Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie

I always take snapshots of our partners during the bridal fairs that we co-organise, with this I mean vendors who are part of the weddingsmalaysia family. For me, it is a record of sorts. A record of those of us who partcipated in a successful event. An event that we all enjoyed being a part of.

Yesterday was no different at Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie's wedding fair. This is the 2nd year running we've worked together with Emily and her team and the hard work paid off handsomely with a good turnout of quality couples.

Some industry colleagues have commented on photos that I've put up on Facebook. I am no professional but I gather some are pretty ok. I guess one does learn a thing or two when hanging out with photographers every now and then.

Here I am with photographers Joshua, Ke Wynn and Paul.

New Market

It is always exciting taking a new path in one's business venture. Ke Wynn of Whizarts Wedding Photography has taken such a step. Although offering wedding photography services nationwide and throughout the region, Whizarts is based in Penang and recently fulfilled an aspiration of setting up a boutique studio.

Housing photography, stationery, gowns, cakes and favours under one roof at Whizarts Wedding Photography Boutique Studio, it aims to offer soon-to-be-wed couples an all encompassing experience in sourcing for vendors. That Special Occasion is privileged to have been invited to be part of this grouping in Penang.

Apart from opening up a new market for our wedding gowns, it also gives us an opportunity to get to know our Penang-based industry colleagues better. Encouraging one another, taking the leap-of-faith together, sharing knowledge and exchanging ideas, I believe these are what great partnerships are made of.

Photo of the entrance of Whizarts Wedding Photography Boutique Studio in Penang, Malaysia.

Venturing To Penang

A capsule collection of That Special Occasion wedding gowns is now available in Penang, either for rent or purchase at the spanking new Whizarts Wedding Photography Boutique Studio in Taman Permai. It is always a challenge delivering a service outside the Klang Valley where That Special Occasion is based, but with collaborative partners such as Ke Wynn and Alishia in Penang, we are confident that such a venture can be a success. We also take heart from the fact that we can draw from our experience in Kota Kinabalu where we have worked in a similar fashion with Louis Pang Studio for a number of years.

We have many good friends and industry colleagues in Penang and it was a pleasure to catch up with them at the official launch of Whizarts' new entrepreneurial endeavour yesterday. It is through their support that we hope to achieve some level of success there.

One thing is for sure, we will approach this venture with much gusto, putting our best foot forward as always.

Photo shot at Whizarts Wedding Photography Boutique Studio in Penang, Malaysia.

Taking Time Out

I was just looking at some holiday photos in Phuket that Jason of Floralsense Creation put up on Facebook and it brought back not too distant memories of the trip that I took there with my colleagues in March earlier this year. We make it a point to go somewhere together every year; Bali last year, Siem Reap the year before, Penang before that and our very first company trip to Haadyai prior to that. Trips such as these are not easy to plan as there are various personalities and characters to cater to, not to mention the diverse interests that each one has. Nevertheless, they are always worthwhile as it offers an opportunity for us to bond and let our hair down after a year's worth of ranting, usually by me!

But getting back to my point about Jason's photos and Ke Wynn of Whizarts' comment about him needing a holiday, I am a firm believer of taking time out every once in a while ... heck we deserve it! Folks outside our industry tend to think that what we do for a living must be a blissful occupation to be in. That couldn't be further from the truth, as most of my friends in the wedding circle will attest to. We face the same pressures, challenges, frustrations, difficult clients, just like in any other service industry. But along with it also come the good things that make our work so enjoyable. I try not to take for granted the pleasant experiences and the decent people that I come into contact with, and this disposition is what keeps me motivated.

As for holidays, whether it is a 2-week sojourn or a weekend getaway, it pays to be appreciative of such jaunts. We often come back revitalised and reinvigorated, ready to tackle the next wedding. And when we do a good job, well, there's money for more trips to come then! I, on my part, am very much looking forward to 2 trips in August ... but more on that in my next post ........

Photo entitled 'Calm Waters' shot by my sister Suk Harn at Puget Sound, Seattle.