Tuesday 3 July 2012

Malay Wedding: It's Wonderful

Malay wedding is unique and now it becomes one of attraction for foreigners. Malay wedding is grand affair where the couple is treated as royalty. The wedding ceremony is divided into 2 parts which are the akad nikah (marriage legal contract) and bersanding (enthronement). Usually, the two parts are been celebrated for 2 days but there is also a gap between 2 parts or combined it together in one day.

During bersanding...

Literally, bersanding means sitting together of the bride and the bridegroom on the bridal couch (also known as pelamin). The bridal couch is the centrepiece, and the ceremony begins with the procession of friends, family, and relatives. Each guests received bunga telur or egg flower (which is not necessary an egg but somehow it can be replace with sweets or small gifts) as a sign of fertility. Since the couple is treated as royalty, so various royal customs are performed for them, including musicians, silat (traditional Malay martial art), and a group of hadrah (played as a background music- one of Sarawak Malay culture).

About merisik (spying custom) and bertunang (engagement)...

Merisik is one of important custom for Malay people as a system of arranging the marriage. The man's family will look around the identify the future bride and the deeper investigation about the woman will go further during merisik. One or more wakil (representatives) from the man's family will pay a friendly visit, and it gives the visitors a chance to see the woman or whether their daughter is interested for the match. It is not a formal proposal, and it is possible 'no progress' may take the place.

Bertunang is the second one of Malay custom in arranging the marriage, which is not very necessary and the purpose of bertunang is to plan the wedding ceremony, preparing wedding gifts, wedding budget and other things that involved before the day of the wedding ceremony.

Images of Malay Wedding ceremony (during my sister's wedding on 1st July 2012)...>>>


The busy Hadrah, enjoying their work...

Photoshoot session, taken by me with Mak Andam

They both hungry, bon appetit!

The couple's room and the wedding gifts.

The given money for the bride.

The modern style of Sirih Junjung..full of chocolates...

The bridal couch/ also known as Pelamin

Akad Nikah ceremony

The Dzikir group...

Berinai session...before wedding ceremony

Photoshoot after Akad Nikah (with my parent...)

Here comes the bride....

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