Brunei Weddings Blog

Our heartiest congratulations to the lovely couple.
Original gallery here.
Photos by Eyan

Unedited entry by the bride herself, Muizzah.
Photography by eyan.

And that is the finale for this series of the wonderfully detailed account of the wedding events that Muizzah has kindly shared with us. Thank you so much for your contribution Muizzah, I'm sure the visitors have been enjoying your memoir and hopefully it will help those who are planning their wedding sometime soon too. We here at Brunei Weddings wish you a happy marriage and a lifetime of happiness - Bulimic.

Chinese weddings usually call for the gifting of gold jewelery by family and little red packets of joy by friends and wedding guests. However, in recent years, I find that couples tying the knot have sought assistance of their close friends to defray the cost of setting up home.

The comment by David on my last post inspired me to upload our Wish List. I'm calling it a wish list as opposed to a gift list simply because it's not a common practice here in Brunei. Wedding invitations will be sent out next week and guests who are wondering about gifts are most welcome to peruse the list. My fantasy wish list can be found here for those who are feeling exceptionally generous :p If nothing on the list appeals, I'm collecting Supa Save stamps so I can get the full Breville collection on offer.

I notice that our very own Inner Space offers a Gift Registry service which I have yet to avail myself of. I wish that most of the major department stores would catch on. It is a rather exhausting to trawl through these stores meticulously documenting brand, description, pricing and product codes to enable generous well-wishers to identify the product with accuracy.

Some may say that telling people exactly what to buy for you does away with the element of surprise. I say surprise is underrated especially when faced with 10 different toasters gifted by 10 different people. As a wedding guest, I've always appreciated it if the wedding couple indicate to us exactly what they need (or don't need) so I can gift them with something that will be appreciated and most importantly, used!

I recall a friend sometime ago telling me that one of the wedding guests had decided to help her decorate her home by buying them a sculpture...now we all know that art is subjective - I may not like what you like - the scuplture now sits in the happy couple's storeroom gathering dust and housing spiderwebs. It is a shame because the sculpture was obviously expensive and the gifter obviously spent a lot of time and effort selecting it.

I may come across as presumptuous and a bit of a b*tch r bridezilla but I believe in being practical. It's always best to give (and receive) something that will actually be used. Moral of the story is...in the absence of a wish or gift list, little red packets are always welcome.

Next post...the appearance of Bridezilla!

The million dollar question: Who will walk me down that aisle to give me away? My beloved daddy has long since passed so that puts the kibosh on the traditional daddy daughter walk. I found this helpful article on eHow which has given me a few ideas. I wonder how everyone will take to me walking down the aisle solo? Not being regarded as a chattel to be traded. No connotations of ownership and being given away. Instead, you can read it as saying, I am my own person and do this of my own volition and free will.

There's 2 months to go to the Big Day. Things seem to be settling in nicely although no less stressfully. It's true when they say getting hitched is one of the more stressful situations in life. So many things to do, so little time! Thankfully, the mothers have taken things into their own hands so all we have to worry about are clothing ourselves, our guest lists and invitations....oh! and of course the hen and stag nights.

Marriage preparation classes have started and we seem to have stumbled onto the difference between the Anglican and Catholic churches - the Anglicans teach the bride and groom about sex, its phases and *ahem* resolution while the Catholics emphasize procreation and how to tell when you're at your most fertile. At our first session last week, the importance and sanctity of the institution of marriage was impressed upon us. They also taught us that the bible says that the bride and groom must leave their parents to start their own lives together - if that's not an endorsement of moving out I don't know what is! Tonight we will learn about "Communication"... I think I may need to get myself a bible. Anyone know where I can download a free copy?

There's been lots of talk about the order of Chinese weddings, in particular, about the games the groom and his brothers have to play when they come to pick up the bride. The bride and her sisters will put the boys through a set of tests to make the groom prove himself. Traditionally in Old China, it would be a way for the bride to test the groom's dedication and (fool)hardyness as they will most likely not Mr & Mrs Chia's was the last one I went to. All in all its a fun but exhausting exercise. I am thankful that my mother has declared "Us Hainanese don't do that sort of thing!" That means a little bit more sleep in the morning. After all who in their right mid would want to turn up at their own wedding with dark circles under their eyes!

I was chatting to a friend earlier today when it hit me just how much my life has changed in the past few years. My whole world view has shifted from one party after another to let's take care of me. I now believe that if you take care of yourself, the rest will come. My immediate concern used to focus on finding the next happening occasion, now it's turned to more domestic matters. Setting up house and home. I'm even getting the urge to go all Martha Stewart and start baking! God help us all!

The house has been secured and minor patching up is underway. I never knew just how much fun furniture shopping can be! A whole new world of retail opportunities has opened. To avoid totally breaking the bank we're taking the tried and tested approach of a wedding registry. Close friends who want to contribute something more personal than an ang pow have the option of helping us furnish our home. Of course one must take great care not to go overboard - it is not polite to ask your friends to buy you a complete B & O home entertainment centre! Not unless your friends include the likes of the Hilton sisters who might oblige without batting an eyelid.

Bapa comes up asking if my husband has left (in which I don't know) and he goes ballistic on me saying that the 'mens side' was expected to leave home at 1pm. But its 1.20pm, so I call my husband and he tells me he just got in the car. Oh no! I still continue having pictures with my friends before my two Bu Irings appear to bring me down. My 6 flower girls shuffle in line. I turn to make sure Z is doing ok with the veil and I walk.
Chatter of him arriving gets into the pelamin room. Soon after, he enters looking very angry and serious. I smile thinking to myself of how 'controlled' he's trying to be. He rests his hand on my forehead (for the menapak), he sits and the salawat is read. Princess Nasibah comes out and sits then babu comes up to us to tell me to salam her. Babu invites Princess to take a picture and she walks towards the pelamin. Just as she stands next to me, the lights go off! Despite that, the photographers are still taking pictures. I worry on how long we'd be electric-less but not long after, the lights go back on and a choir of "naaaahhhh" starts.
More pictures were taken. Then we're told to go out to the door and wave to people outside. As I look out I think "sunshine!" I don't know why it felt so relieving to see the sun. I must've been cooped in the house for such a long time (since berbedak) for me to appreciate seeing outdoors. Shuffle left, shuffle right, look straight and go in. The crowd starts to thin but we're still taking pictures till around 4pm.

Unedited entry by the bride herself, Muizzah.
Photography by eyan.

Unedited entry by the bride herself, Muizzah.
Photography by eyan.

Congratulations to Zarra PHD and Aiman Salsabeelaa on their engagement and Nikah this afternoon. Here are some photos from today's function.

Wishing Zarra and Salsabeela.. the best for their new life and happiness forever...