Is it possible to move the gardens of Paris to a hotel space in Bandung? It sure it, because that’s what Sebastian and Cindy did for theirs. Their wedding was set with a feel of Marie Antoinette in the Gardens of Versailles, and it was in my opinion, very nicely done. The details and decorations made every feel as though they were there, and the cool Bandung air made it so much nicer.
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Directed by: Garry Valentino
The title above simply means: "I was married in Bali!"
Which is quite a common thing for Indonesians to say nowadays. But to Kam and Helen who came from Hong Kong, this sentence is something they can say proudly to their friends and relatives. I say proudly, not only because they got married married in an absolutely beautiful place in Bvlgari Hotel Bali, but also because it's been quite a while before they had decided to tie the knot in Bali.
Both Kam and Helen were very friendly from the start. And I could tell right away that even though they are in the midst of the biggest day of their lives, at a very beautiful place, the most important thing for them is to enjoy the moment, and to enjoy each other's company.
So many times we are so caught up in the event itself, that we forget the most important factor in a wedding, that is our spouses, our relatives and our friends. When we start making these things important in the wedding, the rest seemed to magically fall to place by themselves. Just like Kam and Helen's wedding, everything was just beautiful. The short ceremony was simple, yet meaningful as they poured their heart to each other in their vows, and the reception was filled with fun and laughter as we all danced the night away.
Funny thing is, Kam and Helen had forgotten their wedding suit and dress when they flew from Hong Kong to Bali, their suits and dresses arrived only a day before THE day, not only that, we found out that we had some broken equipments which rarely happens, and the morning of their wedding day started with a heavy rain. But you see, if we put our priorities in the right places, those things would just take care of themselves; and you'd be left with a beautiful wedding :)
Congrats to Kam and Helen, may you grow old together loving each other as much as you do now.
Cheers!
Donny Effrien
Sometimes when I see couples holding hands, I wonder what their stories are. I wonder about how they met and how they finally decided to be together. I wonder about the challenges they had to overcome to be where they are today and if they had found the joy in the midst of the fights. I wonder if their love was ever tested by time or distance or even rejection from the people they love most and if that made their love stronger. I wonder what beautiful story lies behind their gentle touch and the strong grasp of their hands.
There will always be something memorable from every couple that I shoot for. A few months ago, I had the privilege of shooting the pre-wedding portraits of Charles and Irene, and I will always remember that shoot for two reasons: 1) he’s the first client in a long time that requested for a scene in simple Peranakan clothing and 2) their chemistry is so strong that every shot was unbelievably romantic, I thought everything was a keeper.
Directed by Yosep Sugiarto
A few years ago, a guy named Aldo, on his trip to Israel, went to the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where a long time ago, another Man also came to pray, at the night before He was crucified. And at that place Aldo also made a very sincere prayer, and amongst that prayer he prayed for God to guide him to the right person as his soulmate.
God's answer came in the form of a beautiful lady named Nova, who was actually Aldo's friend while they were studying in Holland and London, but because of circumstances, Aldo had to move to Singapore and they hadn't meet for a while. By God's beautiful way, they got in touch again, got into a relationship, and two years later, Aldo took his fiancee back to the place where he made the prayer, and tied the knots with her. Aldo said in his vow: "Long time ago, you were just a dream and a prayer, this day, like a dream come true, the Lord Himself has answered that prayer.."
It's really a beautiful thing when God answers our prayers, especially in relationships. And many of us today might be waiting for that very moment, the moment when our dreams turn into answered prayers. And for some of us it might take a bit longer than we'd like it to be. But this story proves that prayers are still being answered, and dreams do come true..
So keep praying, and one day your dream would be an answered prayer. As for the blessed couple Aldo and Nova, congratulations to both of you! We're so happy that you found each other.
Cheers
Donny Effrien
Sometimes a man gets lucky enough to meet a woman who in time becomes his best friend. The more he gets to know her through the amount of time they spend together he realizes that he wants her to be more than just his friend. And then after a period of intense dating, he so willingly invites that woman to build a life with him – a new life, something that only they both can share.
You might recognize Mardon from one of the posts our video guys shared a few weeks ago. Yep, you got it, he is Mr. Organizer. He is the first ever Groom-zilla I’ve ever met and it’s been such an honor to take part in their beautiful event.
There are different kinds of weddings – intimate, romantic, dramatic, and some are just pure fun. That was Janssen and Aurelia’s wedding. The day started with a lot of laughter – at the bride’s home, with the make-up artist, with the bridesmaids, with the parents – it was just pure laughter all the way until the day ended. And I can recall as if it were yesterday the joy that surrounded the whole event when two people in love finally tied the knot.
Have you ever wondered what life was like before that special entered it? I’ve tried to picture my life before marriage and my two children and I turn up blank. All I can think of was all the things I have been missing before I met my wife. She is my best friend and a reliable partner in every aspect of my life. And I can say without a doubt that many of my most endearing adventures began with her. I love marriage. I love how it makes me feel and I love how it changed my life.