in love, photos

I love looking at (well-taken) wedding photos, and while I'm not there yet, it's always nice to dream that you are the owner of such fabulous photos. Was browsing through the works of this guy I know and once again, I am loving his works - the old school vibe, the black and whites, the scenery. This couple's was done in Cameron Highlands! And you can see how the mist adds a nice touch. I stared at the one with the bicycle for a long, long time. I would love to have a photo like this, blow it up on canvas and it would just give any room such an entrancing quality.

The other photographs are just so perfect, done by an American (www.jasminestarblog.com).
The whole wedding just looks so, so perfect and the photos are a wonderful way to relieve the day. The couple looks so lovely! I have already restrained myself from posting the whole collection of their photos here (you can view on www.greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com)
I like the last photo of the bride with the groom on an escalator. Quirky, original, yet don't we all take those escalators almost everyday? It's something that you can't help looking at and smiling. Somehow wedding photos have the innate energy and beauty from love to give it an edge, to help you to see that, hey, let's just stop for a moment in our busy lives and admire these photos.

Some very good news, I've got a job. The paranoid me can't believe it until I am actually seated at my desk (I do wonder if it will look boring) so I am saving the news to shout it from the mountains until I probably have settled in for a month and also getting my first month's paycheck. It took a lot of people to help me to move out from a media profile to a corporate career, and I was surprised that they were 'very keen to have me onboard'. So let's see how it all goes, but I think I will be loving this job! Pay is good, location good... and it's the same company where my future MIL works at. How's that!

charmed

We've been about a month together now, and we had a little celebration last weekend to mark it. 

Was gobsmackedly surprised when Mr A. presented me with a little dog charm! It was the charm I wanted!!! Yay!!!

The week before, while he was doing his 'home-work' at Coffeebucks at The Big Splash, I was reading and had used the Thomas Sabo charm bracelet catalog as a bookmark of sorts, and took it out and placed it on the table. For quite some time now, I have been hankering after the nice charms... I do like charm bracelets and want something I can keep. Tiffany's too expensive (for silver!) in my opinion, but I totally get the feeling when you step into the shop *gasp gasp* or receive one of those blue boxes!!! 

So actually, I planned to buy the charm bracelet and each month add a charm to it... 

Mr A. swiftly spotted the catalog and *gasp gasp* took note of what I said as I was happily chirping away about the nice designs, which one I am considering, etc etc... Think next time I shall not tell him what I like... you know like sometimes you spot something, like rose-colored plates and cutlery, and mention, ooo, that IS nice... not knowing your boyfriend is taking down mental notes...(and actually, you just think it's nice not that you actually want to buy it nor use it) haha. He is soooo sweet, he wanted to buy me the whole bracelet too but I beat him to it! *phew*. 

One of the awesomely good advice Pastor gave us was to find a book - about relationships and growing together, and read it together. That IS good advice. But, the choices of Christian books (and dare I say, secular too) are limited, on this matter. We went to both a Christian bookshop and the bookshop in Raffles City which earns the most money from me... there were abundant choices for those "Oh God why am I still single" people, with titles like 'Make every man want you' (why would you want that?) 'How not to meet jerks', 'single men are like waffles...' and even 'how to plan for a wedding if you have less than 3 months'!!! (Wonder what would anyone say to that!!!) The christian books were mainly for marrieds, like how to keep the flame alive after a year, after kids, after he's been unfaithful, etc. Otherwise there were limited books, of which I've read most already, like Josh Harris', and the quintessential 'Boundaries in Dating'. (Which in my opinion is REALLY good just that I didn't like the new cover. Bleah. Why are old covers always nicer than newer ones and why don't they just stick to the nicer one...)

Anyways Mr A. bought '5 love languages' and since it's been some time since I last read it, I shall read it again at Coffeebucks this weekend. 

I read this article online, about understanding your partner's love language, from a newsletter I e-subscribe to. I've read it before, but now, again, it gives a different context - more reality-nitty-gritty now, as I'm in an actual relationship compared to when I was ... imagining that I was? 

http://drbenkim.com/articles-lovelanguage.html

For women when it comes to issues of the heart, I think we are much more sensitive - although we try our darndest not to be, but a little thing like him wrenching his head away from you when you pucker up for a kiss (he was jokingly doing that I mean) may make us feel bewildered and a bit sad. 

Of course we don't want to seem that we are being uptight and petty so we just let it fall by the wayside but maybe next time we will be slightly more reluctant to ... pucker up.

So I think knowing your own love language also helps in relationship communication in that sense. Though I've known myself for so long, I'm still quite clueless as to which I'd like to give or to receive. Can I choose all of the above? 

Yesterday I also received note that my friend's about to wed. Yay! Though I wouldn't claim to be very close to her or to know her well, I'm really really happy for her. I remember that I was one of the first she shared her joy with then last year when he proposed, and hearing her elated being emanating from google-chat (amazing right!) I also felt a warm bubble of happiness seeping through my soul. Ah, weddings are lovely... They are both rather well-planned, meticulous and methodical people so their website... is something I've bookmarked if I need some help next time. Not really being involved in people's weddings apart from singing and helping with the creative part, I am rather intrigued to see the lengths of which they have prepared for their day. They even have customized rings!!!! I ALSO WANT!!! (http://www.fairysinc.com/) 

I once knew a guy (not knowing him very well)... he actually bought his rings from one of the most... 'cheapo' or... brand is not very well-positioned brand in Singapore... not Taka Jewellery... it's Citigems! =( Worse, he told me (proudly) he used his sister's member card and got 30% off. =( Worse, I knew that his family is not poor one, landed property alright... some couples, they are not earning much, but at least can buy Lee Hwa? Even Goldheart also not bad, right? Since it's a wedding ring, and you're going to wear it until you can't fit, or at least for the first few years, buy something more worth it... I'm not a brand snob but I was rendered speechless when he bought his rings at... ...nevermind. 

The organized couple:

http://www.davidvera.superweds.com  

The customized rings:

http://www.fairysinc.com/

The relationship article:

http://drbenkim.com/articles-lovelanguage.html

Hee... I like my new charm bracelet.

true love, balloons, wedding photos

One of my favorite shots by Bryan and Jean.

Growing up, I've always idealistically assumed that everyone would meet their Prince Charming, and fall in love, and have kids, and repeat that... repeat...repeat. I thought that my love would be easy to find, that it would just be so simple. Meet, fall in love. Both knowing the other is perfect. 

But as time went on, I realised that true happiness was not easy to find. I've seen some friends, more recently, Huntley, going through a divorce - whether at fault or by default, a divorce is always painful. But more painful still is the knowledge of no longer having someone beside you, a hand to hold, a shoulder you know you can always depend on, in good economy or bad. I've seen a couple in The Church. She played the piano beautifully for my friend's wedding last month. She lives in a townhouse with a rabbit, a mini-sausage dog and she is having the perfect life! I'm sure they have been married for some time, probably more than 10 years as they have 2 kids in primary school.... but each time I witnessed, the silent look of love the husband gave her when he returned from work,. the hushed tones in which they converse, the way they gently touch each other, even holding hands and walking into service. Even while we were practising  the worship songs, he would not choose to hide upstairs in the 3-storey townhouse but sit at the rather uncomfortable dining table, doing his work on his laptop, all the while with a smile on his face as he listened to her play.

It is true love, I said to myself. And if I were her, I'd feel as though I'm the most blessed woman alive. My only wish would be for my husband to come home early, so that I can spend more time with him. A part of me still can't believe that I'm with Mr A... when I realise all over again that he's mine! Really! And a gush of warmth and happiness will flood my being. There's nothing on earth we can't talk about, which he attributes it to chemistry and I... I will leave it undefinable (or, indefinable, both are apt) that may be one reason why we will be able to... make it last, too, hopefully, very hopefully. And I'm quite certain that 10 years later, we will still be able to recreate this magical feeling...and can't wait to run back home to each other.

I've chanced upon some lovely wedding photos. I've seen some tacky photos - actually most wedding photos will be tacky if taken in a studio with costumes like feathers, frilly men suits, stuffy furniture and props... but these are really nice. I can't tear my eyes off them and to me, that's what makes a good photo.

==

Lovely photos... I also want an underwater photo! How can they open their eyes!

By people I've recently met, Bryan and Jean.

More at bryanjeanphotography.com

I want floating photos too! Can I have such perfect balloon photos like these?

By Jill Thomas. Her other non-wedding photos are also... great to stare at the whole day. http://jillsphotoblog.com/

Below, Caroline Tran.

http://www.carolinetran.net

Lovely, muted, sky and the perfect shade of pink below. 

Above, by Jessica Johnston.

http://www.jessica-johnston.com  

Below, Charley Star.

http://www.charleystar.typepad.com/

5 love songs for the band

It's Ms E's wedding in May and here are my live band song selections!

Enjoy, if you are in the mood for love... ...

1. Loving You (duet, Leona Lewis version)

2. Only You (Platters version)

3. L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole)

4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Aselin Debison version)

and my current favorite, 

5. My Heart Belongs to You (Hayley Westenra)

Will someone sing this at my wedding? Hee...

*Worship song "Counting on God/Desperation Band" is found on www.sunnydalecell.blogspot.com