Malay wedding

Yesterday, I attended a Malay wedding ceremony. That was the first Malay wedding ceremony that I have attended.

Earlier in July, I have attended the wedding dinner of the very same couple. It is interesting to be witness to an inter-racial wedding ceremony.

I reached there at about 11.30 a.m. The bride, my friend, was not there. It was nice of the bridegroom, who recognised me, to get me to talk to my friend over the phone to have me send my regards to her.

I had to rush for rehearsals which was in the early afternoon, so it was disappointing that I had to leave by 12.35 p.m. to be in time for the rehearsals. As such, I missed seeing the bride. The invitation stated that the event starts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. When I was there, there were already some people. I was sitted at a table with three other people, and we were treated to nasi briyani (a kind of rice which has colourings added to it.) and other dishes. I also went to look at the photographs that the couple has taken. At about 12 noon, I could see a stream of students turning up for the event. My friend, the bride, is a teacher. I reckon that she has invited her students for this special occasion.

It was a pity that I had missed seeing my friend to give her my personal well-wishes face-to-face. I guess I cannot have the best of both worlds. Now I have learnt that when we attend a Malay wedding ceremony, and if we want to see the bride and the bridegroom, we have to ask the host when would be the time that the bride and the bridegroom would be at the ceremony. With this information, we can try to arrive not too early, and not too late for the ceremony. For yesterday's case, it was not possible for me to catch the bride anyway, because the time had clashed with rehearsals. I try not to miss rehearsals especially when the orchestra's next performance is less than three days away. Anyway, I heard that in a Malay wedding ceremony, the bridegroom and the bride would be dressed up like the King and Queen. It is sad that I have to miss seeing the ceremony.

I have taken a picture before the bridegroom and bride turned up for the official Malay wedding ceremony.