Mark & Azzie

Congratulations to Mark & Azelea

There was another wedding to attend this weekend and i said 'hullo hullo' the groom's name is again Mark. Did I just not attend a Mark's wedding two weeks ago? The wedding happened to be my boss's daughter, Ms Azelea Bakrie, the eldest daughter to Mr. Bakrie Zaini who is currently the Director for the Human Resource Management Unit of the Chief Minister's Department. The wedding was held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).  The wedding was new to me in many ways. It was a  Malay wedding ceremony, full of colours and tradition where the groom, Mr. Mark Ali Stephens, who is obviously not from this part of the world (he's from Devon County, England by the way) wore the Malay traditional attire. So did his brother Mr. Jonathan who was the best man. Mr. Bakrie's two younger daughters who were the bridesmaid wore modern dress which blends well with the couple they were accompanying. Most Malay wedding ceremonies I attend is usually in the morning. This is another unique celebration which can be summarised in a blog about inter-marriages in Sarawak by YBhg Datu Aloysius Dris entitled A Uniqueness That is Distinctly Sarawak.


The stage is all set for the enthronement ceremony (adat bersanding) at The Great Hall, Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)


The towering wedding cake on stage


Those attending the wedding can write their congratulatory messages at the entrance of the Great Hall BCCK


Traditional welcome: the arrival of the couple, Mr. & Mrs. Mark Ali Stephens


The couple walks into the limelight


The couple's grand entrance together with their Best Man and Bridesmaids 


Proceeding towards the stage 


Lined up to enjoy the cultural performances


Here the silat which is the traditional Malay martial arts is being displayed in front of the couple


The breathtaking view from the high table


More cultural dances being performed for the couple and guests


Raja Sehari or the royalty for the day


The tepung tawar or blessing ceremony here is being performed by the bride's father Mr. Bakrie Zaini


The groom's father performing the tepung tawar


The Makan Nasi Temuan is the interesting part where the bride and groom feeds one another the fastest they can. This is explained better by Borneo Love in her blog entitled Sarawak Malay Weddings.


Makan Nasi Temuan even: The result for Mr. & Mrs. Mark Ali Stephens ~ it was a draw


The cake cutting ceremony by the bride and groom


Its cake feeding time


The final part of the night was a thank you speech by Mr. Bakrie Zaini

At the end of the ceremony one cannot escape the feeling of how fortunate we are in Sarawak to be able to witness such unique weddings. Love knows no boundaries, that's what one can deduce when we notice here on how it overcame the continental, traditional and religious barriers. I have attended many weddings of all sorts and I can say no two weddings are always the same. That's the wonders of being in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country where we are free to observe our different practices and for the outsider this can be a culturally enriching experience. From the church to the temples, to the bersandings to the longhouses and kampung (villages) its all there to cherish and appreciate. This is uniquely Sarawak, you are so right YBhg Datu Aloysius. There will never be a clash of cultures here, just a colourful blend of the different cultures. Cheers everyone and Congratulations again  to Mark and Azzie again. God Bless.

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