WEDDINGS

During the mid-term break in June, I attended a wedding. It was my classmate, Rina’s sister who got married. There were so many different ceremonies before the wedding day on Sunday. The house was beautifully decorated with a new curtains. There was a huge pink and white marquee put up to seat the guests. The bride, Norliza was a doctor and her groom also a doctor.

On Wednesday, the bride -to-be shows off her trousseau, changing five to six times throughout the day. Her friends and relatives are invited to view her wardrobe. A day after this, the wedding ceremony proper starts with the henna-staining ceremony. During this ceremony, yellowish oil, extracted from henna leaves is applied on the fingertips of the couple by friends and relatives. It announces their forthcoming unity.

The night before the actual wedding, the couples have to go through nikah ceremony. During this ceremony the bride looks beautiful with white kebaya and the groom looks handsome with songkok and baju Melayu. That night, the guests are served with fried noodles and sirap.

The actual wedding was a very colourful event. All the bride family members are splendidly dressed in their special attire with same colours. I also got one. During that day I was assigned to give goodie bags to the guest. I felt very honoured to do this job. The groom arrived at the bride’s house at 2.00pm. He is escorted with kompang band. On the arrival, he has to pay a ‘tax’ in the form of money to the girl’s family before he enters each door leading to the pelamin to take place besides his bride. The groom and the bride looked splendidly beautiful with their red attire.

By 6p.m the fest is ended. Eventhough I am tired but to be in this wedding event was a great memory to me.