Padd Solutions

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So, following on from the previous rehearsal post, the wedding day was a day of craziness! But very, very cool.

I took 1500 photos that day, shooting with 2 cameras. My 400D with the 24-105mm F4 L, and Tim's 450D which I alternated with the EF 50mm F1.8 and my Sigma 70-300mm.

I narrowed the 1500 photos down the 539 of the best, the full gallery for that is here.

I then narrowed those 539 down to 62 of the very, very best. That gallery can be found, here!

As usual, all photos can be viewed bigger, or saved. Just click the photo go to flickr, then click the "all sizes" button above the photo. :)


So, after getting to bed at 1am following the late-running rehearsal, we woke up at 6:20am, donned our clothes, loaded up our camera bags and headed up to Rob's new apartment. Beryl had spent the night with Cheer; she'd be on the "girl's team" and we'd be with the boys.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Rehearsal
Upon arrival the first thing I noticed was last nights McDonald's order list, it was worth a snap.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
This double-happiness character was to be the sign of the day. This one attached to Rob's mirror as he shaves; documented by Tim with the handicam.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
The make-up artists arrived to start work on Rob's Mother and Stepfather. They were both to be dressed up in traditional Chinese opera clothing and makeup.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Roger getting the treatment.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Working away.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Meanwhile, Pinky was helping Rob get ready

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Rob attempts to shave again. That day he claims he learnt that all disposable razors are not created equally.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Rob's Mom begins to get decorated with jewellery.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Et voila, the finished product.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
All sorted.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Everyone was keen to pose for photos with them.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Rob's apartment was a scene of chaos, digital cameras everywhere.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Downstairs, the procession began to gather, it was to be led by these musicians, who'd I'd photographed in Weinan before.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
and then came a man with a cigarette.... and a horse!

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Very fetching makeup and hat combo.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Same can be said for Rob's mom.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
The horse waited patiently

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Far too many bright colours for 7:30am!

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
A fun face to photograph :)

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
The two front-halves and two rear-halves of the lions talked and planned. I'm not sure what's to discuss when you're job is to be a lion's backside...but; hey-ho.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
This baby seemed as bemused as me

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Another guy looking confused

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Some shots almost look like some sort of space-opera costume

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
But Rob's mom looked stunning, and definitely stood out of the crowd.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Here, Rob's parents are tying a knot around him. I forget why. But I'm sure it was important.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Here's the same thing from another angle...oh...no, wait...

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
As part of the tradition, four of Rob's friends have to carry four gifts to Cheer's father. Here we see Dumi with some wine, Rudy with some cigarettes, Chris with some meat, and Vladi with some lotus roots. That's one Englishman, one Frenchman, one American and a German; very multi-cultural!

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Rob saddles up!

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
and we're off!

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Quite a sight to see crossing the road!

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Followed by a horde of photographers / videographers.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
The procession was led by these guys with happiness signs and a gong. Then there were the lions. Followed by the musicians. Followed by Rob on his horse. Then the parents. Then the hand-carried-carriage that would eventually carry Cheer. Followed by a gazillion friends and family.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
It was a loud procession, musically and visually. Everyone was stopping and staring as we walked down the middle of the road. Sorry Wednesday morning Weinan traffic.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Even this golf cart of young police ladies stopped to watch the procession. It's a crazy, grand-scale wedding to see anyway... but with a foreigner, well... that's probably just about the craziest thing anyone in Weinan has seen all year...

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
We continued down over the railway tracks.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
People were coming out of shops and restaurants to watch the procession go by

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Red light or green light; we crossed the roads.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
and here we are walking straight across an intersection.

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
and we were heading down the street now towards Cheer's parents' apartment.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Tim capturing the scene

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Paris this is not.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Finally, we arrived outside their apartment complex.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Here, the gate opens and a photographer runs ahead of the procession to try get a good shot.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
and the procession entered the apartment complex.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Rob paying respect to and thanking the onlookers.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Throughout the whole procession fireworks and firecrackers had been going off. Here some are arranged into a heart shape. Awww! :)

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Photog's were going everywhere for a good shot!

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Everywhere!

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
Rob's mother looks on proudly.

Rob & Cheer's Wedding Day
Really proudly! :)

Rob & Cheers Traditional Chinese Wedding, Weinan
You have to click this image and view the full size! (click the photo to go to flickr, then click the "all-sizes" button, then click "original"!) Such an enormous crowd!

Then we headed inside Cheer's parents' apartment where the fun would begin!

Part two coming soon!

Part two now done! READ IT HERE!!!