Photoshoot II: Complete

as i've predicted, i skipped the dim sum gathering on Saturday due to the fatigue. wanted to join the Southern Ridges walk, but it started raining shortly before, so nay to that too.

Poppy and i did, however, catch Ip Man 2. awesome stuff (love the ending scene where Ip Man sits on his favorite chair), but i much prefer the first one though.
after the show, we headed home to rest up for the next long day we have ahead.

it was a shoot against all odds.
after scheduling and re-scheduling, we finally completed our second photo-shoot yesterday.

we arrived around 9am, then set off to the "Little India" and "Istana Park" around 10am, after finishing the make-up and gowns trying. as it drew close to noon, we returned to the studio for a change of hair/clothes and lunch on the folks at D'Gio. off we went again, to Kota Tinggi, as it started to rain. alas, by the time we arrived in Kota Tinggi, the weather cleared up. can't say the same for the commando mosquitoes though. i suffered no less than 20 insect bites by the time we finished the shoot at the pond/lakeside, and my eyes were sore beyond remedy.

i could hardly open my eyes for the last leg of the shoot on the road towards our return to the studio. grabbed a quick dinner at Ah Biao's, got stuck in the jam a little, then headed home to wash up and rest. visited the doc after waking up with still-sore eyes. bla.

'nuff said for now. i gotta go rest my eyes a bit.
a couple of pictures we snapped during the shoot to share first... watch out for the rest on Facebook.

Photo Album delivery

we've received our photo albums via freight + friend delivery.

yippey.

photos up soon =)

Wedding Photoshoot: Sneak Preview

a sneak peek at some pictures before they're sent for editing

keep ur eyes peeled for more =)

Bridal Shops: Browsing and Fitting

in order to have a better idea of what to pick when we arrive at the Bridal Shop in Taiwan for our photo shoot, we were out to try out some gowns on Monday.

when we started of with browsing of gowns, mr ma seemed pretty restless and his responses were summed up to "ok" and "not bad". 

hmm.. i wonder if it's got anything to do with waking up early in the morning.

in any case, after a long chat with the shop owner, we finally got down to actual fitting.

i got a little frustrated with his nonchalant mumblings, and got him to help take note of the suitable cutting and colors (and prevent me from falling into a dizzy impulsive wedding spree).

i must really give him credit for being very helpful afterwards. 

he gave rational feedback such as:

- ivory color doesn't suit me as much as white 

because it makes me look yellow. erm..

- basque or corset styled gown enhances my curvatures 

because i'm rather petite, and most dresses just make me look like Bananas in Pajamas

below are some of the styles that we have shortlisted (i've re-created them with a online tool), mostly incorporating sweetheart necklines, as suggested by mr ma.

perhaps, a short dress for some casual pictures during the outdoor shoot?

i noticed that during the fittings, he seemed to have a preference for V-neck sheath/empire dresses (see illustration below) but didn't have a chance to try on any, but i'll definitely give it a try the next time we head to the bridal shops. promise!

picture taken from http://shop.periwing.com/

Taiwan Photoshoot: Confirmation

we've gotten a confirmation from 吴姐 via email this morning

and so here's some tips she has attached in the email:

拍照注意事項

*本店營業時間為13:00pm.~22:00pm

1.  為了避免更換禮服時會破壞化妝及髮型，新娘請穿無肩帶內衣,前扣式襯衫。

2.  新娘請攜帶一雙銀色高跟鞋或自己喜歡的高跟鞋搭配禮服進行内景拍攝，外景拍攝請穿輕鬆便鞋較爲自在。

3.  新郎請準備深色皮鞋一雙，黑色襪子，白色襪子各一雙，如穿深色西服拍照，鞋子需自行準備，穿白色西服有附帶白色鞋子搭配。

4.  新郎可自行準備西服以利造型多變化 (含襯衫，領帶，至少請帶白襯衫一件搭配西服)。

5.  可帶些具紀念性物品拍攝入鏡。如:戒子、紀念品、卡片、情書……。

6.  可自行攜帶喜歡聽的音樂播放以利營造情緒、氣氛。

7.  雜誌上或其它有看到喜愛的造型、攝影，可帶來與造型師和攝影師溝通。

8.  拍照前一天，請將頭髮清洗乾淨; 睡前三小時，勿多喝開水，以免造成眼睛浮腫。

9.  拍照當天若逢下雨，無法拍攝外景，可改純內景，若擇日再拍外景需另付:彩妝費NT$2000元。

10.拍照前一天，新娘請將胳肢窩處腋毛剃除。

11.拍照當天，新娘請勿上任何妝，擦至隔離霜為止。

12.拍照當日，請用餐完畢，再至公司，請準時到達，以免損失權利。

13.怕曬黑或是蟲咬，來台後請至藥房購買防曬乳，防蚊水，白花油。

14.拍照當日，請準備個人用毛巾，以利海邊拍攝時，弄濕身體或沖水時使用。

15.拍照完後，回家沖洗頭髮時，請先使用潤絲精，再洗頭。

16.攝影師拍攝中禁止側拍或錄影。

17.拍攝當天本公司免費供應午餐。

18.避免遺失貴重物品，大筆金額外出時可交由造型師作保管。

19.請於拍攝30天前預約攝影時間。

20.最少需安排3天假期,但是最後一天必須是正常上班日，且一定要搭晚上20：30 後班機回港。

Announcement: We're going to Taiwan!

we were adamant about strictly not committing to the packages the exhibitors offer at The Wedding Diary Asia exhibition at Suntec City.

BUT the My Dream Wedding and Romantic Life booths from Hong Kong and Taiwan respectively really piqued our interest.

before i yak on, here's a brief comparison of the overseas pre-wedding shoot
(note: the packages exclude local actual day gown rental, makeup, photography etc)

My Dream Wedding	Romantic Life
Hong Kong	Taiwan
http://www.mydreamwedding.com.sg	http://romanticlife.com.tw
$2,888	$2,888
($400 travel voucher for first 100 couples)
3 gowns	5 gowns
2 suits	2 suits
½ Day shooting on Yacht + Outdoor	Full day Outdoor shoot at choice of 3 locations
½ Day shooting in Studio	Yang Ming Shan + Taipei City + Beach
(they own 2 studios for indoor shoot)	(Approx 10 hours incl Makeup)
	optional Indoor shoot in studio
20 + 8 poses	30 + 6 poses
1 pcs - 20 X 24" canvas photo with frame	(UV moisture-proof film)
1 pcs - 5 X 7" table top with frame	1 pcs - 20 X 24" canvas photo with frame
1 pcs - 8 X 10" table with frame	1pcs - 15" photo album (seamless PVC)
1 pcs - 12 X 30" photo album (seamless PVC)	2 pcs - 4 X 5" photo album
Additional Perks
	1 pcs - 60" poster
	1 pcs - magazine album
	1 pcs - guest signature book
	8 pcs - wedding VIP invitation gifts
	1 box - thank you cards
	Complimentary 2 nights accommodation near studio
	1 pcs - $500 voucher discount with Sophia bridal for our Actual Day package
* They own 2 bungalow-converted Studios with various themes to cater for Indoor Shoots	* Flexibility to choose itinerary:
* Makeup artist will accompany the couple, together with the photographer, throughout the shoot	* No makeup accompanying
* Wide selection of tuxedos and elaborate suits for the groom	* Collaboration with Men's suit tailor for Grooms

to be fair, i have to highlight that we didn't really went into detailed discussion with the former coz Terry and his wife-to-be were looking at a slightly different package that includes ROM.

thus, if u really sit down and do some negotiating, u may more perks than what's stated.
we were quite hardcore and actually sat for more than an hour with the SAs at Romantic Life, until their boss came out and talk to us. oops.