"Aren't you somethin' to admire?
Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror
And I can't help but notice you reflect in this heart of mine"

Esther was my little sister's primary/secondary school classmate. She has a giant heart for people, and a beautiful singing voice. (She was also my wedding singer!) Meeting Glenn, I can't help but notice that he complements her. Where she's easygoing, he is meticulous. Where she's a bit loud, he is a slightly more serious. He is their chief wedding planner. I enjoyed the morning hanging out with them, catching up, reminiscing, and getting to know Glenn... anybody who shares my annoyance at the usage of 'revert' is AWESOME in my books. Cannot wait to celebrate with you both in October.

laugh together, stay together
- #jkandpb
@trapyourass

I photographed their intimate and super sweet April Fool's Day wedding (they really signed on the dotted line #notajoke); their joint instagram handle is @trapyourass.

What not to love about easily one of my favourite-ist clients.

So when they asked for a post-wedding portrait session, I knew it was going to be awesome fun. And I was not disappointed! He told me 'no cheesy shots please', she laughed. That set the tone for the entire session. Adventurous, funny, with a huge love for coffee and each other, Feebs + Jase, marriage definitely looks good on you! You've also convinced me that #postweddingportraits are the best.  

This is love: To fly toward a secret sky,
to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.
First to let go of life.
Finally, to take a step without feet.
- Rumi -

The social butterfly from Ipoh and the cheena boy from Penang. Who would have thought that when Alex and Rachel first met at RBS in 2003, they'd be getting hitched 14 years later?

A girl with one of the biggest hearts, Rachel and I go way back.... when we were still too young to remember, and only had photographs as proof we knew each other. We reconnected at the Residential Bible School, a month-long Christian camp, organised by the Inter-Brethren Assembly.

I was immediately drawn to her laughter, friendliness and good nature. Together with a few other girls, we would chat till way past lights-out, we'd sing and harmonise, as well as swap secrets in whispers. #thosewerethedays.

Since then, we've kept in touch, went out on dates, and have even taken a girly trip to Seoul. She's sensitive, compassionate, and very generous with her time. She's also an accomplished businesswoman. After several years moonlighting as a make-up artist and helping people plan weddings (my wedding being one of the first few she helped coordinate), she is now a full-time business owner/wedding planner extraordinaire at Pretty Little Things. 

Simple, easy-going, with the ability to make people laugh, Alex complements her completely. It also helps that they share a huge love for EATING, eating, and MORE EATING.

For this engagement session, they decided to take a trip down memory lane, back to where they first met - HCC, Cameron Highlands. :) Thank you loves for allowing me to capture your love. xx

2015 has been a year filled with so many moments, lots of laughter, and so much love. When the year first started, I was just recuperating (from my first EVER surgery!). All I had written down was this:

I knew I wanted to move from weddings into photographing families. But apart from wanting to revamp my very dated website, launch a new logo, and possibly set up a social media presence, I had absolutely no clue on how and where I'm going to get my clients! 

Sure I've photographed weddings (together with the awesome team from MTP) for the last couple of years, and have been asked to photograph the occasional family portrait for family and friends (thanks Ben & Jan!) , but to strike out on my own, was and still is, something very scary. Finally, after long talks  (too many to count) with my husband, and a whole lot of emails and skype conversations with my best friend, Kim (the dangerlam) - who was also the awesome illustrator behind my logo and portrait - the revamp of my site was launched on April 26.  And on July 1, I staked my presence on facebook. 

Throughout this year, I've had so many doubts - if my photos were good enough, if I would have clients outside my friends circle, if people are actually willing to pay me for photos - if so how much? When I wasn't working at my full-time job, minutes and hours were spent thinking about how to get myself out there. There were just so many things to do, so little time... and I didn't know where to start. Just when I thought I was making good progress, something sets me back, and throws me for a loop. I've lost count of the many times when I just messaged friends (out of the blue, especially for some I've not spoken to in decades), to ask if they would like to have portraits taken. #ihadtogrowathickskin. And I'm so thankful for those who took me on, and others who encouraged me.

Looking back on 2015, I've celebrated love together with 70 different families, and have had the opportunity to travel three times to Australia (Perth & Melbourne) and once to Singapore, to do what I love - photography! Who knew that God had such big plans for me? He took my 5 small 'loaves' of goals, and turned them into so much more. For this, I'm immensely thankful, and I cannot wait to see what's going to happen in 2016! My cup overflows. 

To all my clients - new and old, who have entrusted me to share in and capture your love; to the ones who've just been so encouraging, you've no idea how those little messages and whatsapp conversations mean to me. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU and have an amazeball 2016!

'I can conquer the world, with just one hand... as long as you are holding the other.'

I first met John and Chu at Kim and Jase's wedding at Abbotsford Convent in 2012. Chu is Kim's younger sister. The one thing that immediately attracted me to her was her beautiful ready smile. John and Chu are people that you naturally would want to be friends with. Within minutes of meeting them, they can put you completely at ease, and make you feel as if you've been friends for a very long time.

When I learned they got engaged early this year, I was so very elated as they are both such amazing people with big hearts. They also make a very gorgeous couple! These images captured in The Substation (where they are getting married), the University of Melbourne (where they both studied), and around the city tells their story.

They also have a very cute story on how they met.

Even though they had a lot of mutual friends, John and Chu have never met. That was until Chu's 18th birthday party.

John: Most of my friends were attending a birthday party and were talking about it. Someone asked me if I was going, I said no. I wasn’t invited and I didn’t know who’s party it was. My friend thought it would be fun if I attended, to hang out and he assured me the birthday girl would be more than happy to have me there. Chu and I ended up chatting on MSN and she was happy with me coming to her party, as long as I said hi to her on the night. 

So I tried to find her that night, to say hi. But she wasn’t anywhere to be found. I sat down some time after, and noticed the cutest girl with the most beautiful smile. My friend turned to me and saw me looking at her and said, "Hey mate, what you looking at, that’s Chu, lets go." We both went over and I awkwardly said Hi. That’s my first memory of meeting Chu.

Thank you for being such good sports and for your warm hospitality. Brunch was so awesome! So much love for the both of you.

I will be in Melbourne again (Nov 21 to Nov 24). If you are interested in having portraits in Springtime Melbourne, I still have one more session available. Click for more information. 

---

on choosing each other

John
Seeing her happy gives me a feeling that I always want to have. She makes me feel special and loved. She is kind and generous.

Chu
We are on the same wavelength and have similar values. We complement each other with our strengths. He's motivated and this motivates/supports me. It's also a bonus that he can cook and clean. ;)

Home is wherever I'm with you.

Bathers Beach at Fremantle holds a special place in my heart, as it was where BLee & I had our anniversary portraits taken, just last Spring. For Anthony and Jessica, it is even more special as it was where they went on their first date, as well as where Anthony popped the question, to ask Jess to spend her forever with him.

It was a beautiful sunny winter morning when we did their portraits. There was lots of laughing, jokes, cuddles and of course kissing!

During the session, Anthony & Jess clued me on a little secret... they just found out they were pregnant! #excitedsqueal. They wanted to do some pregnancy 'announcement' portraits, so we rounded up the session with some. Anthony & Jess, you guys are going to make a gorgeous bride and groom, as well as awesome parents!

Grow old along with me,
The best is yet to be.
- Browning

Adrian and Pei Hwa met as housemen when they first began their careers as doctors. After a whirlwind year of courtship, he proposed (in a hot air balloon! so completely romantic), and they got hitched a year later.

She's a self-professed type-A personality who plans way in advance. On the other hand, he is easy going, random and comical. Together, they complement each other. She becomes a lot more relaxed and chill when he is around; and he appreciates her planning and finds her very endearing. 

Pei Hwa contacted me for a session to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary. They wanted something casual, simple and genuinely them, as they enjoyed each other's company. Their love and complete adoration for each other shone through, and I had such a wonderful time photographing and celebrating together with them.

After one year of marriage, this is what they shared about each other:

About Adrian:
He makes me feel loved when he accepts me as I am, despite my shortcomings. He makes me feel loved because he is willing to make changes, to come out of his shell, making me the happiest person. 

About Pei Hwa:
I count myself one of the luckiest guys because of her. She is there for me all the time. She is so caring and has a wonderful personality. She is definitely my perfect life companion.

Love is a journey, I choose to take with you!

It isn't every day your best friend gets married and it's even rarer, when she requests that you help with her engagement portraits.

Rebecca and I go way way way back, back to when we were just little kids in Temerloh Gospel Chapel. Our friendship is a little odd, she was actually a school mate of my younger sister, Cassey. And a little known fact, even though I was in Singapore for both primary and high school, the brief holidays back at home, was enough to make me dislike her (there was a very long letter involved).

To cut the very long story short, it's been more than 2 decades of friendship... now I cannot imagine what life would be like without our constant coffee dates, and hanging out until restaurants close. We've fought, made up, cried, laughed and talked till dawn.

Kah Kit complements her completely. Where she is drama, he is calm and cool; where she gets a little OCD, he reminds her to chill. They are so different, yet so alike in a number of ways.

Becca and KK, being allowed to be there from the beginning where the two of you were still figuring out your relationship; to rejoicing with you both as KK took a step to God; to proposal ideation, wedding planning, coordination; and also being entrusted to photograph your love, I consider it an honour.  May your marriage be centred and anchored in His love.

Locations: Araluen Botanic Park, Perth Royal Show,Fremantle, Sandalford Winery, Blue Boat Shed and King's Park, Western Australia

Special thanks to John Lim, for braving the multitudes of people at the Royal Show, and producing gorgeous images.

You know, perhaps there’s something there that wasn’t there before
Beauty & the Beast

An IT professional and a lover of all things Disney - it looks like it would be an amazing wedding for both Bree & Glenn! I first met Glenn in my final year IT project unit, and through the many crazy late nights, we clicked and became pretty fast friends.

When I got married in 2011, Glenn was awesome enough to fly over to celebrate with us. When I found out he was getting married this December, I knew, to make up for my absence, I had to grab some portraits for he and his gorgeous fiancee.

Meeting Bree for the first time, I was immediately attracted to her warm personality and love for all things kooky! A girl who loves Disney is also all good in my books :) Her zaniness complemented his seriousness completely. We took a stroll behind their place, and I was awed by how pretty everything was.

So much love to the both of you, as you take on the crazy adventure of marriage and the beginning of A Fairy Tale Come True. May it be filled with many shining, shimmering, splendid adventures; tackling everything with a smile and a song together; as you strive to be part of each other's world. I wish I can be there for your Disney-themed wedding next weekend, and cannot wait to see loads of photos.