Of Love

It’s almost rhetoric to use the word ‘love’ in the same sentence with ‘weddings’. Each has its own story to tell. My role is to tell the story of the celebration of their love, but it can never be adequate enough to narrate the entire story behind it.

June and Enzio is one of the nicest couples I’ve met. Perhaps it helps that June’s sister was a bridesmaid at a wedding I’ve photographed (thanks for the referral Lee Ying!). Perhaps it helps that June is into photography herself, so a common interest kinds of brings us closer together.

Even though I try to get to know each bridal couple before the wedding, I can never seem to know them enough to really experience the full signifiance of their stories.  Until June’s big day, Lee Ying was a ‘sister of a bride’.  In June’s room photographing her preparation during the wedding day, I saw a photograph of her framed at the dressing table which I took in that wedding in which she was a bridesmaid.  I swelled with pride and turned mushy inside, even though I didn’t show it.  I gave a quick and silent thanks for the immense privilege given to me by my job. I can’t quite explain the pride I felt – but seeing one of the shots I took displayed in a way I didn’t expect is almost seeing an award I’ve won but never knew I did displayed on a shelf.

Throughout the day, Lee Ying buzzed around June and popped by almost whenever June needed something, I could almost swear that it seemed telepathic.  During the day, the sisters exchanged one single hug. One speechless hug that both of them teary-eyed.

The speech in the evening was a really simple one.  June gave thanks to her dad, who’s no longer around; her mum, her sis. Choking each time she thanked each of her family. Both mum and sis were already in tears. There was no melodramatic story-telling. No reminiscence of the past. Nothing.  Enzio’s speech was not much different. And when he thanked his wife for marrying him, he had great difficulty in holding back his tears.

I had to blink away my own tears and remind myself to be focused on the shoot.  Once more, I gave thanks for my job to be able to witness such a beautiful scene.  I was overwhelemd by the love between June, Lee Ying and their mum. I could feel the contradictory emotions, of being so happy beyond words for June, and yet couldn’t bear to ‘leave’ her. I could feel how much all these means for Enzio, how much all this means for June to marry him.

Before I get carried away even further for being a romanticizing fool, I’d just share a few quick pictures I took for their wedding.