I still remember we were holidaying in Hong Kong in Sep 2013 when Florence dropped hubby a message to say that she was keen to engage us as her wedding photographer for her wedding day on 26 Apr 2014! I felt so honoured to know that she wanted to engage us for her wedding day, having already decided to engage Lightedpixels for their pre-wedding in Paris. Personally, I really love the photos from Lightedpixels (In fact, hubby and I engaged Kelvin for our own pre-wedding in Perth as well), and to know that they like our works as much as Lightedpixels was an honour.
It had been some time since we shot a wedding without the presence of a videographer, and it somehow felt a little weird, and yet at the same time, refreshing. Suddenly, we had all the time and freedom to shoot the rings, gown, shoe, etc. Photos-wise, it was also easier to capture the significant moments since it was just hubby and I doing all the shooting and we knew where to position ourselves without getting into each other’s frames. It kinda felt a little liberating if I may use this word. Haha! Before anyone assumes otherwise, let me first caution it’s not that I don’t like videographers around, because it’s also always good to learn new things when working with different partners. We get to see how different people work and that’s also a way to constantly improve. Shooting a wedding with or without videographers has its pros and cons.
Ok, back to the wedding. It was a simple ceremony in the morning without any gatecrashing. Edwin strolled into Florence’s house and proceeded to receive the love of his life. Thereafter, we set off to Goodwood Park Hotel for the tea ceremony and solemnization. Once again, it was the charismatic Dr Phua Tan Tee who was the JP and we are always happy to have him around as he really makes the couple and guests feel at ease with his light-hearted words.
The solemnization area and reception table were beautifully styled by Wedding Diary. The concept of an Art Gallery came from Edwin and Florence, and it was executed perfectly by Wedding Diary. It was also really cool to see my past photo of Florence being chosen as one of the main photos in the Gallery, lying beside their Paris pre-wedding photos. It was also nice to meet pretty Lily Lu, the founder of Wedding Diary, for the first time. She’s expecting her first baby boy in early July (which is anytime now!) and we wish her a smooth delivery and a healthy baby!
The banquet was held in the cosy Tudor Ballroom, and the highlight of the wedding was definitely the customary thank-you speech, but delivered in an innovative way! In addition to a concept pre-wedding video beautifully done by Ideal Films Photography and Cinematography, Edwin delivered his speech and declared his love for Florence using powerpoint slides (an occupational hazard I guess!), and it was technical yet humourous. This was in fact the first time we have seen anyone using powerpoint slides for the thank-you speech! Edwin spoke really well (I can easily imagine him as a CEO or Director of a company delivering a speech) and managed to capture the attention of everyone present. Edwin went on to thank the two most important women in his life (To respect his privacy, I shall not mention more) and it was a really emotional and teary moment for all, including hubby and I who were trying to hold back our tears as it was a really heartfelt speech which struck the chord in all our hearts.
Weddings are not just all about having fun (with the gatecrashing and well-wishes from guests), but also represent a timely moment to reflect on one’s life and the people that you have interacted with (whether frequently with family/relatives, or occasionally with friends) through the years of growing up and which have moulded you into what you are today. Through that 15 minutes on stage, we got to see the more personal side of Edwin, and at that instant, we felt a sudden connection with both of them. It has sincerely been the pleasure of Alvin and I to be given the opportunity to document the proceedings of the marriage of Edwin and Florence. We really treasure this experience and felt really humbled by their compliments. It’s great to know that they appreciate our efforts and this spurs us to keep doing what we do best! 🙂
What made our day all the more pleasant was the generosity of Edwin & Florence in their feedback to us! Thank you both, and have an ever-lastting and loving marriage always! 🙂
“Dear Alvin and Michelle,
