Bits & Pieces with Eva Liu of Eva Liu Confectionery Artistry {HKG}

After months of posting inspiration-rich content, we realised that we’ve been a tad bit negligent on the food department. After all, it is the most important part of a wedding, at least for the majority of wedding couples. To keep to the spirit of all things nice and lovely, we’re turning the spotlight on cakes and dessert.

Meet Eva Liu of Eva Liu Confectionery Artistry.

Based in Hong Kong, Eva is an established figure in the wedding industry. Besides being delightfully creative, she also possesses keen business acumen and has developed a loyal following ever since she decided to pursue her passion in cake-making. Ironically, it was a frustration encountered during her own wedding that sparked that drive to be a cake designer and sugar artist.

While planning for her wedding, Eva was appalled that there were so few sugar artists in Hong Kong that could make her a unique, highly-themed wedding cake.  So after her wedding, she located one of the most prestigious sugar artists in New York and went there to master her skills in confectionery creations. She returned to Hong Kong and started her own business.  A year later, she completed a pastry course in Paris and trained with one of the best pastry and confectionery chef in France in making chocolates and huge sugar showpieces. She employs the skills learnt from the chefs, coupled with her experience of over 10 years in drawing and pottery skills, to craft every edible art piece for her clients.

Eva’s stunning creations never fail to impress and has been featured in numerous Hong Kong publications including Elle, Cosmopolitan, Ming Pao Weekly, In Magazine and Milk.  Eva was also featured in lifestyle programs such as Now TV, Cable TV and CETV.  Besides creating wedding cakes and special occasion cakes, she has also worked with both local and international brands such as Dior, Mercedes Benz, Roger Vivier, Siemens, Pedder Group and MTR for their events. She was also invited to demonstrate cake-baking at press conferences and healthy food-making for home magazines.

Much loved by her clients, Eva’s elegant creations are simply an inspiration on its own accord. In this exclusive interview with WedInk Tattle, Eva shares with us her thoughts on wedding cakes and answers the million-dollar question, “Can beautiful cakes actually be tasty?”

1. YOUR CREATIONS ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATIONS FROM?
My inspirations are from everywhere! These include my pottery and tableware, fashion, flowers, furniture, architecture, as well as paintings and sculptures.

2. AS AN ESTABLISHED FIGURE IN THE HONG KONG WEDDING INDUSTRY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY IN YOUR LIFE LIKE?
I have a cup of coffee and newspapers to start off the day, followed by checking my emails and communicating with clients.  After some paper work, I start putting my energy into making the cakes and sugar work.  It’s usually busy after lunch with many phone calls and emails to reply, meeting with clients and also continuing with my sugar work.  I’ll have a tea break with another cup of coffee or tea and my favourite scones, cakes or chocolate at around 4:30 PM.  I enjoy reading fashion, home and wedding magazines then, and get some inspirations.  Whenever I see something interesting, I keep a record and make sketches on my sketchbook.  Usually, I try to finish work before 6:00 PM and go back to my family.

3. WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEY WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE?
Feminine, Delicate, Stylish, Artistic, Extraordinary

4. WHAT ARE YOUR BEST-SELLING FLAVOURS?
Hazelnut Chocolate, Green Tea & Cream Cheese, Chocolate Truffles, Lemon

5. IT IS DIFFICULT NOT TO BE INSPIRED BY YOUR WORK. ANY ADVICE TO BUDDING WEDDING CAKE DESIGNERS OUT THERE?
Open your eyes to see the things around you.  There are many things which are interesting that can inspire you.  Also, it’s critical to truly understand your client’s needs.

6. AFTER YEARS IN THIS INDUSTRY, ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS TO SHARE?
There are many of them!  One of them was when I was tasked to make a wedding cake for 500 guests with many sugar flowers.  The couple also wanted their guests to have sugar flower wrapped in a box as wedding favour.  For that project, I made almost 3,000 sugar flowers!  It was tiring but I had a sense of fulfillment because everyone loved the wedding cake and the lovely wedding favour.

7. WITH A MYRIAD OF COLOURS, DESIGNS AND FLAVOURS AVAILABLE, WHERE DO COUPLES BEGIN? HOW INVOLVED SHOULD THE COUPLE BE WITH THE CREATION OF THEIR WEDDING CAKE?
Designs and colours come first.  I always advise clients to have a wedding cake which can fit their wedding theme.  I discuss with clients to know their requirements and their ideas.  For clients who do not have any ideas on their wedding cake design, their involvement can be minimal. Based on their requirements, I’ll be able to give them suggestions and advice. I’ll then design a cake that matches their wedding theme and/or personal style.

8. ‘BEAUTY SUBSTITUTES SUBSTANCE’. CAN BEAUTIFUL CAKES BE TASTY?
I totally disagree with the phrase.  Many of my clients said they love both the design and the flavours.  For wedding cakes, we need to avoid cakes which are too soft and too moist.  But the taste can also be great!

9. CAN YOU RECOMMEND A PLACE IN HONG KONG WITH GOOD FOOD AND GREAT AMBIENCE.
I personally like Sevva. It’s a good place to chill out and food is good too. I also recommend Domani at Pacific Place for its delicious Italian food and comfortable environment.

10. WHAT’S NEXT FOR EVA LIU CONFECTIONARY ARTISTRY? ANY PLANS IN THE PIPELINE FOR EXPANSION INTO CHINA OR OPENING A SCHOOL?
My thought at this moment is to focus on what I’m doing now – spend more time with my clients and enjoy designing cakes.  If I expand my business now, my business will be on a mass production scale.  By keeping my business on a smaller scale, clients can really feel the soul of “Eva Liu” in each and every creation of cakes from Eva Liu Confectionery & Artistry.

Eva’s success can be attributed to her belief that a cake can, and should look as good as it tastes. Achieving this without compromising on either, is a feat indeed. In other words, Eva custom-designs your cake and ensures it is delicious! Bride and Groom-to-be’s will be happy to know that Eva also accepts orders from outside Hong Kong. However, due to the delicate nature of cakes, clients have to arrange to hand carry the cake from her store located at:

White Bridal Couture
5/F, 22 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.
For further enquiries, Eva can be reached at
E-mail l Phone+852.2376.4900 l Website

 

The Man Behind the Lens – Edmund Tham of E-Gallery {MYS}

In today’s age of technology, anyone armed with a DSLR can claim to be a wedding photographer. The prospects of marketing themselves is also much easier now, by snapping and sharing the photos through blogsites and social media for the whole world to view. However, many do not realise that photography is an acquired skill and basically, an art by itself. Malaysia has been blessed with many a talented group of people specialising in wedding photography. Photographers are a dime a dozen, but who truly makes the cut? It depends. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. One of the aims of WedInk Tattle is to weed through the clutter and showcase the best of the best within the industry so that you can be assured of the quality of deliverance.

Ranked by Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) as one of the Top Nine Wedding Photographers in 2008, Edmund Tham of The E-gallery has since come a long way. In this exclusive interview, Edmund tells of his romantic nature (hint: find out which song moved him to tears) and explains a concept that he pioneered in Malaysia (and Asia) – Trash The Dress!

1. WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEYWORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SIGNATURE?
Stylish, candid, everlasting, stunning, creative

2. TO-DATE, WHAT IS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE AND JOURNEY THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?
Too many defining moments that had happened in my life… One of them is when my father passed away when I was 18 years old. The moment when I proposed to my wife. When Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) ranked me as one of their Top Nine (9) Wedding Photographers in 2008. When my clients shed happy tears of joy when they see the stunning beauty of their wedding and marriage union captured by my camera lenses.

3. EDUCATE US A LIL’, WHAT EXACTLY IS TRASH THE DRESS PHOTOGRAPHY? THE THOUGHT OF DESTROYING A WHITE WEDDING DRESS SEEMS SO PROFANE.
This concept was first introduced in the United States in the early 1990s. Trash The Dress (TTD) is a sort of post-wedding ritual; an edgy extension to wedding photography where an immaculately dressed couple decide to trash their wedding clothes to signify their commitment to each other. Destroying your wedding dress means you don’t intend to get married again.

4. HOW DO YOU WORK ON THE CONCEPTUALISATION? ARE THE OBJECTS AND THEME THAT SURROUND THE SHOOT, SIGNIFICANT TO THE COUPLE?
Concept can be derived from anywhere! From things that happen in our everyday lives, the movie that you watched, a book that you have just read… Possibilities are endless and really, it could be just about from anything. It depends on how you digest your surroundings and interpret it to create your own concept.

Discussion with the couple is a must to understand their respective backgrounds. Only then I’m able to propose a concept that is well-suited or linked to their unique backgrounds.

5. IF A COUPLE IS INTERESTED ON A TRASH THE DRESS CONCEPT SHOOT, HOW SHALL THEY GO ABOUT?
I’ll explain the concept to them so that the couple fully understands the real meaning of TTD. While I’ll talk about the concept, we’ll also chat about things that are related their lives, work, hobbies, etc. From there, I’ll develop the concept for them. For example, I had a client who was a chef in a hotel. I proposed for them to have a TTD shoot in kitchen and of course, food-related!

6. AS THE PIONEER OF TRASH THE DRESS IN MALAYSIA (AND ASIA), DO YOU SEE THE TREND PICKING UP AMONG ASIANS?
The trend is catching up albeit in a slow manner as Asians are generally quite conservative. But I believe that the TTD concept will be the next big thing among young couples.

7. QUOTES YOU LIVE BY
Work hard and you shall reap the rewards.

There’s a popular Chinese quote, literally translated as “you can never finish earning all the money”. But I always like to say, “Yes, but it is also very easy to spend all your money!”

8. WHAT IS CURRENTLY PLAYING IN YOUR MIXPOD?
愛，很簡單 (Ai Hen Jian Dan) by David Tao.

It means ‘love can be simple’. Every time I listen to this, I’ll get a very special feeling…and I sometimes will even cry while listening to the song.

9. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE IN MALAYSIAN WEDDINGS?
Malaysian weddings in general are steeped or bound by traditions and customs or even religious rites. Therefore, they couldn’t run too far from the established norm. Having said that, I do wish to see weddings that are of different cultures, and also weddings with different concepts for the ceremonies celebrating the blissful union.

10. APART FROM COVERING WEDDINGS, WHAT OTHER AREAS OF SUBJECT INTEREST YOU?
Besides wedding photography, I like interior shoot. I worked with a lot of Interior Designers in town to capture all their masterpieces. I am a very home-concept type person. I like the “home-y” feeling. I believe a comfortable home will improve your luck and chances in life.

11. AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU WOULD HAVE SHOT MANY WEDDING LOCATIONS/VENUES. CAN YOU RECOMMEND YOUR PERSONAL FAVOURITE CHOICE OF VENUE TO OUR READERS?
Tokyo, Japan!! We should learn from the Japanese people. Everything is just too good! Their attitude, food, art, style and culture are just fantastic.

12. WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE E-GALLERY?
To be engaged by more couples so I can be a part of their special day and capture those memories to last forever. Have more job assignments and hopefully be in a better financial situation. On the professional front, it is my hope that I can one day set up a branch to gain more international exposure and recognition as one of the top wedding photographers!

13. THROUGH THE LENS, A DREAM WEDDING IS …
…a wedding that surprises me and is beyond my imagination.

Edmund Tham frequently travels abroad for wedding assignments. Drop him a line at his work mail if you’d like to schedule an appointment at his uber cool studio located at Damansara Perdana.

5 Minutes with Gregory Cheong of Greg’s Video {MYS,AUS}

Having been exposed to the world of photography and videography at a very early age, Gregory Cheong still recalls the first time he held a camera in his hand which ignited his passion to pursue videography and photography seriously. By the time he was 11, Greg was already shooting photographs on his own. He started his business in 1991, and officially registered his company, Greg’s Video in 2007. With 20 years of experience in the industry, Greg has successfully built his company into a renowned production studio specialising in wedding photography and videography with a clientele base spanning across the globe.  With the recent inception of SignificantzTouch Australia, couples based in the Land Down Under can enjoy the convenience of planning their wedding through their one-stop solution studio with tailor-made wedding packages to suit even the most discerning.

1. WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEYWORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR VIDEOGRAPHY SIGNATURE?
Elegance And Exclusiveness Is Our Attitude

2. WHAT IS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE AND JOURNEY THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?
The day I realised I am able to capture priceless emotions of happiness, laughter and smiles and this drove my passion even stronger for wedding photography and videography.

3. YOUR MOTTO IN WORK & LIFE
The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection and God’s gift to mankind. – Greg –

4. WHAT ARE THE EMERGING TRENDS IN WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHY?
Sophisticated yet dramatic.  Everyone now wants more, much much more!

5. WHAT WOULD BE THE HARDEST PART OF MAKING A GOOD VIDEO?
As we all know, a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience and for shooting, there are no retakes. Every time before a shoot starts, I always pray and hope that everything flows smoothly and no mistakes are to be done as there are no retakes in a real experience.

6. WITH SO MANY INTERNATIONAL CLIENTELE, HOW DO YOU USUALLY PREPARE FOR THE BIG DAY IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCALE AND THE COUPLE?
It all starts with an email and from there I do my research about the area the couple lives in. To be more comfortable with couple and to get to know them even better, I usually go on Skype with them, and now, Facebook-ing! ‘Touch wood’… so far I have got no issues communicating with my international clientele.

7. DO YOU USUALLY PREPLAN YOUR SHOTS, OR ARE THEY MORE INSTINCTIVE DEPENDING ON THE FLOW AND MOOD OF THE PROCEEDINGS ON THE WEDDING DAY?
Before the ‘Big day’ takes place, we will usually interview the couples to get a feel of how the wedding is going to be like and sometimes we go an extra mile being at the venue a few days earlier to get a feel of the atmosphere, and to have a rough idea on what to expect on that day.

8. GUESTS ARE USUALLY VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND THEY INSTINCTIVELY BECOME VERY UPTIGHT WHEN THEY SEE A VIDEOGRAPHER HEADING TOWARDS THEM. IS THERE A TRICK TO MANAGE THOSE WHO ARE CAMERA-SHY?
The trick is to be a friend to the guest and treat them like your own. Make them feel that the camera is for them to show off their talent and beauty too.

9. AS A VIDEOGRAPHER, YOU WOULD HAVE SHOT MANY WEDDING LOCATIONS/VENUES. CAN YOU RECOMMEND YOUR PERSONAL FAVOURITE CHOICE OF VENUE TO OUR READERS?
Any locations or venues that are near my office in Subang Jaya!!! hahaha… But, jokes aside, I feel Bali is a great destination as you have lots of many different choices and Avillion Port Dickson is a pretty resort too!

10. THROUGH THE LENS, BEAUTY IS…
about creating memories that couples will cherish for a lifetime.

5 Minutes with Stephanie Chai of Wedding Guide Asia

Born in New Zealand, raised in East Malaysia and then back to the land of the long white cloud for high school and university, this Eurasian girl has truly had an international upbringing. It was a summer break in Singapore that kick-started her modelling career with numerous editorial spreads. This got the ball rolling and 18-year old Steph was flying off to different parts of Asia to model whilst juggling her degree at the University of Auckland. Within the next few years, she had become a recognised name in the industry with over 50 ad campaigns and countless covers to boot. She later went on to hosting TV shows, interviewing the likes of Jimmy Choo and Asian stars such as Simon Yam. But the icing on the cake has to be her recent Hollywood cameo in the Hollywood film, Fair Game, in which she acted opposite one of her favourite stars, Naomi Watts.

In late 2009, this media darling of many dreams and talents launched a regional wedding portal, aptly named WeddingGuideAsia.com. With 300,000 (and counting) readers a year, WeddingGuideAsia.com is set to make its mark in the wedding industry. Their directory listing, entitled the Little White Book, features only the best wedding vendors from each city.

1. WHY DID YOU VENTURE INTO WEDDINGS?
Initially I was going to launch a women’s portal but when my best friend Elaine (Ho) got engaged, I realised there was a huge gap in the market for a wedding site that was simple, trustworthy and strong in content. As someone who loves to write and always wanted to run an online magazine, it was an easy decision to launch WeddingGuideAsia.com.

2. WHAT DRIVES (MOTIVATES) YOU?
Never start a business if money is your primary source of motivation! Any new venture involves a lot of time, sacrifice and passion! I had parents who pushed me a lot when young… if I got an ‘A’ they’d say, well how about an ‘A+’. So perhaps that’s why I always strive to be the best I can be. I think in all as an entrepreneur, you want to contribute to society. Whatever you do or create, has to in some way add to the betterment of the world. If not, what’s the point?

3. WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST?
Now! It was always my dream to run my own business and though I definitely work a lot harder nowadays, I’m very content waking up every morning and making things happen. As much as our friends, family and love life contribute to our happiness, it is true what they say – you have to be happy with who you are, first and foremost.

4. THE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT YOU.
That I’m a ‘typical’ model. I once had a guy remarked “Oh you read the Business Times?”. Haha. Funny thing is I was always in the top class at school and after a lifetime of never having my intelligence questioned, I found myself on the opposite side of the pendulum having to prove myself – purely because I was now a ‘model’.

Not such a bad thing at times, you get away with lots of things *wink*

5. SONGS WHICH REMIND YOU OF LOVE.
‘Jia Mian De Gao Bai’ by Jolin Tsai
Everybody Knows by John Legend
Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel

6. YOUR STYLE ICON.
Grace Kelly. Classic. You don’t have to dress like Kim Kardashian to turn a man’s head.

7. QUOTES YOU LIVE BY.
Here is my secret. It is very simple.
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. – The Little Prince –

8. EPIC LOVE MOVIE.
THE NOTEBOOK!!!! I’ve watched it 7 times….

9. WHAT’S SEXY?
Confidence, humour and charm. Nothing is worse than a good looking guy who’s boring…

10. FAVOURITE FLOWER.
The orchid. Prettiest flowers in my mother’s garden when I was a child.

11. MUST HAVE PIECES FOR WEDDING IN 2011.
I like the trend for hair accessories. Try Sereni and Shentel. Great vintage hair pieces from Court and Plume and I love the Goldilocks range from our vendor More than Diamonds. I can picture a bride by the beach in a bohemian gown with golden flats, flowers in her hair and a Goldilocks necklace of her name in rose gold. Voila – the modern bride.

12. SUGGEST YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO DRESS UP, AND DRESS DOWN IN KUALA LUMPUR.
Eat at Plan B in Bangsar Village. And Changkat for drinks at night.

13. LOVE IS …..
AMAZING! Cherish it, respect it and be open to it. You never know when it comes knocking on your door *wink*

Though focused on making WeddingGuideAsia.com the top wedding portal in Asia, Stephanie maintains her profile as a regular at events and in magazines. Despite the glitz, she keeps her feet grounded with annual trips back to visit her family in New Zealand. She especially looks forward to a good ol’ muffin and latte with the girls.

“They just don’t make them the same in Asia!”

 

5 Minutes with Eileen Lui {MYS, KHM}

With close to ten years of experience under her belt, this tough chick moves to her own rhythm and describes herself as a “Wedding planner and marcomms chick by day. Writer by night, triathlete on the weekends and crusader of the poor whenever I can” She is currently based in Cambodia but frequently travels around South East Asia for destination weddings.

1) WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST?
This is a tough one! I am happy doing a lot of things…. I guess, I am happiest when I am celebrating Chinese New Year with my family back in the kampong and this is just around the corner!! Woohoohooo!

2) WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEYWORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR WORKING STYLE?
Anal, Meticulous, OCD-ly Organised, Focused, Flexible

3) THE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT YOU.
That I am a Snow Queen with a heart of ice 😛

4) WHAT DRIVES (MOTIVATES) YOU?
Reaching the goal post – whether it is seeing an event come to life, finishing a race or writing a story.

5) CURRENT SONGS IN YOUR PLAYLIST/JUKEBOX?
Hey Soul Sister – Train
Hold My Hand – Michael Jackson & Akon
High – Lighthouse Family

6) QUOTES YOU LIVE BY
“The mind, once expanded by a new idea, can never return to its original dimensions” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

7) YOU’RE A WEDDING PLANNER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU’RE ALSO THE EDITOR OF JOURNEYS FOR TWO. HOW DO YOU JUGGLE BETWEEN THESE TWO ROLES AND STILL KEEP A FAIR AND PRAGMATIC VIEW, IN YOUR ROLE AS AN EDITOR AND AS A WEDDING PLANNER?
It isn’t so much as juggling the two roles. I see it more as how do I complement both the roles to achieve even better outcome in both of it. As an editor, I need to write on recommended venues for wedding celebration around the region. Having been to these places and done wedding planning at some of these places help in the writing process. Admittedly, certain venue or location evokes different emotions for me. When I get a bit too emotional in the writing, my Managing Editor slaps me back into reality.

8 ) “PERHAPS IT IS BETTER TO BE IRRESPONSIBLE AND RIGHT, THAN TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND WRONG.” YOUR TAKE ON THIS.
Errr…. are you referring to my Nude Photography thingy that is being slammed left, right & center in the news? Life is short. LIVE IT. I’d rather have 2 minutes of a “one-helluva-experience” than living the rest of my life in regret.

9) EPIC LOVE MOVIE.
Titanic!!!  Wait….. is this going public????

10)  WHAT’S SEXY?
Wit, humour and a nice, rounded a**

11) SUGGEST YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO DRESS UP, AND DRESS DOWN IN CAMBODIA.
Dress-Up for a little something-something before dinner at the Elephant Bar, Raffles Hotel then move on to dinner at La Residence before heading up to Le Moon Sky Bar to unwind your week’s stresses…

Dress-Down for a sunset river cruise with BYOs and then move on to an awesomely sweaty-hot & delicious dinner at a local BBQ joint with beers and creepy crawlies

For a really nice and meaningful Dress-Down, I suggest voluntary work at an orphanage. Can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 18 months already!!

Creative Direction & Decor by La Flaire for a 'Shanghai Tang' inspired party

12) YOUR TIPS/ADVICE TO COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING IN CAMBODIA (DESTINATION WEDDING).

Language can be a big problem here especially with the public transportation (You watched the episode of Amazing Race and they were in Cambodia, needing to get to Raffles? ALL the tuk-tuk drivers said Yes, yes, I know and brought the contestants to the blady Royal Palace. That’s Welcome To Cambodia for you).

If you could hire a locally-based wedding planning company to make the arrangements for you, that would be the best piece of advice because they would know how to get things done local-wise and they know what it actually means when somebody tells you “Yes, yes, I know.”

Cambodia – aside from the much commercialised and publicised Angkor Wat, has many other places to offer – which is yet to be ruined by over-population of tourists and commercialisation. But you’d have to be willing to be a little adventurous, love the old world charms and the romantic notions of memories gone by.