Darren and Jade Photography

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Memorable moments with Amanda and Greg in Penang , one of our favorite places to shoot! The rustic vibes of the island really just transports you to another most amazing world - and it was good times with these two, especially Greg who suddenly disappeared in the middle of day 2 of our morning shoot to grab a hot plate of that famous Penang char koay teow ...which we also made part of our shoot too!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Taking it back to the 19th century, Peranakan style, with Amanda and Greg! Loved how they wanted to do something totally different for their prewedding shoot, and how it was all so meaningful to them too because of Greg's heritage. It was fun exploring the mansion and seeing all the history and art behind all the pieces. Really like stepping back into another era!
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Not to mention, I've been going back to Penang almost every year since I was a little toddler, so I can't say enough about how much I enjoy it there!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

One more shot from our Peranakan shoot with Mandy in her oh so amazing outfit! Totally fit with the magical vibes of the place and definitely feel blessed to have had the chance to shoot with her and Greg! Missing the good times over in Penang already.

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

One of the things we love most about prewedding shoots is to have the chance to tell the stories of our couples, where they've been, where they're headed ‍, and their dreams . Sometimes it's just capturing in their element being together and just plain having fun somewhere they've always wanted to see.
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It was just so amazing to make a trip to Sumba with @elaineruimin and @gabrielnaa in what feels like just yesterday! Countless gorgeous sunrises and sunsets across the oh so stunning landscapes, so many laughs and meaningful moments, and infinite plates of mee goreng to sustain us through it all.

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Sun kissed vibes with Elaine and Gab out under the Sumbanese sunrise! Too much fun with these two during our week together exploring all over from east to west Sumba!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Such an adventure with Elaine and Gab chasing after herd of wild horses by the sea out in Sumba, never thought we'd ever see something as amazing as this! Sumbanese horses are almost pony sized in stature and super cute! Unfortunately we couldn't take one home back with us so these photos are the next best thing!
: @darrenandjade ️: @xinyi.atp @benny.atp

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

When life gives you snowflakes , make like an airplane and fly around in that snow! Bringing it back to that time last year when Jade and I went to visit the Sequoia Forest in California and got ambushed by a snowstorm!
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To be honest with yall, things haven't been easy since. She went back to Melbourne in Feb to visit her family and we were going to meet up there in April for some prewedding shoots then head back to Singapore together. BUTTT life sometimes had other plans ‍ as you all know and we've been apart ever since with no end in sight!
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So yeah it's been pretty tough as you can imagine (and I'm sure those of you who have been in LDRs can relate especially) with endless FaceTime but yeah we're staying strong and we'll make it through no matter how long it takes! Definitely appreciate all our family, friends, team and even our couples who have stuck by us and reached out to us with words of encouragement and support, and do all the little things that count, even if it's just checking in to say hi! You know who you are! Blessed to have all the friendships that we do, and times like this really show you who cares. Feeling loved and appreciative.

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

So...amazing news...we've been blessed with a baby boy who's going to be popping out in December! We're super excited and can't believe it's actually happening! One of those life moments where you don't know how it's gonna feel until you actually experience it! Feels unreal to actually be sharing this but Jade and I are veryyyy excited and can't wait to be awesome parents ‍‍ and see him grow before our eyes!
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That makes it all that much harder for us to be apart for so long (at least another 6 months!) but here's hoping I'll be able to head over to Melb and be there for when he arrives!
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Currently we're preparing everything (thinking of a name especially haha ) and buying heaps of baby stuff. And of course we are super thankful to all our family and friends who are helping out and have been so encouraging with advice and prayers! Looking forward to an awesome rest of the year and an even more amazing one next year!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Feeling grateful for everything around me more than ever today!
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It seems like everyone has been asking us oh how’s the business going? The answer is just like for the entire wedding industry, things are so much slower than last year what with all the measures being taken with the current situation (and understandably so) - no large festive gatherings, which is what weddings are all about - and having solemnisations in the meantime! But things recently have been really looking up and it's been so much busier lately!
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If I can be completely honest with you though, over the past nearly half year now, it hasn’t been the easiest of times trying to stay in good spirits given the state of the world today and hearing about all the difficulties our couples are going through what with with rescheduling their special days and trying to make their wedding just happen! Our hearts go out to them and we only wish we could make things better and can’t wait for things to get back to normal!
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That said it’s also been good to have this time ⌚️ for reflection and to take a step back and think about what really matters, what’s important, and reassess how we do things. We’re grateful for our team which has stuck together - and only gotten closer - over the past nearly half year now. It’s been comforting to not have to go through it alone , and really be there for each other. We’re grateful for our family and friends who have been nothing but supportive and have tried to help out in every way possible. And we’re grateful that we still get the chance to do what we love to do and look forward to all of our upcoming shoots. These strange times have made us appreciate shooting more than ever, and getting back into the rhythm of capturing weddings again, and living in the moment of all the joy and happiness that comes with them, has just been the most special thing!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

"You might have colon cancer, like Chadwick Boseman," the doctor told me a week ago. I literally couldn't believe what I was hearing. After going through $10,000 in fees, 4 doctors - 2 GPs, an orthopedics surgeon, and a general surgeon, and soooo many tests, including 2 MRIs and X-rays, everyone was trying to figure out where my back / abdominal pain was coming from, which had started out of nowhere a week before, and it had came down to this. Even walking was painful, and daily life was getting harder to do.
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I can't tell you how down I felt when I was heard those few words. So many thoughts were going through my head. How am I going to be there for my wife, my unborn son, and my family? How much time do I have left, and what things do I still need to get done before it's all over? My perspective on life changed instantly - you suddenly realize how blessed you are to even be alive, and how much you want to savor every moment you have left. and how it can all be taken away from you so quickly just like that.
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So I went through 5 days from that point until a final test which showed that, in fact it was not colon cancer! Instead, I had an intestinal cramp, and I was then put on the right medicines (finally!) and have started to get back to normal, and feel so much better. I really thank God that everything came out clear, and even though I try to feel grateful and appreciate everyone and everything around me every day, this has really taken my appreciation for life and everything it offers - from my family, my friends, my team, and my photography, to a whole new level. I can't tell you how much it meant to have had the support of my friends and family through such a difficult time.
For every day and every moment you have, make sure you let your loved ones know just how much you love them!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

First off, just wanted to thank you all so much for your overwhelming support of my medical diagnosis. I've spent the past week catching up with so many of you and truly enjoying our conversations and enjoying messaging you all back. You guys have been so amazing as always! Much love!
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Just to update you all, @jadeyaumakeup is now in her 3rd trimester and doing amazing! As you all know, she's stranded over in Melbourne because of the ongoing situation and in pretty hardcore lockdown with curfews and 5km from house distance requirements but she is otherwise doing well and our baby boy is coming along super healthy and fantastic, thank God!
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On the downside it's looking increasingly unlikely that I'll be able to go back for the birth of our boy in December because of no vaccine being available and I want to minimize risk to him by keeping Jade's social circle as small as possible! It's such a bummer but there isn't much anyone can do and we are slowly coming to grips with the reality of the situation. Such a major life event that I was really looking forward to. But we'll still hold out hope that a miracle happens Greater things have happened and we continue to just have faith that everything will work out one way or another! Not even sure when we'll all be reunited again together as family! But we are keeping our heads up and staying positive through it all, there is still so much to be happy and grateful for in this life! You just have to take it step by step and appreciate what you do have and keep smiling!
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Here's something that does make me smile, one of my favorite pics of Jade I've ever shot, not long after we got married, and longggg before we shot weddings , at the Landmark Bridge in Frankston that spans over the Kananook Creek in Melbourne ! ('Kananook' it just sounds so right ) Reminds me of what we're here for and to keep fighting through all of life's challenges together!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

There we were 8 years ago, on the always vibrant and colorful Brighton Beach in our matchy matchy outfits on a chilly April evening, setting up our tripod and fiddling around with our camera settings for over an hour til the sun set, trying to get things just right for the picture that we'd end up using for our wedding invitation! I remember how we constantly kept running between various spots in front of so many beach houses, setting the camera timer to click after we got into our pose, and checking the screen to see if the pictures came out any good! We just loved making photos and the challenge of trying get that WOW shot, and so much of our time together was spent loving photography and all the fun and creativity that came with it! (And so yeah when we got this ONE shot, you can imagine us jumping around so excitedly along the beach marveling at it hahaha - it's still one of our favorites to this day )!
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As we got asked to take more and more pictures of our friends and other couples, things progressed to where we were shooting weddings, and we realized that we loved to take pictures of people who were in love, just like us! There's nothing that really quite captures the joy and happiness that comes with a wedding day, and it's such a rush to be able to capture all of it on our cameras!
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We had no idea that we'd be here, 8 years later , blessed to do exactly what we loved to do when we were dating, and with such an awesome team (@juan.atp, @xinyi.atp, @kenny.atp, @benny.atp - you guys rock!), and so many awesome couples to shoot! It wasn't all easy though...there were times along the way when we weren't sure if it would ever work out at all! But God has been so good to us us and watched over us every step! It's taken so much hard work, prayer, and faith! We hope that through our story and photos and videos, you too will pursue dreams and what you love to do too!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// TEAMPRECIATION // Celebrating our year end early with @benny.atp, @juan.atp, @xinyi.atp, and @kenny.atp! Took this shot after our crazy amazing tasting menu dinner at @spagosingapore! - missing Jade and Royal in this picture of course! (If you're curious, have a peek at our dinner highlights saved in our IG under '2020 Party'!) And of course occupational hazard steps in so post meal we decided to scope out that Apple store and take a lil groupfie with Benny's exceptional light painting skillz on display!
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Jade and I have found so much joy and fulfillment in working with our team and wouldn't have it any other way. There's been nothing quite like working together as a team to create memorable wedding imagery for our couples that last a lifetime. We feel so blessed to be able to shoot and use these gifts we've been given to help others capture their wedding days. This year in particular looking back during the period of time when we weren't able to shoot because of the situation, really puts things in perspective to not take things for granted either!
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Looking forward to an amazing 2021 with these peeps. Juan, Kenny, Benny, and Xinyi, thanks for being such a blessing in our lives!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// LETTING IT ALL JUST GO // Loved this moment with Jia Qi and Yang who came all the way from Adelaide to rock out here in Singapore for their wedding day! After an entire day running around with their bridal party snapping pictures from the early morning til night (SO much fun), they treated us to one amazing dance before the entire Conrad Pavilion turned into one swaggy dance floor and we were all at it thru the early AM!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// IT'S WORTH STICKING AROUND // after the wedding, because you never know what you might happen! We'd just finished shooting with Cheryl and Harvard - and we'll always remember their special day - their families have got to be one of the most enthusiastic we've ever come across in all our years of capturing weddings , when we caught ourselves looking out over the Singapore River thinking, wouldn't it be really nice to wrap up their wedding album with a shot right here, amongst all the shimmering lights reflecting off thew water?

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// THE BOATCRASHING // with Jamie and Howard was up on the deck of this massive floating mansion replete with gorgeous finger nail painting, mouth to mouth food sharing, and pushups to exhaustion! All fun and games, and the best part is our groom didn't have to do anything (except laugh at his buddies)

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// AND THAT’S A WRAP // finishing up the morning with a sweet bridal party shoot and...breakfast on the boat! Such an amazing couple and a fun bridal party to make it all happen! Loved every single moment with these peeps! and glad we didn't have to ‍‍ this

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// MADE IT BACK IN TIME // for these maternity shoots - and we ended up doing 5 of them! One thing I didn't think about when we were planning out the return for the birth of our baby, was how incredible it would be to take these pictures. So many things were on our mind aside from taking pictures - from setting up everything and choosing a name for our baby, going over the birth plan together, figuring out how to obtain travel exemptions / navigate travel restrictions and the whole quarantine process, talking about how we would do parenting, to planning out how work would go with me not being in Singapore - that maternity pictures never really played a prominent part in our thought process at all.⁠⠀
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But once I'd settled into Melbourne - finally - and we had some time together, we figured, let's do some shoots and make the most of this before our baby pops out, because we'll never get the chance to do this again! So we went all out and maxed out our time and I have to say, we were blessed with the most incredible weather for these pictures. And having been away for nearly the entire 9 months of pregnancy, I feel so appreciative we were able to capture these last moments of Jade's child-bearing days, it truly is such a special thing to have that we'll always cherish forever! I went into this year wanting to capture more of my personal life on photos and videos, and in a year full of craziness, this has to be one of the highlights of it all! Here's some pictures from Karkarook Park, one of our favorite places to kick back and relax - it has such beautiful water and lush greenery everywhere!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// SO MANY THINGS HAD TO HAPPEN // to make all this possible! While I was writing up in my journal the other morning, I realized the million and one things that had to happen for us to be together again which I'll share below. And I'd be lying if I said it was all easy - it was such an emotional and mental rollercoaster that I hope none of you have to ever go through.
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-THE LIST-
1) SG Airlines opened up a new flight to Melb from SG - flights at the time were going for $6k return and when Jade sent me the link I managed to get the last seat on the last flight for $2.8k return!⠀
2) Aus increased the international weekly cap in Oct (you can get a notification your flight will not take off if you are not under the cap, which I was super worried about)!⁠⠀
3) Getting approvals for a travel visa and special exemption to enter Australia
4) Having enough time to go back thru Feb - essential as there could be max 4 weeks of quarantine
5) Financial support to take 2.5 months off and cover the costs of quarantine ($3k) and the flights ($2.8k) and not earning for so long.⁠⠀
6) Passing 2 COVID tests while in quarantine in Sydney, knowing how infectious the virus is - which would have possibly made me miss Nate's birth, one of the best moments of my life!⠀
7) Victoria's reduction in COVID cases and easing of restrictions which let us feel more comfortable for me to fly here.⁠⠀
8) Nate waiting to pop out only after we had a bunch of maternity shoots, instead of arriving before my arrival!⁠⠀
Looking back at my last post on 9/27, I said it was so unlikely I would get to be here, but that we would pray for a miracle to happen. And it did! For us this just showed us God's love and power and how He just literally moved mountains to make this all happen. More than ever we feel blessed and so grateful to have His presence in our lives!⁠ Literally way too many things fell in to place for this all to be coincidence!⁠⠀
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One last thing - we had to shoot at the Brighton Bathing Boxes again! It's such a special place for us as we were there for our prewedding, wedding day, and now maternity shoot! Love the colors there and how fun it to make pictures in this rainbow!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// TOTAL APPRECIATION FOR MOTHERS // I've always 100000% appreciated how my mom raised me and always loved her for all the little (and big) things she's ever done for me. But after seeing what Jade went through carrying Nathaniel for the past 9 months , and witnessing the entire birth process up close and personal (sooo painful anddd she did it with no epidural ), and seeing all the care and devotion she puts into our child to make sure everything is just perfect, I now totallyyyy appreciate on a whole entire different level all the hard work that moms have to go through to bear and raise a child. ⁠It's amazing how they go countless entire nights barely sleeping so they can feed their child, and have the patience and love to put up with the difficult moments babies put them through while being sleep deprived (though from what I hear I was an easy to take care of baby who slept a lot) ⁠⠀
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Experiencing a mother's love and all the things they do for us (which I'm sure many of you can relate to) and their children is truly one of a kind! Just had to share this, it was such a big thing on my mind recently as I witnessed Jade's transformation to being a mother and was just feeling so grateful to have such an amazing life partner to raise Nathaniel with!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

// WE'RE ON A BOAT // with Jamie and Howard for this gatecrash that came together just a few weeks before the wedding , we had no idea this was coming but were more than happy to hop aboard and see what it's like to shoot on one! Basically, amazing! ⁠
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The cabins and deck were so spacious and luxuriously outfitted, and the morning was spectacular with a blazing sunrise! Not to mention, the crew was so helpful too and more than happy to show us around! Everyone had a complete blast on the boat and the party atmosphere was alive and well!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

2020 Lookback // @xinyi.atp / @intoxincant // Here’s a mini compilation of some of this year’s weddings I was part of - we are so thankful for the joyful and tear jerking moments you’ve had us along for! I love capturing the exciting quiet moments in the morning as you prep yourselves for the day ahead, the little looks you exchange to each other after you fetch your beautiful bride, the first expression and feelings that come with you seeing your beautiful partner in a gorgeous gown walking down the aisle, your nervous partner waiting at the front of the aisle, your parents crying or laughing with tears of joy and pride, your sister cheering you on during your march-in/speech, and all the roller-coaster feelings from everyone at your wedding!
- xoxo Xinyi

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

2020 Lookback // @benny.atp / @bennytgh // This has been a tough year but things are finally getting better! I'm grateful to have been given the opportunty to shoot this year with some amazing couples particularly given how much we've all been through - which makes it that much more special and meaningful to me! It's brought me a lot of joy to document these special moments and I'm excited for next year to devote myself to work and better my craft!
- Benny

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

2020 Lookback // @juan.atp / @juanchan // 2020 was surely challenging for many of us but despite it all we had hope...and hope like God, is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. I am thankful to all my couples who allowed me to capture their beautiful beginnings which undoubted gives hope to a bright and wondrous future!
- Juan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

2020 Lookback // @kenny.atp / kenny.choe // Looking back through this year, I'd like to thank God for blessing me with so many awesome couples to work with! One couple I really enjoyed shooting with in particular was Darren and Vivian - They both work at SEA aquarium and I was honoured to capture them in their element there, at one of the best pre-wedding locations in all of Singapore. I feel it's so important for a couple to trust me with their wedding images, especially when it comes to exploring new locations and ways to shoot, and they definitely did that. We were able to create some memorable images and have such a great experience together! Wishing them both all the best for married life ahead, and looking forward to a great year in 2021!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

2020 Lookback // @benny.atp / @bennytgh // This has been a tough year but things are finally getting better! I'm grateful to have been given the opportunty to shoot this year with some amazing couples particularly given how much we've all been through - which makes it that much more special and meaningful to me! It's brought me a lot of joy to document these special moments and I'm excited for next year to devote myself to work and better my craft!
- Benny

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Last year was such a whirlwind that thankfully ended in the best way - introducing everyone to the latest blessing to the Darren and Jade family, our little buddy Nathaniel! He's one of the most magical things that could have ever happened to us, to experience the bond between parent and child, and the unconditional love that comes with it. Looking at his little angelic smiles every day, and the little bundle of warmth that he is when he falls asleep on your shoulder, has brought us so much incredible joy. We feel truly blessed to have gone through his birth and first month together, which to this day we can never forget, almost didn't happen! We're looking forward to all of us returning together to Singapore hopefully next month, and reuniting with our family, friends, our team, and Royal too! As always, thank you so much everyone for all your love and support, and we hope to catch up with you soon!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Grateful for this 9th anniversary we get to spend with our beautiful son Nathaniel (and our Frenchie Royal)! ⁠
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Never imagined when we first met that life would turn out as great as it has; God's plans for us through our journey have been everything we could have dreamed of and more. ⁠
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Never imagined when we first met that we'd start @darrenandjade together and document so many amazing weddings over the years, and laugh and cry with our couples through all their special moments. ⁠
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It's been one magical journey and we're looking forward to many more years together!⁠
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: @intoxincant / @xinyi.dnj

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

Amazing times out in Pulau Ubin with Merrilyn and Zongren! Sweet island vibes and epic lush landscapes! ⁠
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: @lindalino.makeup
: @xinyi.dnj / @intoxincant

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

One more magical frame from our prewed shoot out in beautiful Pulau Ubin with Merrilyn and Zongren! ⁠
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: @lindalino.makeup⁠
: @xinyi.dnj / @intoxincant

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + I⁠ ⁠
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: @juan.dnj / @juanchan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + I⁠ ⁠
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: @juan.dnj / @juanchan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + I⁠ ⁠
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: @juan.dnj / @juanchan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

K + J ⁠
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It was my very first time covering a Japanese styled wedding and K + J absolutely nailed every single aspect of it. K told us an interesting fact that the entire wedding outfit including the 白むく can easily weigh over 10kg!⁠
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: @kael.dnj / @lkael_

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

K + J ⁠
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It was my very first time covering a Japanese styled wedding and K + J absolutely nailed every single aspect of it. K told us an interesting fact that the entire wedding outfit including the 白むく can easily weigh over 10kg!⁠
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: @kael.dnj / @lkael_

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

K + J ⁠
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It was my very first time covering a Japanese styled wedding and K + J absolutely nailed every single aspect of it. K told us an interesting fact that the entire wedding outfit including the 白むく can easily weigh over 10kg!⁠
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: @kael.dnj / @lkael_

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + B ‍⁠
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: @benny.dnj / @bennytgh

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + B ⁠
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: @benny.dnj / @bennytgh

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + B ⁠
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: @benny.dnj / @bennytgh

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

A little rain ⛈couldn't stop J + T from having a little fun during their shoot! ‍

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + T + all these vibrant colors

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

The most fun times with J + T at the Peranakan houses. Loved the colors and vibes, and most of all these two!

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

O + W + that amazing bridal party ⁠
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: @kenny.dnj / @kenny.choe

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

O + W ⁠
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: @kenny.dnj / @kenny.choe⁠
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#bride #bridal #lovestory #weddinggown #weddingday #bridetobe #instabride #weddinginspiration #loveauthentic #thedailywedding #herworldbrides #muchlove_ig #oncewed #sgweddingguide #weddingday #sgcouple #sgbrides #thebridestory #singaporebrides #sgweddingphotographer #preweddingshoot #sgprewedding #weddingsg #singaporebridesweddings #singaporebridesweddings

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

O + W ‍‍⁠
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: @kenny.dnj / @kenny.choe

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + I ⁠
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: @juan.dnj / @juanchan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + I ⁠
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: @juan.dnj / @juanchan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + I ⁠
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: @juan.dnj / @juanchan

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + F ⁠
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: @benny.dnj / @bennytgh

 

[Darren and Jade Photography]

J + F ⁠
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: @benny.dnj / @bennytgh