Tea Time Conversations About Our Pre-Wedding Photos

One cozy afternoon, while I was drinking my cup of tea, a sweet and simple idea came about. I scribbled it down on my journal and felt excited and amused at the thought. 

Before I could pursue the idea that was still brewing in my head, I asked my fiancé, Alex, if he was on board with it. He smiled at me and asked: "I thought you wanted it to be private until the big day?". He was so thoughtful to have remembered what I said many weeks ago. 

Then, I replied "Yes, although, now I'm thinking how beautiful it would be to share some light-hearted updates to our readers. I feel that there are too much anxiety and worries around most of us so I thought of this idea. What do you think?", I took a sip of my cup of warm, calming pure peppermint tea, as I waited for his reply. 

I looked at him with puppy dog eyes. He laughed and said, "Sure, let's do that!". It made my heart skip a little, in a good way of course!

Without any frills, I opened the folder, giggling like a little girl, ready to browse through the photos. So, here we are. The idea in my mind was to share with you an intimate preview of some of our pre-wedding photos. This is actually a big step for us. 

We never really fancied the idea of broadcasting our wedding preparations online. So please bear with me when you notice that I may sound a little awkward and shy around this blogpost. This can be a bit too personal. 

If you prefer to read my other blog posts instead, please feel free to skip reading this. For some of you who need a bit of a break from the news about the crisis, you are most welcome to scroll down, relax, and feel cozy. 

Are you ready? :-) 

We talked about doing an early pre-wedding photoshoot to keep this off our list. One day after my birthday, on the 16th of November 2019, Saturday was the day of our shoot. We spent the whole morning and afternoon posing and eating in between!

You probably remember the story of how he proposed. Alex and I got happily engaged last year (2019) in August while we were on a trip to the Philippines. He proposed to me in front of an early morning sunrise on top of the mountain. 

The sun has just woken up as it touched the horizon. The sky was in its softest hues of pinks and zest of oranges - colors that tug the heart. The birds were chirping softly outside as the wind was subtly soothing their wings. There was a faint song serenading us in the background. It was a private moment that both of us shared. Nobody else was there to witness the proposal except the sky, the birds, and the trees. It was a lovely experience that we both were grateful for.


The kind of relationship we have nurtured together through the years is like a hygge. It is cozy, it gives us space to grow, and it is like a sanctuary where we can come face to face with whatever it is that haunts us, irks us, or challenges us, and still provides an unyielding solace after a storm. 

This is just exactly what we both need. It is not the luxury and glamour of the world that we are after. It is not about the material things either. What matters most to both of us are the simple moments in life.


This became the basis of how we both wanted the pre-wedding shoot to be like. We wanted it to depict who we are, how our relationship feels like, and of course, the beautiful and simple story of our engagement involving nature.

We chose three different places in Singapore where we had our photoshoot. Here in this post, we are showing you one of the spots. It's a huge, local park in SG (many of my friends here will definitely know where this is! Can you guess?). When we had our photoshoot in this location, the sun was about to set, and the sky looked gloomy. Luckily, it didn't rain at all!

During our preparation time for the photoshoot, there were many occasions when I was close to losing my patience. I tend to have this massive urge to make things perfect. Unfortunately, it often takes a toll on me most of the time. 

Alex's presence in my life is the very thing I needed to keep myself grounded. He is patient, while I'm always urgent in doing things. He is logical, while I'm filled with emotions that sometimes go haywire. 

He is a very good listener, just as I'm good at expressing my mind. We both appreciate each other's uniqueness.

In preparing for our pre-wedding photoshoot here in Singapore, we both wanted it to be simple and natural. We didn't like the idea of renting a gown or a suit as we stay still under the heat of the sun while the photographer snaps some photos of us. So, we chose to shop for some clothes from Uniqlo (my favorite clothing line) and selected our outfits for the photo shoot.

Individually, we have some aspects of our personalities that are quite challenging to handle. In this kind of scenario, our relationship becomes a safe haven just as it turns into a battlefield. 

No relationship is perfect, and we all know that. I guess, the key thing here is that on one hand, when our relationship is in a battle mode, we both tackle the situation head-on, eye-to-eye. No one is above the other. We stand on equal grounds. We fight the battle, not with the intent to let the other person lose, but to find a middle ground where we find an agreement amidst our differences.

This is a crucial experience because it involves a lot of uncertainties, it requires us to stand up to our personal values and beliefs which may be different from that of our significant other's, and it also involves seeing things from different perspectives and wanting to prove our point to them. 

Many of us tend to avoid having to face this difficult experience. However, regardless of how difficult it may be, this is an important step we have to take in order to strengthen the foundation of our relationship. Going through this turbulence together with our partner solidifies the trust that is needed to sustain the relationship for the long haul.

So, don't be afraid when you face this kind of situation now or in the future relationship you'll have with your significant other. Treat this challenge like rain that is needed by the flower (your relationship) so it can bloom beautifully.

We had so much fun and laughter that day. I had fun posing for the photos with Alex. The team we had on that day was also upbeat and professional. Many thanks to Ai Rin Lim from XBay Visuals as our stylist and make-up artist and to Hafid Caballes as our photographer. We both wore our Onitsuka shoes that we bought together too!

It's not always gloomy all the time, right? In fact, our relationship is also a safe haven (most of the time). It is an environment where Alex and I can appreciate the comfortable quietness of the moment - as I read my books, and he plays an online game, or when we visit the bookstore and we separately browse through whatever book entices us. 

We share our random musings, we talk to each other about our dreams and nightmares, we explore the ideas that inspire us, we dive deep into ourselves and show our vulnerability to each other like our fears, insecurities, and worries.

Every Sunday in Singapore, we would meet and attend the mass together. Right after, we would drink kopi (coffee) and eat char siew bao (siopao) in a local coffee shop. We usually spend the entire sunset at the cafe, talking and laughing. This is often how we spend our weekend together. Nothing fancy, but definitely cozy. 

Sometimes, we would walk around the city and when we reach a crossroad, we take turns randomly choosing which direction to take. I always enjoy these moments and so does he.

A safe haven to us means, we can return to each other after a long day and say: "I'm home."

Awwwwe. Hahaha.

It is in the little moments that we find the most genuine joy and satisfaction in life. Both of us understand the importance of this. More often than not, we take for granted the positive results of having sincere communication with our loved ones, the moments we spend with them, the raw and huge range of emotions we share with them. 

When we choose to embrace and love the simple things in life, we experience contentment and happiness more often. This is our principle in life.

Perhaps, "today" can be the perfect opportunity to start noticing and appreciating the many little moments in our lives that bring us joy and happiness; and perhaps, "always" is the perfect time to do it consistently.

Thank you for staying with me and reading until the end. We have come to the end of the story. We hope this short post has sprinkled a little bit of magic and brought a smile to your face today.

Wishing you lots of love today and always!

Love,
Mary Jedde & Alexander
#TeamSchatz