On work-weekends, I would wake up even before sunrise and as if to a snap of the fingers, I would get myself ready to standby at a bride’s house on her big day. I always know that it is going to be a special day. My heavy eyelids would never be a match for my high hopes, light heart and soaring spirit. And as I approach the door, I’d hear the laughter of the bride and the chirpiness of her family and friends fill the whole house with happiness. It’s a beautiful day to get married. Truth be told, I truly enjoy this kind of mornings.
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It’s no secret that girls usually are the busiest when it comes to wedding planning. That’s why we often hear of Bridezillas (of course with a few exceptions, because while Groomzillas may be rare, they do exist. Believe me, I’ve seen a few.) In the course of planning a wedding, a bride to be goes through an intense period of time. There are dresses to choose, flowers to pick, menus to be set, guest list to be confirmed, details to be designed… There are a lot of things to be done.
Gate crashing has become somewhat of a known custom lately where weddings are concerned. This Singaporean custom is now practiced in most Asian cultures in the morning of the wedding when the groom picks up his bride. I think that it’s like a customary thing for grooms to go through a certain ordeal in the morning of their weddings, in order to respect tradition and win approval from the bride’s family and friends. But in the midst of all the good fun which sometimes can also be quite embarrassing and frustrating to do, I can’t help but wonder if this “gate crash” is also a test whether grooms can survive the rest of their lives. Bridesmaids would totally go all out to prepare for this “test” that the groom and his men-in-arms have to go through. It’s as if they’ve been holding back on their creativities and saving them for special torture occasions such as these (ha!). I have witnessed grooms who have filled their mouths with sweet, sour, spicy and bitter stuff - sometimes separately, sometimes combined - to test whether they will survive the many tribulations they will face in a marriage (or so they say!). There are quizzes and ludicrous lovey-dovey passages and push-ups in a formal suit, you name it… it’s like the ultimate dare! But I guess when you’re not the one doing it, it all just looks like really good fun to me! (But of course, you can always ask me again after I have actually gate-crashed myself.)
Anyway, compared to the many gate crashes I have seen, Natalie’s bridesmaids actually made it quite easy for Matthew and his band of brothers. They must like him. Matthew and Natalie were childhood friends, who after ten years met again and the sparks just couldn’t be denied. Two very friendly people got together and became the romantic couple we see today. Throughout the wedding, Matthew had many surprises up his sleeves – the dance, the solo song, the singing with his friends – he went all out to show Natalie how much he adored her. I can see why her bridesmaids like him, can’t you?
Matthew and Natalie, I wish you all the best that marriage could bring you. I pray that marriage brings you the sweet and the tasty, and that you will find the comfort in each other’s arms through the bitter and the sour. Congratulations once again!
Directed by Yosep Sugiarto
Camera Person: Adi Novendra, Andre Yap, Yosep Sugiarto
Editor: Danny Wirjadi
Music: The Night Sky by Tony Anderson, Boy With A Kite by Joe Moralez (www.themusicbed.com)
Today I’d like to share a little with you about something close to my heart. About marriage. About commitment. About sacrifice.
Heroes are everywhere. When we're faced with a problem and someone steps up to solve it, a hero is proclaimed. I believe that there is a super hero in all of us. Each of us is born with the power to address a certain need, to attack a certain issue, to solve a certain problem. We aren't made to just wander aimlessly in this world and for nothing. We are here as an answer to someone or something.
I remember seeing her land the job of a lifetime. Our hearts full of anticipation as we stared at that fateful strip as it slowly turned pink. I remember the quietness in our house and the joyful cheer that suddenly erupted...In that instant she had a new job. A job that gave her one job title but required her to wear many hats. A job that demanded her everything but monetarily pays her nothing. A job that most men cannot do and probably will not understand. This is a job that she needs to do 24/7 for the rest of her life.
Weddings come in many sizes. I remember finding myself in the middle of 6000-ish guests, within a glamorous decoration and overflowing dinner. Once there was also a much smaller scale wedding, held in the couple's simple house, attended only by the core family members and closest friends.
Let me tell you something. I love concept meetings. Apart from the actual photo session itself, meeting new clients and brainstorming about how their photos are going to be like is a favorite part of my job. I love to hear stories about their dream wedding, their imaginations, but best of all, how they fell in love. It inspires me.
Intimate weddings are where it’s at. Sure, in a collective culture such as ours, big weddings with a long guest list is the only way to go most of the time. But when you can get out of it, you really can’t do better than saying your “I do” in front of a handful of your closest family and friends, overlooking a beautiful view and setting the day with a loose itinerary.
"Always."
"Forever"
"I do."
"Thank you for being there."
"Never give up."
These words are not strange to our ears. In fact, we hear them so often that sometimes their meanings are lost to us. But during important moments such as weddings, these words carry weight. Their meaning echoes through the atmostphere, piercing hearts, making happy tears flow. Small words that carry a promise of a lifetime. Small words that change lives.
I hope these words aren't said only in the heat of the moment but is remembered and repeated often throughout their journey. And that over the years, they will no longer be just words... but truth.
I had a great time capturing the intimate union of Adrian and Wansin. Their cheerful expressions gave color to the day and made Bali look even more beautiful. Their love story will be one I will remember for a long time. A reminder to never give up on love. Adrian has caught Wansin's eye since he was but an eleven year old boy. Though they were separated by distance for more than twenty years, the path of true love was certain to lead them back to each other.
Here is a preview of their beautiful day.
Love,
Garry V.
Shooters: Adi Novendra and Dimar Brata