good choice! Having shot there for Brenda & Jason’s Pre-wedding, I was thrilled to see a different perspective I could take on this time! And David being a seasoned shooter, he knew exactly what to prepare for, the props and the outfits…. But not the hot humid heat… Drenched under his jacket (which ultimately seeped though his suit), he was certainly not envious of all the poor grooms he had shot before. This is what you call… Empathy!

Jin Jin looked fabulous in her gown which was designed by her younger sister who’s currently in fashion design school! I especially loved the pink umbrella they brought with them which made for the perfect prop as they stood at the edge of the water and kissed!

We headed to Palate-Palette afterwards and spent the last hour goofing around upstairs, making full use of the props, furniture and art that filled the space. Even Scrabble made an appearance! (they had played online scrabble during the courtship)

After a quick and yummy lunch at Palate, I rushed off for my meeting with Absolut Vodka! (more on that in June!)

Congrats to David & Jin Jin on their upcoming wedding where they’ll be bringing out their canes and making me & Steve work like a dog!

Brenda & Jason Pre-wedding

fiona — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:37:03 +0000

Overworked and underplayed. Those are the two causes of my flu. I’ve never had it so bad before. It got so bad that my left side of my jaw was aching as if my wisdom teeth were growing out (they aren’t, I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed years ago). I felt giddy, it hurt to eat and I could hardly breathe. By the time I saw the Dr, a fever had crept in. With much relief, I’m feeling a whole lot better now, after being drugged up with meds and pumped with water & vitamin C.

Playful. That would be the theme of the day for Brenda & Jason’s pre-wedding shoot. With Jason’s funny sense of humor and Brenda’s contagious laughter, it had set the mood for the day. My first time at Sekeping Tenggiri, I was intrigued by the simple, rustic and open architecture of the house. After 10mins of shooting the details of the place and after Jason pointed out that the lamps were made of recycled material, I was even more impressed by the meticulous effort put into it.

Brenda & Jason are a fun bunch. They met through salsa dancing and clicked right away and it’s quite obvious why! They are the outgoing, spontaneous, laugh-at-yourself kind of people which is what I love about them! This sporting couple were game to do anything as you will see in the photos to follow!

Their wedding was a couple weeks back and boy I gotta tell ya…. it was a night to remember! It was one filled with surprises and a lot of dancing! (Their wedding blog to come soon!)

Happy Friday!

Terry & Su Ning Pre-wedding

fiona — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:57:49 +0000

It’s the last day of work for me before my long year end break and as with all pre-vacation days, I’m drowning in work trying to rush out everyone’s photos for my all my eager clients! Luckily I’m about 90% packed for my Korea trip and I can’t wait for tomorrow!

I looked forward to our pre-wedding shoot with this cute, quirky and one of the most chillax couples! For one, it was back in Penang which meant I got to be home (even though I only saw 1 hour of my bed) and eat my favorite foods! (unfortunately, we didn’t have time for Sister’s CKT). But what I was especially looking forward to was to see how Su Ning, being a stylist, had put together her gowns! (and of course, they were gorgeous selections intricately and carefully planned which looked fab on her!) And to add to this, I was certain of an entertaining session as Terry was definitely a joker!

And indeed it was a fun-filled session, albeit the lack of cooperation from the weather… (I think I might have lost touch with my weather bomoh skills.. ) It worked out well though as we ended up on a nearby jetty after shooting at the Blue Mansion and the E&O. They were adventurous enough and sporting enough to “rough” it out, especially Su Ning in her pretty white gown, and made our way to the jetty! As some Japanese tourists disembarked a boat, they were intrigued and even took pictures of the bride and groom!

It was a long day for Jason & I as we drove in early morning and left that night itself. But it was well worth the effort! The cute couple is especially fun, bubbly, entertaining… ! Just look at their photos and you’ll see what I mean!

Congrats to Terry & Su Ning!!!! May you have many little cute mini-me’s in no time!

… this was the last photo we took before calling it a wrap and it’s my favorite for the day!!!

Cat & Lawrence Pre-wedding

fiona — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 04:49:49 +0000

There are 3 reasons that made Cat and Lawrence’s pre-wedding shoot at the Blue Mansion in Penang so special. Firsty, Cat & I go a longgggggggg way back. We go back to the tine of primary school… to the time when we were once sworn enemies ( we were 9) … and to the times we went on cycling adventures everyday (we explored our neighborhood) without fail! Yes, Cat & I go a longggggggggg way back and I’m glad she’s one of my oldest friends to date!

I’ve never shot at the Blue Mansion (aka Cheong Fatt Tze) before and was super excited about that! I’ve always admired what a wonderful job Szuf’s parents (Szuf is another primary school friend of ours. Yes, Penang is small!) did with conserving and refurbishing the heritage treasure. And of course, having been “cacat” for 5 weeks and not being able to shoot since the incident, I was stoked to finally be behind the lens again! (and I did it successfully with one hand!)

The perks of being a professional photographer is that your job brings you to so many interesting places like the Blue Mansion. I sometimes wished I was a Penang wedding photographer. The little nooks and crannies of Penang are just so incredibly quaint and so beautiful! Needless to say, we had so much fun making them do twirls around the place and the best part of the day – we ended with a BIG BANG! (of Sister’s char koay teow afterwards!)

Congrats to Cat & Lawrence on their upcoming wedding! Am totally looking forward to Cat’s Hens Night! (Did I mention she’s a WILD one? WILD with a capital W-I-L-D!)

A special shoutout to my bad-ass girlfriend, Hsuan who assisted us as the 3rd shooter that day!

We headed to E&O Hotel for a little bit after that, where Cat & Lawrence will be having their reception next year!

Emilia & Kit Pre-Wedding

fiona — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:12:13 +0000

Bali. There’s just something about the place that draws me to it. Perhaps it’s the quaint little boutiques, or the abundance of artsy fartsy galleries, or the posh beach/cliff side restaurants, or the Balinese massages, or the friendly locals… I’m thinking it’s more of the quaint shopping boutiques you find in Ubud and Seminyak…

Yes, this trip especially, I discovered a part of Bali I never really did in my past 3 trips there – SHOPPING in Seminyak! Thanks to Diwa & Sue who raved about Magali Pascal, a French designer who setup base in Bali, it was a MUST SEE on our list of To-Do’s. And I’m glad we didn’t leave the shopping to the very last day, coz I went back there to buy more stuff the next day! I never really thought of Bali for real shopping but now I have two additional things to add to my list of MUST DO’s! (the other, I shall keep p&c).

Last year, Kit proposed to Emilia at a church in Bali and hence, Bali was the location of choice for their pre-wedding photos! They had planned the trip from last year and we were all excited to go on another FIFOTO adventure! We stayed at Villa Baliku, a 3-room villa with our own private pool and maid service. I especially loved the sun and tanned by the pool while Steve spent most of his time in the water.

Our first location upon arrival in Bali was sunset at Uluwatu. Standing at the edge of a cliff with the sun setting behind them, Emilia looked mesmerizing her long flowy gown.

The next day, we woke up early and shot around our villa grounds before heading for lunch and making our way to the famous Rock Bar. The Rock Bar sits on a cliff in Ayana resort, and has a spectacular view of the ocean. We took some shots by the beach at sunset and spent the rest of the evening enjoying good music, food and good company, underneath the starry starry night.

Day 3 was set aside for shopping and eating! We headed to Ubud and had the famous Bebek Bengil for lunch. Right afterwards (as in immediately right after), we headed to another famous restaurant for Babi Guling, which I didn’t try of coz ( I don’t eat pork) but the rest seemed to have enjoyed themselves! Seminyak was our next spot and we spent a few hours there shopping!

We spent our last day chillin’ by the pool, sun bathing and pampered ourselves with massages by the pool. And before we headed to the airport, we all did a bit more last minute shopping! (I found myself back at Magali Pascal while Emilia & Aips returned to Nusa Dua to buy a bag she was eying)

It was a good but short trip (as all holidays are!) and I’m looking forward to our next FIFOTO vacation!

[Just for Fun] taken by the BIG GUNS

[Just for Fun] taken by the Lumix GF1

Lovin’ the B&W on the GF1!!!

Chillin’ by the pool before our sunset shoot…

Check out HOT preggars mammas…

Day 2

Kit wanted to know how he’d look with a tattoo…

Cute…

At Rock Bar, Ayana Resort…

Day 3, Peeping Tom aka Steve

Shopping at Ubud

Bebek Bengil lunch @ Ubud

Right after lunch, we went for Babi Guling (lunch round II)

Our last day… one last dip and one last beer for the road!

Special thanks to Emilia & Kit for the perfect vacation!

Daniel & Sulin Pre-wedding

fiona — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:54:30 +0000

After a nice long weekend in Bali shooting Emilia’s pre-wedding with half the FIFOTO crew, I’m nice and tan! But my fun ended just as I boarded the plane. Just like Steve who was feeling gassy from that morning, I felt it as we took off. I shall spare you the details but to sum it up, I had food poisoning. So the week had started out rough for me. I forced myself outta bed Monday afternoon to meet my delivery deadline for Beaubelle, a commercial shoot for their brand identity concepts which I’ve been working on for the past few weeks. Wed, I had to re-shoot the lotus, for Beaubelle. The dilemma I had was that the lotus plants you get from the stores come in a bud. And there’s no way it can bloom if it’s been removed from the stem. Here’s my dilemma – my client needed a really pretty and natural-looking lotus. The only way I got it to “bloom” was by opening its petals, one by one and by no means did it look natural. I stressed all of Wed to get the shot but didn’t manage to until 5pm, when I turned to my 2nd last resort – to photograph the petals individually and DI them into a perfect lotus. (I’m thankful that worked and I didn’t have to turn to my last resort of stealing a lotus from a pond!)

Although I’ve spent my entire day just DI-ing my lotus, it feels more like an accomplishment. I’ve learned that perseverance and determination pays off and in addition to that, I’ve gained an insight to commercial photography; that NOTHING is as PERFECT as it seems in ads… It’s all the wonders of Photoshop!

Two weeks ago, Jason & I ventured into the depths of Hulu Langat and after an adventure on trunks roads and graveled driveways, we found ourselves in a beautiful hideaway, Dusun Fairies, a place I found out about through Debra of the Olive Branch. Specially catered for wedding ceremonies and photography shoots, Dusun Fairies is a quaint garden, tucked away in the hills of Hulu Langat. I was glad Daniel & Sulin chose this venue, a place we’ve never shot before. It was also my first time ever meeting the lovely couple. Daniel is bashful and very quiet. Sulin is chirpy and sweet. PDA was definitely not their thing but after 30 minutes, it came naturally =) They are one of the most easy-going couples ever and were a breeze to work with! I was especially honored when Daniel told me they flew in from KK just to do their pre-wedding photos with us!

Here are my favorite shots!

Makeup & Hair by Emilia Marcelo

Gown by That Special Occasion