Photos from the Photographers: Wedding 12/12 and 13/12

Photoshoot around Singapore

We had thought that we might not do a photoshoot at all, Z thinks they are corny and that it meant jazzy pictures of himself at the Esplanade and I was afraid we'd be too tired (he also easily talked me out of videography, I tried to bring him to one videographer but unfortunately, the minute the slow, dramatic voice-over Italian music came onscreen, he looked at me with this horrified buck-eyed rabbit look and said with incredibly definite elocution that "if you're holding out that little Jamesie will watch it, I can tell you that no son of mine would like this".





However, we both wanted to show V. and T. some lessor-known spots in Singapore and I wanted to get some photos of just the two of us and was happy to give the dress a few more hours in the sun. We wound up doing the shoot the day after the wedding, when we were all relaxed, so relaxed that Z. refused to go a third day in a suit! It seemed fitting anyway that the pictures be in what he wears most of the time. V pointed out to me that we were actually being exactly like our monogram, a lace W and denim I- how predictable are we!


We started the day really late, sans any make-up (shows, doesn't it) and went to just three stops, this old bread shop in Balestier which I love, Haji lane in Kampong Glam and the Botanic Gardens, which they had not yet seen. I loved the relax-ness of this day but I must admit, I will forever remember it as The Day I got Hand, Foot and Mouth!

Detail photos: Qipao, Invitations and White Rabbit

Some pictures I didn't realize the photographers had captured! There are watermarks because the CD hasn't arrived yet.

Photos of Ari from Erica

Both the flower girls really made me feel so happy about the choice of the flower girl dress and the set-up of the kid's table. You never know if they like it or not and I'm so glad to see these pictures that Erica sent. Ari is an incredibly gorgeous child, so it's probably not fair to judget my own dress pick off how it looks on her but I see it and I love it! Ari, you are rocking that dress and starfish hairband- JCrew needs to manufacture "Ari's look"! I particularly love the picture of you running down the ailse in the garden, you look so young, carefree and happy.

Photos from the Mommies

The funny thing is that the photos that I've received (other than the ones taken by the photographers) are all from friends who are moms. I wonder why that is- although my guess is that they were all documenting the inaugural wedding appearence of their kids!

Looking back at the photos, I realize all the little details that I didn't know on that day. It really does pass in a blur! Some things I saw for the first time were well, the cake, for one, which I got all of two glances at, up the ailse and down and even what the dessert table looked like when it was fully stocked. (By the time the ceremony was over, half the passionfruit meringue tarts and the salted caramel macarons were gone- my colleagues sometimes get my baking products at work and they are well versed in the Way of Macaron Consumption, which goes something like "but by dessert-time, there won't be any left!").

There were even smaller things, like the groomsmen's ties and boutennieres. Even Z's tie, which I don't really think I noticed on that day (even though I bought it). Also, one guy friend (naturally) pointed out to me that "I love how your bridesmaids dresses form one blue line, did you plan for it that way?" (No, I didn't and they aren't even the same height!)





Another thing I realized was just how many kids we had in the bridal party- I now think it was an even more cute idea (then when we first thought of it) to have the bridesmaids with infants carry them down the ailse but I didn't know, till I saw the rehearsal photos, just what a procession it looked going before me. I love it, they are adorable, even though I didn't really get to witness their cuteness myself.






Other things I realized were that one must never tamper with an original design, to appease my dad, I had a slip of tulle added to the otherwise slightly revealing neckline (not really low at all but my dad is Amish about these things) and I realize in the photos that it throws the proportions of the dress off because the heavier neckline accentuates, rather than balances the ruffled shoulders.

On the good side, I'd already known that my mom's dress would be stunning (having picked the cloth in Beijing) but I must say, I didn't know till I saw the photographs, how beautifully it would photograph. I wasn't sure my mom would like the cloth, I knew she would like the print, with the peonies and birds resting on the shoulder but she typically doesn't like green. Me, I love green and I love the fading pattern of the clustered leaves and I still think both look great on her.








I also realized that the foundation colour was too light, the lighting in the White Rabbit was too dim (most photos had to be dimmed if taken with flash and lightened if not) and that the netting on a birdcage veil whites out your face! No wonder they are reserved for black and white photography- things Mindy Weiss doesn't teach you!