About the Engagement (II): Some Technical Facts

I started feeling that it will be a long journey before I can actually finish writing everything that I want to write about the engagement. At the same time, I am feeling the pressure of writing as the preparation for the wedding reception in September is now taking place.

I didn't organize every bit of the engagement reception on my own, and the entire event was a final presentation of many people's professional assistance.

It is not a commercial entry, but I do owe a big thank you to the professionals who were involved in the organization and preparation. At the very early stage of the preparation, I resisted some nuptial conventions that have been commercialized and over-emphasized in the last few decades.

However, in the end, I followed some of the 'chessy' fashions. (The term 'chessy' reflects nothing but my snobbery, I confess.)

Although I still feel quite ambivalent about the significance of these nuptial fashions, it is undeniable that we have been enjoying the beautiful and good memory that they have created for us since then.

First, wedding portraits.
The idea of taking portraits to commemorate marriage sounds simply exhausting to a couple like us who normally lack energy in everything. Although I dread the thought of posing for hundreds of shots as newly-weds normally do in Taiwan, I still fancy portraits like those of my parents and grandparents.

One good photo will do, black and white, serious looking but sweet, coy bride and nervous groom, I think.

I made the decision about which salon to go, as K's physical absence conveniently excused him of the duty. We choose to do only 6 photos, which, however, cost us as much as a normal 30-photo package. The wedding gown that my mom picked up for me was magnificent, at least we thought so. The shooting went smooth but was really exhausting. I ended up indulging myself in a 12-hour deep sleep. It was thought to be rather fortunate that there were not another 24 shots to go in the end of the day.

The photos were done in Wernar Wedding in Taichung. I don't have much to comment since I didn't really compare its price and service with other salons. We like the photos (taken by Mr. Chou, lighting by Margo, makeup by Nicole, costume assistance Enes, sales manager Ms Ya-chi Chen) and so do our families and friends. However, sometimes I wonder if it's because I appeared to be rather detached so that the assistants were also very detached from me. Or, perhaps I just need to say honestly that I hope the environment had been more friendly and relaxing.

Second, reception day photos.
I think it was a correct decision to hire a cameraman for the reception. The photos were mirrors of every moment that we shared with all of the guests. I believe the albums (see either my flickr or Mosaic 馬賽克) will be reviewed over and over again, and the pleasure of it will never be exhausted. Mark Wang （馬克）, who is running the salon of Mosaic, is our photographer for the day. In addition to the photographer's perspectives that I have appreciated in his work, he is very friendly and attentive to details. Most impressive of all he is very quick in responding queries and doubts that a busy and anxious bride like me would have. (All the photos in this entry are Mark's snaps.)

Third, venue decoration.
The idea to have the reception venue decorated did not come to me until a close friend of my parents offered this help. Ms Shen and her team at Star Wedding Studio （星辰(Star)會場佈置）created a romantic corner in the venue. Ms Shen was patient enough to visit the venue several times beforehand and to talk with me about their blueprint. At first, I resisted the glamour and extravagance of their design, which might contradict the small and quiet reception that I was expecting. However, their ideas were carried out beautifully, and the corner turned into a quiet gallery where guests would visit and taste the joy of the engagement.





Fourth, venue.
We had our reception in Freshfields Resort and Conference in Taichung. It was a beautiful place that promises a panoramic view of Taichung county. The orchestration of the event was quite eventful, but it was a good day in the end.