Dedicate this post to dearest Ying, my friend of 13 years. She has just tied the knot this April! :D
My reason for blogging this so late is that I really wanna set aside time to pen down my share of happiness for her crystal clear. (Now I have the time cos I'm currently unemployed!)
Did post-processing for every photo; although definitely not at all prodigious as compared to her wedding photographs, but hope she will be touched by my effort! :D
My first time as a bridesmaid is like my maiden voyage; I was both enthusiastic and nervous. Enthusiastic because I was about to experience something I have never went through, and nervous because just like anybody's first expedition, I'm afraid that I might not be competent enough.
I was proudly nicknamed "Paparazzi" by one of the bridesmaids and u know why; I can't stop taking photos of the bride. Every bride has every right to be the most gorgeous, vivacious and inspiring on her wedding day, and I don't wanna miss any of that moments, especially when it's my friend we're talking about.
2 hours of sleep were what I got before I dressed myself in the bridesmaid dress, and walked with my younger bro to Ying's house (as Dad was worried for my safety since it was 4am in the morning). However, when we walked to the streets, we hailed a cab to her house though it was just few blocks away from mine, since I was wearing a pair of new, uncomfortable sandals and had problem walking at that time.
Bought myself a set of necklace, earrings and a ring, a pair of matching sandals and a yellow evening romper (the bride's favourite colour is yellow) just for her wedding. :D But I was so worn out from staying late at the hospital with Simba the night before (he was at that time hospitalised) that I woke up a little late the following morning and the plan of wearing all my accessories that I went shopping for completely slipped my mind. I just quickly gave my hair some design and briefly put on some makeup before rushing out of my house with my bro. I think most of the reason that I forgot to put on my accessories was that I spent time cracking my brain over how to wear the bridesmaid dress! It was definitely not inside out when I wore it to try it out the other day! The dress is a toga dress with a flap; it is so complicated that I got so confused fitting it in and pulling it out several times that I gave up and said, "God, if that's your plan, I will follow through it." LOL.
Of course, when I asked my bro if it looks okie since I knew somehow I wore it wrong, he said, "Oh it looks fine to me, don't worry too much."
And then it was wrong. I knew it when Miao laughed when she saw me. LOL. Eventually I got into Ying's room, tried again and again but all efforts were in vain, so Ying's friend Susan (who is wearing the exact same dress) had to help me with it. Lol.
Our first task of the day was to look at photos from her wedding photo shoot. Her outdoor shoot took place in Desaru and looking at her photos made me feel like packing my luggage and head there for a weekend getaway.
I remembered being incredibly touched when she first showed me some at the cafe near our workplace. They were so pretty and something that says "Omg, my close friend is gonna get married to the man she fell head over heels with since years ago!" struck my mind.
We waited till the photographers arrived that we start preparing for the gate crash.
When it was Miao's turn, the photographer grumbled that we were so unnatural and awkward when he asked us to take photos with his camera, and now using my camera, everyone looked so jubilant and sporting!
When the photographer asked Ying's mum to kiss her on the cheek. Ying looked so genuinely natural but her mum was rather shy. :D
It was soon time for the groom to pick up the bride. After the veil was put on by her mum, I caught her adjusting it.
Not much time left before the start of the gate crash... So since we were waiting, we took the chance to queue for a photo with the bride.
Ling's and Miao's dresses were actually convertible ones and the 2 girls took the liberty of designing their own style. :D
Their dresses were more yellowish than mine.
After all the photo taking sessions, we were told that the groom had arrived. By then we were all fired up and ready to ask for money!
... After about an hour of watching the men egged on to pass the trials we set for them, we headed over to the groom's house.
I boldly walked up to them with my camera, Ying got my hint and nudged her husband-to-be to look my way.
When he saw me, he exclaimed, "拍我要给钱的hor!" It was just too bad that his expression turned out to be this way. Lol. Result of not listening to his wife-to-be.
... Continuing on next post. :D
Prepared 酸甜苦辣。This is 辣 (spicy), of course.
Every best man gets his fair share of a pure Vodka shot. :D
With Vodka filled to 3/4 full in these shot cups, we were so looking forward to see that tormented look on the men's faces after they drank a shot or two. The shot cups were actually game pieces of a drinking "board game" that Ling and her bf bought for Miao's bf as a xmas gift.
Grapefruit and bitter gourd to represent 酸 and 苦 respectively.
The brothers dunno what they have gotten themselves into, but yeah they are in for a big treat!
Hui Min prodded us to blend the leftover slices of bitter gourd into bitter gourd juice. Lol.
The 甜 part was donuts with rainbow sprinkles. We hung them from the bamboo pole and instructed the guys to bite them off from the pole. It was just too bad that i didn't take photos of our art work but maybe Ying will send me the professional photos taken by her photographer soon.
Ying, an ardent fan of My Melody, made a My Melody themed vow card for her husband-to-be to read to her from outside her bedroom door, right before we allow him to open the door and kiss the bride.
(It was a very very touching moment when he read out the vows to her bedroom door. One of them goes like, "I promise to eat whatever you cook and not complain.")
Miao prepared some song lyrics that Ying has picked for the guys to sing and embarrass themselves. The wedding themed cup was a doorgift from Jialiang's wedding, and I brought it to put in lots for the best men to draw.
(During the gate crash, the guys picked 曹格's 世界唯一的你, and sang it so sorrowfully that it became hilarious!)
As we were impishly preparing for the customary gate crash, Ying was done with her hairdo and makeup. Here is the beautiful bride looking radiant and excited, and getting ready to wear her heels!
Her sis helped her with wearing them. Sisterly love.
All of us had been dying to take a pic with the bride!
I went first since Hui Min volunteered to hold my camera. :D
(I really looked like a guy in this photo with those man hands and broad shoulders, like Penny's from The Big Bang Theory. Lol.)
Then Ling seized the opportunity to hug her.
Susan was Ying's ex classmate at Kaplan, and here is one fun fact about her: she loves yellow too!
Hui Min, also Ying's ex classmate, but from our secondary school
She is one energetic, spontaneous girl!
Being a 5th time bridesmaid, she taught us a trick or two on how to proceed with a successful gate crash since the rest of us were all first timers. It was all her effort that we got fatter angbaos! And who says exceeding 3 times of being a bridesmaid is bad luck? She actually met her current boyfriend in one of the gate crashes and they fell in love!
He had no choice but to take candid shots of us posing for my camera since only then we exhibited naturalistic behaviour. LOL.
Yeah, the power of friendship!
Had to fade this photo of Ying and her sis, to subtract away the beam of orange light appearing on Ying. I greatly suspect that the source of the orange light was the photographer's camera. Arrgh.. But ya I shouldn't mind since his photos would represent the best of Ying's memories.
Some of her relatives came too. :)
My camera was set to auto, so it was with flash. A photo of Ying and Hui Min with flash.
Then I set it to without flash.
With some enhancement of the photo with flash, it realised it looks better, but the realisation came too late since the rest of the photos was set to without flash!
Their dresses were more yellowish than mine.
Really like this toga dress when I came across it at shoplabellavita, and Ying agreed that it is prettyyy. :D
Susan and Hui Min were wearing the same dress too.
Ying's sis chose her own dress which has the brightest yellow shade among us. I think it's just right for the occasion since she is the main bridesmaid who took great care of the bride.
We also took a polaroid together with the photographer's help.
Another pic with Hui Min when I was preparing the hula hoops.
After all the photo taking sessions, we were told that the groom had arrived. By then we were all fired up and ready to ask for money!
Some candids taken by Hui Min.
... After about an hour of watching the men egged on to pass the trials we set for them, we headed over to the groom's house.
The Tang Yuan practice was proceded for the couple to be blessed with children.
I boldly walked up to them with my camera, Ying got my hint and nudged her husband-to-be to look my way.
But he was talking to a friend while she smiled at me.
When he saw me, he exclaimed, "拍我要给钱的hor!" It was just too bad that his expression turned out to be this way. Lol. Result of not listening to his wife-to-be.
... Continuing on next post. :D
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