Official Photographer - Yi Ting from OneEyeClick!

We finally settled our official event photographer! As early as November 2010, Sherm and I have been keeping an eye out for a photographer - that special someone who can take interesting, inviting and fantastic shots, yet leave the subjects looking comfortable and thoroughly at ease. In the end, we chose OneEyeClick.

[This image was stolen off the OneEyeClick website, don't sue me!]

Being photographers, both Sherm and I, we don't believe in paying so much for photography. In Singapore, wedding photography can be priced as high as S$5000 for a single person to cover an event! I've seen the quality of those shots, and I don't believe that is necessary at all. Nor did we need the bells and whistles such as an event-day wedding album. We just wanted some interesting pictures that come off fun, and definitely have that unique look.

Using my network on Facebook, I asked my friends for recommendations, combed the various portfolios of the various studios. I cruised the SG Weddings forums and even trawled some friends photo albums for great images. From the initial list of 8, I managed to cut it down to about 2, with Sherm's friend Rachel adding another for our final consideration.

Why we went for OneEyeClick:
I was smitten by the pictures in OneEyeClick's blog from the start (a recommendation of our Kendo friend Kevin Chua). I liked all their shoots: pre-wedding and actual day images were both equally good. There is a certain amount of style in their colour processing, not to mention the interesting compositional skills and crops. Lovely. Terry was a joy to email, which was practically our entire pre-agreement discussion. He has a very 'can-do' attitude, and I was won over by that.
I was, however, expect a meeting of sorts, to discuss the style or preferences, but I suppose that might happen nearer the event. Well, they're pros, so if this is the way they work, I don't really care, I like their end product enough! Putting it in their very capable hands! (Update 26 Mar '11: Terry has already contacted me after sending the contract, and there will be a meeting set up between Yi Ting and us just prior to the actual day.)

Apart from our main photographer, we are also engaging a videographer to work on a video documenting the first half of our big day, ending with the matrimonial ceremony in Church. He will be producing a video, popularly termed an "Express Highlight", to be screened during the same-day wedding dinner. Hope its good!

Sherm and I do have a large number of friends who take really nice pictures. So, I do expect that our friends will be bringing their cameras as well, and we can probably get some great candids from them. =)

If I've missed out any detail regarding this aspect of the wedding, pls do drop me a note and make a suggestion!

Trial Make-up Results Unveiled!

[left: in the midst of makeover from ugly duckling to (black) swan;
right: caught unawares by trigger-happy Dax]

Wowwee! Lookin' good and feelin' even better!

Went for trial make-up session and selection of evening gown today at La Vie. Very chuffed by the awesome job Jolene did with my make-up, didn't know there was something pretty inside of me! Granted it was a bit scary cos it was my first time wearing make-up, but she was awesome and it all went so well. Apparently, I have nice deep-set "socket" eyes, as a result of having a defined brow-bone, which Jolene says is rare in Asians and very attractive! LOL!! How to not feel good right? ;p

As for the evening gown, it's going to be something really unique, gonna be channeling a bit of the punk rock princess in me! ;p Wasn't sure if of which gown to go for at first, but finally decided on the one that the 2 merry men, Jolene and Dax unanimously voted for. Hope everyone else will love it as much as we do! =D

Gown designer praised my weight loss profusely, admired my progress, and best of all... told me I only need to lose 1 kg more in total!! On a very buoyant cloud 9... super motivated again!

日本、 がんばって！ (Japan, Hang in There!)

So our wedding prep has taken a backseat to global events, as we struggle to digest the massive devastation that has struck Japan - first a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the sea off the Tohoku region, followed by a powerful tsunami that obliterated towns and ports, to be finished off by the present crisis of leaking nuclear reactors in Fukushima prefecture.

We've contacted our many friends in Japan, who have all assured us that they are well apart from inconveniences like electricity rationing, but the situation remains dire in the northeast. Food is in extreme short supply, and many survivors haven't eaten or had access to clean drinking water for over 48 hours or more. Medicine is severely lacking; those available has been inundated by floodwaters or contaminated by silt and mud. The weather remains biting cold as the seasons are only just turning from winter to spring. The death toll is rapidly rising, with a huge fraction of the population of Sendai, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures missing and/or unaccounted for.

We are now focusing our energies on ways to raise funds for our fellow humans in Japan, and to think of other ways we can help those in need.

To the religious, let's keep Japan in our prayers. To the humanists, freethinkers and agnostics, let us keep Japan in our thoughts.

Regardless of their past history, the Japanese people have risen above the present disaster and proven themselves a truly united and compassionate civilisation. May the Japanese people's stoicism and determination in these difficult times be a model and reminder to all of us to be patient, charitable, caring and giving to our loved ones and all those around us, through not just the good times but especially the bad.

Time is of Essence...

... when we have 10,000 things to do on our actual wedding day! Busy now with preparing a tentative schedule for 4 Dec 2011, including pointers we need to remember, logistical issues, who is in charge of what etc.

Schedule is going to be tight! Counting on everyone's help and blessings!! =)