Some other Interesting Wedding Moments.

No wedding can run perfectly without a glitch, but a perfect wedding can be made up of seemingly imperfect moments. I am sure this story will be remembered and retold years down the road.

Most guys are clueless about flowers and won't be able to differentiate the difference between daisies and daffodils. And Lavender is nothing more than an MRT station. This groom came in with a huge bouquet of roses meant for the car decor. The look on the bride's face when she first saw it was priceless.

When she eventually got her hands on the real bouquet, she was ecstatic.

This is a shot of the groom popping the champaign with the banquet manager. Some people consider it "boo boos" but I think these are moments that make each wedding unique.

True love's kiss?????

This is a common game the brothers will have to go through to get the bride. In this rendition, grapes were used. The groom with his band of brothers were suppose to pass the grape to each other using their mouth... only.

I have to commend this two brothers for the commitment and passion they put into completing the task. This "kiss" is more compelling and convincing than some of the couples I took over the years.

Chris and Kelli is a truly joyous couple. With their constant smiles and antics, this couple is serious about enjoying the most importantly day of their lives yet.

Sincerely yours

One thing, I am constantly thankful to God for, is to be blessed with great clients. Well at least most of the time. Though we met up only twice prior to the wedding. I felt really happy on their special day. It is especially so when couples include us in their thank you speech. It just compels us to go that extra step.

Dreaded dinner conversations?
Wedding dinner conversation is really an art, especially with people you don't really know. We were privileged enough to be invited to the dinner table with some of the friends of the bride and groom. Whether to allocate seats for the photographer is an age old question. There are even threads written about it. I know of associates who would decline it and others would demand it. Personally, I see it as a relational indication. Food is often extended across culture as a sign of hospitality. And though we do now oblige the client to do so, we will not decline either. But looking at the photographer and videographer sitting at the reception table at the wedding just next to our ballroom, I can't help but be thankful that we have clients who are concerned about our welfare, that translates to a better work environment, and better work!

Beauty and the geek.

I was at PC show the whole afternoon, thinking there will be absolutely nothing blog worthy... till the Sony technology showcase cum catwalk. There is something about a beautiful lady holding on to a piece of gadget that makes it all the more desirable.
You see a whole lot of guys ranging from young punks to cheekopek uncles, whipping out their big guns or compact shooters having a legit time ogling. On this side, I wonder if they notice the products at all, and over at the other end, I bet 90% of these models don't even know how to function them other then turning them on!

I can imagine them saying "erm I dun really like knoe what it does, but the colour really matches my nails. I lix to thanks sony for making my life so easy!

by the way I took these with my camera phone, purely to illustrate my point:)

SOME PIG!

Ibu Oka serves the most famous Babi Guling in the whole of Bali. Even Anthony Bourdain rated this as the best roast pig he ever tasted. Though I visited Bali well over 10 times, I never manage to try this humble establishment. It opens at 11.30 and will be sold out in about 2 hours.

First bite: An explosion of flavour,
Aftertaste: Aromatically spiced with slight tingle of chili.
After thoughts: I will eat this again.. and again... heavenly. Though expectedly well glazed (oily), I didn't feel I didn't grow tired of it. But I moderated myself to leave with a longing rather then overeating. Unless you are religiously restrained, you will be silly not to try this. REALLY!

morning by the pool

This is a beautiful morning. Soaking in the pool enjoying the ocean view is something I can do all day long. I am relaxing for a short while before diving back to my usual workload all too soon.

AMANKILA

Amankila is one of the most exclusive resort in this region. http://www.amanresorts.com/home.aspx?id=296

This is the room and the patio outside overlooking the ocean. Room is great but it's got NO TV!!! Guess it's more suitable for the honeymooners who needs nothing else to do other than each other.

They have the Bose sounddock http://www.bose.com/controller?event=view_product_page_event&product=sounddock_multimedia_index
They even provide an ipod with very nice selection of ambient music!
If you are keen to read about the ipod classic you can find it here: http://www.apple.com/ipodclassic/
You can also find the information about the state of the art frangipani at www.whatisfrangipani.com. Yup that is not a real link :)

Sunrise in Amankila

The Wedding.. (very popular date) 070608

The day of the wedding came and gone. The ceremony was held at Ayana Villa, which is the newest wedding pavilion in Ritz. I covered another wedding at the exact location 3 years back and it was nothing like this. They did a great job with the new villa, combining Balinese charm with modern amenities. I have to give it a 7 star rating. Remote control lights, Bose system, giant plasma, a beautiful rain shower, and rooms to die for. Classy.


The wedding officiator's Balinese accent was a little too strong, we were trying to figure out what is it that he was trying to say at some point of the ceremony.

The wedding dinner ended with a big bang which has become a Bali ritual for us. The only time we Lion city dwellers get to do this is to get married on the 9th of August or 31st Of Dec, or during the fireworks festival perhaps.

This HK couple, are friends of Gordon & Catherine whom we covered last year in Bali as well. Catherine is one of kind, she is the kind of person who lights up the room on entrance. Gordon is a little like me, very demanding, but very warm as well :)

The outdoor

Kenneth and Anna is a great combination. Having been together for 7 years, they have decided to get hitched in Bali. We had the outdoor shoot the day before the wedding. Which ended at black sand beach where the sand is naturally black? (don't ask me why)

At the end of this pier is an area for dining for the privileged few. It has seating for one couple and where they are served with fine cuisine whilst enjoying the gorgeous sunset with live Balinese music. It was rated as the 5th most romantic place to dine some years back. I am not sure if it still is, but at 500USD, one should assume it is.

Another trip to Bali where it all began...

I have been taking wedding in Bali since 2003 actually. This trip brings me back to where my first official overseas assignment was, Ritz Carlton Bali. I remember that wedding like it was yesterday. Jake and Patrina who now has a lovely baby girl, flew me over to cover their wedding, when I was but a newbie in the industry. I really want to thank them for giving me a chance to spread my wings. Thank you Jake & Patrina, you got us to where we are today, even if it’s an ongoing journey, you brought us closer to where we will be.

This is my favorite breakfast in all of Bali. Ritz has a great spread but somehow it just doesn’t have that wow factor for me anymore. Well, either the standard has dropped considerably or I have acquired a more exquisite taste bud, I would like to see it as the later.

New extended food area in Bugis Junction

I don't know how they do it, but they added like 10 new food kiosk at the basement of bugis Junction.... I already had lunch, so look out for my stall to stall review in coming weeks. So far.. I tried the giogio Prata cheese sausage that is obvious a rip off from gogo. Being a fan of gogo, this is really very mediocre I wasn't sure if I was really eating cheese sausage. Any sausage that doesn't squirt is a useless one.

Sparkling!

If you read the Interlude blog... the Stylo Restaurant... this is where my interest in sparkling water sparked...

They place this bundle of 6 sparkling bottled water at the promotional stack... 6 for 14.70! Woow being a typical Singaporean bargain hunter, I wanted to grab it.. even if it means saving 20cents per bottle, also wu hua. And I was so typical that I wanted to calculate how much I will save. One bottle is $2.45. You do the math....

You are right... This carrefour marketing people have it all figured out, the illusion of value in quantity!!! Wow if i buy one this is what i pay.. buy 2.. i save zero cents, buy 100.. woow that is 100 x 0 cents.. = I save absolutely nothing.... such great value!